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Politics mr saunders > Prime minister powers > Flashcards

Prime minister powers Flashcards

1
Q

What are patronage powers?

A

The ability to appoint ministers

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2
Q

Examples of patronage powers the PM has

A

Life Peers
The honour system
Appointing cabinet ministers
Reshuffling

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3
Q

Paterogange powers- Life peers?

A

The PM can appoint HoL, either former ministers or party supporters that contribute in their public life
Makes political nominations
The power to nominate is their fo party balance e.g. Blair introduced many labour lords
Can also give life peerages

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4
Q

Patronage powers- The honours system?

A

the honours system recognises people who have: made achievements in public life. committed themselves to serving and helping Britain. Now pms have to nominate person and the honours committee (civil servants)

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5
Q

Patronage powers- Appointing the cabinet?

A

The PM is the only person to decide who is in the cabinet and who isn’t. They can decide who is permanent e.g. on the cabinet salary vs those who can only visit
Can be argued if they really have powers due to coalition in 2010 as we now have to be more inclusive in decisions and appointing people who are seen as competitions (appointing 5 lib dem mps)
e.g. ideological considerations Thatchers dries vs wets

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6
Q

Patronage powers- Cabinet reshuffles?

A

Can reshuffle cabinet portfolio, allowing them to be promoted or demoted. Scheduals a reshuffly however their may be sudden ones of a mp resignes

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7
Q

Can reshuffles backfire?

A

Yes e.g. Harold Macmillan sacked 7 cabinet members
-M thatcher demoting Geoffrey Low foreign secretary leading to his resignation a year later contributing massively to her downfall

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8
Q

What is pms constitutional powers?

A

-Appointing/dismissing ministers
-Charing cabinet and setting agenda
-Arangment of cabinet committess
-Dictating policy areas
-Issuing honours

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9
Q

What is the personal and political powers?

A

All about enhansing political capital, through winning election, gettiing policy right, when they have this they have the power

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10
Q

Example of personal and political powers?

A

Margret Thatcher- Falklans war
Cameron- Indyref
Blair- Iraq war and uni fees

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11
Q

What are the personal and political powers the PM has?

A

-Effective managment of cabinet collegues and backbenchers
-Communcations and leading
-uniting country and party
-Managing economy and handeling unexpected power

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12
Q

What are the 4 main types of prime ministers?

A

-Inovaters
-Reformers
-Egoists
-Balance

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13
Q

Types of PM- inovaters?

A

Fight to be PM in order to achieve a particular programme, once its crafted they are prepared to push their party into supporing them in carrying out programme
E.G. Clement Atlee NHS

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14
Q

Types of PM- Reformers?

A

Seek power in order to obtain a public programme, but are largely dictated by the ideological agenda of political party
Blair

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15
Q

Types of PM- Egoist?

A

Seek power just for the sake of having it, bigger concern in present politics. Operating to maintain their occupancy at No.10
Will do whatever it takes to protect themselves and legacy
e.g. Boris Johnson

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16
Q

Type of PM- Balance

A

Seek to maintain stability in society, concerned with current state of society, seek to administer tensions and avoid policy’s that introduce social diversity
e.g. Theresa May

17
Q

Points for the prime minister is powerful?

A

-Leadership is personalised
-Rely on close circle of ministers and advisers
-PMs appeal to public through media claiming a personal mandate from electorate
-PM’s additional authority as party leaders, elected by MPs and members and exercise personalised leadership
-PMs created strategic spaces between themselves and gov, distancing self for other actors in executive

18
Q

For power- -Leadership is personalised example?

A

Blair and new labour
Thatchers thatcher vs one nation
-Camerons rebrand of conservatives tree logo hug a hoodie

19
Q

For power-Rely on close circle example?

A

SPADs- special advisors- unelected politicians
-Blair and Alister Campbell real deputy pm
-May, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy wrighting 2017 manifesto

20
Q

For Power- PM’s appeal to public through media claiming a personal mandate from electorate example?

A

Blairs permanent side of campaigne- Diana peoples princess
D.Camerons wife ‘sam cam’ like first lady of UK

21
Q

For Power-PM’s additional authority as party leaders, elected by MPs and members and exercise personalised leadership

A

Were focusing on leaders now not party’s
Boris vs Corbyn
May vilified for not showing up to leadership debate

22
Q

For Power-PMs created strategic spaces between themselves and gov, distancing self for other actors in executive

A

Campaign focused on PM and political agenda rather then party
e.g. May’s dementia tax
Blair- Iraq war
Thatcher- Poll Tax

23
Q

The PM is not powerful points?

A

-PM leads but can’t command an executive especially in coalition
-Senior ministers own recourse’s of own and support from govt departments
-PM needs support from ministers and officials to achieve objectives
-PM’s position only strong if he or she enjoys the policy success and popular approval
-Supported party’s aren’t unconditional and unpopular leaders face concert efforts to be removed

24
Q

Against point -PM leads but can’t command an executive especially in coalition example

A

Cameron hamstrung by coalition
May- Lack of majority was difficult
Borris- all cabinet resigned so he has to

25
Q

Against point- Senior ministers own recourse’s of own and support from govt departments- example

A

Cabinet big beasts have to be consulted when making big decisions. Thatcher forced to resign because Howe did

26
Q

Against point- PM needs support from ministers and officials to achieve objectives

A

Brown- won 2 leaderships but weekend him
May- needed DUP to pass things

27
Q

Against points- PM’s position only strong if he or she enjoys the policy success and popular approval example

A

May- Dementia tax
Thatcher- Poll tax, miners strike
Blair- Iraq
Cameron- Brexit

28
Q

Against points- Supported party’s aren’t unconditional and unpopular leaders face concert efforts to be removed example

A

Cameron’s resignation for Brexit
Brown- economic crash
May- grammar schools

29
Q

Impacts that the PMs policy decisions can have an the public? Thatcher’s poll tax?

A

Thatchers poll tax was said to be disasterous as before tax only payed by property owners but now it was for everyone in a household over 18
Public caused many riots and refusal to pay
The checks and balances within cabinet failed and caused extreme damage to party and lead to thatchers downfall

30
Q

Impacts that the PM policy decisions can have on the party? Iraq war

A

Due to Blairs huge majority , he decided to go to war with Iraq to support the US . The Uk public hated this as well as opposition parties and all criticised blair taking him to the bottom of the opinion polls. Really the downfall for Labour as they got a smaller majority after.
-No pressure with cabinet e.g. mobilise the troops
-No evidence that the security of UK as threttent only for Blair to cement his relationship with Bush

31
Q

Impacts of the PM policy decisions can have on a party?Wilsons gov and social reform

A

Made many changes to our rights and liberty’s such as Divorce reform in 1970 Abortion reform 1969 as well as important educational changes, very positive changes to the govt

32
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- the six p’s

A

-Primus inter pares
-Party
-Parliament
-People
-Personality
-Political circumstance

33
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- Primus inter pares

A

First among equals due to nature of cabinet gov, their always be figures who aren’t natural allies
e.g. how the actions and behaviours of senior colleges can limit their power
e.g. Mo Mowlam described Blair as a ‘control freak’ doing damage

34
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- Party

A

Need to keep backbenchers happy
e.g. Resentment in backbench led to Anthony Meyers leaders challanged in 1989 reveling hiw badly Thatvher sustaind back bench criticism

35
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- Parliament

A

Legislative defeats can undermine them e.g. Cameron losing on EU spend in october 2012 promoting change and policy oer in europe
As Well May and Brexit

36
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- People

A

Opinion polls by election, local elections
EU ref ‘revolt in shires’ in 2013 local election and Mays 2017 general elections

37
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- Personality

A

John Major struggled to convince tories and the public of his own leadership quality’s loading 1995 leadership challenged
Sun backed opponent John Redwood

38
Q

Limits of the powers of the PM- Political curcimstance?

A

Blairs 160+ seat majority ment he could ignore opposition
Blair was emboldend by Sxottish and welsh develution referndum in 1997, Cameron was the oppiste for Brexit

Politics mr saunders (16 decks)

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