Prime minister powers

Question 1

What are patronage powers?

Answer 1

The ability to appoint ministers

Question 2

Examples of patronage powers the PM has

Answer 2

Life Peers
The honour system
Appointing cabinet ministers
Reshuffling

Question 3

Paterogange powers- Life peers?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Patronage powers- The honours system?

Answer 4

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)

Question 5

Patronage powers- Appointing the cabinet?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Patronage powers- Cabinet reshuffles?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Can reshuffles backfire?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What is pms constitutional powers?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is the personal and political powers?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Example of personal and political powers?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What are the personal and political powers the PM has?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What are the 4 main types of prime ministers?

Answer 12

-Inovaters
-Reformers
-Egoists
-Balance

Question 13

Types of PM- inovaters?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Types of PM- Reformers?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Types of PM- Egoist?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Type of PM- Balance

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Points for the prime minister is powerful?

Answer 17

-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

Question 18

For power- -Leadership is personalised example?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

For power-Rely on close circle example?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

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

Answer 20

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

Question 21

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

Answer 21

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

Question 22

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

Answer 22

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

Question 23

The PM is not powerful points?

Answer 23

-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

Question 24

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

Answer 24

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

Question 25

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

Answer 25

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

Question 26

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

Answer 26

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

Question 27

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

Answer 27

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

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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

Question 29

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

Answer 29

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

Question 30

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

Answer 30

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

Question 31

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

Answer 31

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

Question 32

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

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Limits of the powers of the PM- Primus inter pares

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Limits of the powers of the PM- Party

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Limits of the powers of the PM- Parliament

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Limits of the powers of the PM- People

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Limits of the powers of the PM- Personality

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Limits of the powers of the PM- Political curcimstance?

Answer 38

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