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Politics > The Executive > Flashcards

The Executive Flashcards

1
Q

Feature of the civil service that means they are not often seen in the public limelight, as ministers will defend the department’s policies in public

A

Civil Service anonymity

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2
Q

The theory that power within the executive is dispersed across a network of key individuals, offices, departments and agencies, replying on cooperation

A

Core executive

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3
Q

Feature of the civil service that means that the advice given to ministers is private, and that civil servants must sign the Official Secrets Act

A

Civil service confidentiality

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4
Q

Term used to refer to meeting of the PM, Deputy PM, Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury during the 2010-15 coalition government

A

The Quad

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5
Q

Term used to describe small, informal meetings between the PM and select ministers, advisors and officials

A

Kitchen cabinet

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6
Q

Where positions of power are awarded based on talent and ability rather that political views or part affiliation- associated with the civil service

A

Meritocracy

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7
Q

Government department, with over 2000 civil servants, responsible for supporting the PM, deputy PM, cabinet and cabinet committees

A

Cabinet Office

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8
Q

Term associated with Tony Blair, who was said to prefer to discuss with individual ministers in No10 rather than hold full cabinet meetings

A

Sofa government

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9
Q

Parts of government departments that carry out executive functions, usually services, with a degree of autonomy from ministers

A

Executive agencies

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10
Q

The term used when the PM changed the composition of ministers in the cabinet

A

Cabinet reshuffle

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11
Q

Blanket term used to refer to anyone who holds power within a political system

A

Political leadership

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12
Q

A system of government where the cabinet is the central collective decision making body of government

A

Cabinet government

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13
Q

The constitutional principle that civil servants must give advice and expertise that is free from ideological judgement or political views

A

Civil service neutrality

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14
Q

The idea that the working of government should be made more transparent, and easier for parliament and the public to see and scrutinise

A

Open government

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15
Q

Convention that ministers must publicly support Cabinet decisions or resign, and that all ministers should resign following a vote of no confidence

A

Collective responsibility

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16
Q

The power to appoint individuals and dismiss them from important political decisions

A

Patronage

17
Q

Senior civil servants and special advisors based at 10 Downing Street who give policy advice and support with communications

A

Prime Minister’s Office

18
Q

The most senior civil servant in the country- provides policy advice to the PM and Cabinet

A

Cabinet Secretary

19
Q

Feature of the civil service that means that, unlike government ministers, civil servants do not change with a change of government

A

Civil service permanence

20
Q

Small groups of cabinet ministers, established by the PM, which meet regularly to discuss a particular policy area and make decisions

A

Cabinet Committees

21
Q

State funded organisations that are not controlled by government- perform admin, commercial, regulatory and executive functions

A

Non-departmental public bodies

22
Q

The most senior civil servant within a government department, responsible for running the department on a day to day basis

A

Permanent Under-Secretary of State

23
Q

Name for the most senior ministers, who discuss and make key decisions, alongside the PM at the very top of the government hierarchy

A

The Cabinet

24
Q

Government minister who are junior to secretaries of state and do not usually sit in the cabinet

A

Minister of State

25
Q

When a PM is seen as the main spokesperson for the government with their own source of advice and appearance of separate authority

A

Presidentialism

26
Q

A system of government where the PM rather than the cabinet dominates policy making and the operation of the government

A

Prime Ministerial government

27
Q

A special advisor employed to give positive interpretations of events to the media and promote a positive party image

A

Spin doctor

28
Q

Civil service guidelines limiting the evidence they give to select committees, designed to protect their impartiality, anonymity and confidentiality

A

Osmotherly rules

29
Q

The constitutional convention that ministers are responsible and will be held accountable for their own and their departments conduct

A

Individual ministerial responsibility

30
Q

Government departments that do not have their own minister, and are instead usually headed by a statutory board

A

Non-ministerial departments

31
Q

Government ministers who are junior to ministers of state and are not members of the cabinet

A

Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

32
Q

Meetings between two people, usually used to refer to meetings between the PM and a particular government minister

A

Bilateral meetings

33
Q

The head of the UK Government who is “primes inter pares” in the Cabinet

A

Prime Minister

34
Q

Temporary and partisan appointments made by ministers with the approval of the PM to work alongside, assist and advise them

A

Special advisors

35
Q

Theory put forwards that some Prime Ministers seek to put distance between themselves and their party to gain public support

A

Spatial leadership

36
Q

Permanent staff, employed by government departments to support ministers with administrative work and provide neutral advice and expertise

A

Civil servants

37
Q

Title usually held by Cabinet Ministers in charge of Government Departments

A

Secretary of State

38
Q

A term meaning “rule by officials” often used to refer to the civil servants who implement government policy

A

Bureaucracy

39
Q

The branch of government responsible for policy making and for implementing the laws passed by the legislative branch

A

Executive branch

Politics (6 decks)

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