The executive (textbook)

Question 1

What is the executive?

Answer 1

The branch of government concerned with the formulation and implementation of policy. Provides the highs of national government and the relative lows of day-to-day administration

Question 2

Who makes up the executive?

Answer 2

The PM, cabinet and junior ministers, who collectively make up the government

Question 3

List the 4 main institutions of the executive

Answer 3

The PM, government departments, the cabinet and ministers

Question 4

What is the PM?

Answer 4

The head of government and the executive branch, they chair the cabinet

Question 5

What is the cabinet?

Answer 5

The PM and senior ministers, most of whom are heads of government departments. Formally the key decision making department

Question 6

What are ministers?

Answer 6

An MP or peer who is appointed to a specific government position by the PM

Question 7

What are government departments?

Answer 7

An administrative department of the executive that is responsible for a particular policy area

Question 8

What is the difference between the political and administrative executive?

Answer 8

The PM, cabinet and ministers make up the political executive, they enter office as MPs or peers. Government departments make up the administrative executive and oversee the day-to-day administration of government. Civil servants are not political appointments and remain in post when the government changes

Question 9

List the three core functions of the executive

Answer 9

• Making policy decisions
• Proposing the budget
• Proposing legislation

Question 10

How does the executive make policy decisions?

Answer 10

The cabinet and PM make political priorities and determines the country’s overall policy direction. They make day-to-day decisions on policy. The administrative executive is responsible for policy implementation and oversees the day-to-day administration of the state

Question 11

How does the executive propose legislation?

Answer 11

The executive devises and initiates legislation. Most primary legislation is devised by the executive. Government bills enact manifesto pledges. The executive has law making powers in terms of secondary legislation, as the provisions of an Act of Parliament can be brought into force or altered by ministers directly

Question 12

Describe how the executive proposes the budget

Answer 12

Makes key decisions on economic issues and policy and proposes the budget. The chancellor sets out the proposed levels of taxation and government spending in the budget, following negotiations in cabinet and with government departments

Question 13

List the three main powers of the executive

Answer 13

• Prerogative powers
• Control of the legislative agenda
• Powers of secondary legislation

Question 14

What are prerogative powers?

Answer 14

Powers exercised by ministers without the approval of parliament

Question 15

What are royal prerogatives?

Answer 15

Powers the monarch can exercise without the consent of parliament, like appointing the PM and giving royal assent to legislation

Question 16

How has the royal prerogative changed?

Answer 16

The monarch will now act under the guidance of ministers to avoid controversy

Question 17

List some of the prerogative powers that the executive will exercise on the behalf of the monarch

Answer 17

• Making and ratifying treaties
• International diplomacy
• Deploying the armed forces overseas
• Organising the civil service
• The PM’s ability to dissolve parliament

Question 18

How have prerogative powers become more limited this century?

Answer 18

The executive is now more inclined to seek approval before deploying forces overseas. Blair looked for parliamentary approval before invading Iraq and Cameron did not bomb Syria in 2013 because parliament voted against it but did in 2015 when parliament gave approval

Question 19

Give an example of when Theresa May used prerogative powers

Answer 19

She ordered missile strikes against Syria in 2018 without the consent of parliament, arguing that fast action was needed and that parliament could hold her to account afterwards. She won a posthumous vote on the issue and admitted that parliament should be consulted in the case of major military operations

Question 20

How did the fixed terms parliament act limit prerogative powers?

Answer 20

It removed the convention that the PM could dissolve parliament and call a GE, with the act requiring 2/3 approval in the commons

Question 21

How did Johnson strengthen prerogative powers>

Answer 21

H replaced the fixed terms parliament act with the 2019 early parliamentary general election act, which demanded only a simple majority, allowing a government with a strong majority control over when GEs are held

Question 22

What two recent Supreme Court decisions have limited the power of parliament?

Answer 22

• They ruled that the government did not have the power to trigger article 50 without the consent of parliament
• They ruled that Johnson advising the Queen to prorogue parliament for 5 weeks during a crucial period of Brexit was unlawful

Question 23

Explain the idea that the executive has control of the legislative agenda

Answer 23

Most bills are proposed by the government and it has control of the legislative timetable. Most public bills are approved by parliament and become law. PMBs that do not enjoy government support are unlikely to succeed. The government will whip party MPs when there is an important vote. Collective security means ministers must support the government absolutely when voting

Question 24

Explain the executive powers over secondary legislation

Answer 24

Gives ministers the power to make more detailed rules and regulations through statutory instruments. SIs do things like state when provisions of an act will come into force and provide broader detail on the provisions of an act. They will be scrutinised by a committee but are very rarely rejected. Brexit and COVID rules were introduced as SIs so that they could come into effect at short notice

Question 25

Why is the executive seen as the dominant branch of government?

Answer 25

Because it is responsible for creating laws and making them happen

Question 26

Why is the executive limited by parliamentary sovereignty?

Answer 26

Because it must answer to parliament and gain its approval

Question 27

When is the executive most dominant?

Answer 27

When the PM has a strong majority and tight control of their party

Question 28

Explain the role of a junior minister

Answer 28

Assist senior ministers in the running and policy decisions of a government department. They are appointed by the PM but are not a part of the cabinet

Question 29

Explain the role of the civil service

Answer 29

Permanent officials who oversee the day-to-day running of government departments. Advice ministers and enact their policy decisions. Expected to act in a neutral fashion and have no influence on policy as they do not answer to parliament or the people. They cannot help with party work or be affiliated with a party in any fashion

Question 30

Who controls the executive?

Answer 30

By name it is the monarch, but in practise this is the PM

Question 31

What are SPaDs?

Answer 31

Civil servants employed for the purpose of giving political advice to a minister

Question 32

What is the core executive?

Answer 32

The organisations and people who coordinate central government activity. The model claims that the PM and senior ministers all have resources at their disposal, and that power is based upon dependence rather than command

Question 33

Who makes up the core executive?

Answer 33

The PM, cabinet, cabinet committees, bilateral meetings between the the PM and ministers, the PM’s office and senior civil servants

Question 34

What made Dominic Cummings a controversial SPaD?

Answer 34

Despite being a civil servant, he managed the 2019 election and seemed to be making political decisions for Johnson

Question 35

How many government ministers are there?

Answer 35

200

Question 36

How many people have some kind of influence over government policy?

Answer 36

4000

Question 37

How big is the core executive?

Answer 37

Several hundred people large

Question 38

What does the treasury do?

Answer 38

Manage government finances

Question 39

Who is the PM supported by?

Answer 39

• Cabinet
• Cabinet secretary
• PMs office
• Policy unit

Question 40

Who is the cabinet supported by?

Answer 40

• Cabinet committees
• Cabinet office
• Cabinet secretary

Question 41

Who is the treasury supported by?

Answer 41

• Senior civil servants
• SPaDs
• Think tanks

Question 42

Who are government departments supported by?

Answer 42

• Senior civil servants
• SPaDs
• Think tanks