The prime minister and executive

Question 1

Institutions of the Executive

Answer 1

PM
Cabinet
Ministers
Government departments (administrative)

Question 2

Functions of the executive

Answer 2

Making policy decisions
Proposing legislation
Proposing a budget

Question 3

Powers of the executive

Answer 3

Prerogative powers - do not require parliamentary approval
Control of the legislative agenda - propose most bills and controls the legislative timetable
Powers of secondary legislation

Question 4

Prime Minister’s Office

Answer 4

Policy advice

Communications

Question 5

Power of the PM

Answer 5

Patronage
Authority over the cabinet
Policy-making input - overarching
Party leadership
Public standing

Question 6

Roles of government ministers

Answer 6

Policy leadership
Representing departmental interests
Departmental management
Relations with parliament

Question 7

Role of government departments

Answer 7

Providing policy advice to ministers
Managing public spending
Fostering relationships with pressure groups
Policy implementation

Question 8

Ministerial responsibility

Answer 8

Collective ministerial responsibility

Individual ministerial responsibilty

Question 9

Institutional power resources of the PM (pre-eminence)

Answer 9

Leadership of the government
The Prime Minister’s Office
Setting the political agenda

Question 10

Personal power resources of the PM (predominance)

Answer 10

Leadership ability and reputation
Association with political success
Electoral popularity
A high standing within their party

Question 11

Presidentialisation of the PM

Answer 11

Personalised leadership
Public outreach
Spatial leadership

Question 12

Role of the PM

Answer 12

Political leadership
National leadership
Appointing the government
Chairing the cabinet
Managing the executive
Prerogative powers
Managing relations with parliament
Representing the UK in international affairs

Question 13

Patronage powers of the PM

Answer 13

Appoint government ministers
Appoint life peers
The honours system

Question 14

PM’s authority of the executive

Answer 14

Chairs cabinet meetings
Creates cabinet committees
Holds bilateral meetings with ministers
Appoints senior civil servants

Question 15

Elements of collective responsibility

Answer 15

Secrecy
Binding decisions
Confidence vote (last happened?)

Question 16

Exceptions to collective ministerial responsibility

Answer 16

Referendums
Coalition
Free votes

Question 17

Strains on collective responsibility

Answer 17

Leaks
Dissent
Prime-ministerial dominance

Question 18

Grounds for resignation based on individual ministerial responsibility

Answer 18

Mistakes made within departments
Policy failure
Personal misconduct

Question 19

Principles of the civil service

Answer 19

Impartiality
Anonymity
Permanence
Meritocracy

Question 20

Pro cabinet is submissive to the PM

Answer 20

PM able to appoint their own supporters to the cabinet and dismiss ministers who disagree with them
PM has control over the cabinet agenda
Greater role of the PMO in directing and coordinating policy across government
PM can claim a personal mandate from the public and their party

Question 21

Anti cabinet is submissive to the PM

Answer 21

Senior ministers can frustrate the PM by threatening to resign - IDS / Boris

Question 22

Pro PM has become more Presidential

Answer 22

Increasingly rely on close circle of senior ministers and advisers

Question 23

Anti PM has become more Presidential

Answer 23

Requires the support of ministers to achieve their objectives
Face pressure from within their own party to be removed if unpopular

Question 24

Pro coalition as a constraint on the power of Cameron as PM

Answer 24

Could not dismiss Lib Dem ministers without Clegg’s approval

Required to manage tensions between the two parties in addition to dissent within his own party

Question 25

Anti coalition as a constraint on the power of Cameron as PM

Answer 25

Retained significant patronage powers, such as making appointments to cabinet committees Still determined the overall direction of government policy and its response to key issues Coalition decisions often smoother than those between Blair and Brown Coalition government allows Cameron to form a stable parliamentary majority

Question 26

Prerogative powers

Answer 26

Deploying the armed forces overseas International diplomacy Patronage

Question 27

Limits to the prerogative powers of the executive in recent years

Answer 27

Constitutional convention that parliament votes on the deployment of the armed forces overseas e.g. Against airstrikes in Syria in 2013, in favour in 2015 Power to call a General Election removed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

Question 28

Example of a mistake made within a department leading to a minister resigning

Answer 28

Sir Thomas Dugdale Agriculture Minister 1954 Crichel Down land case

Question 29

Example of a policy failure leading to a minister resigning

Answer 29

James Callaghan Chancellor of the Exchequer 1967 Devaluation of the Sterling

Question 30

Example of personal misconduct leading to a minister resigning

Answer 30

Andrew Mitchell Chief Whip 2012