The sources of prime ministerial authority Flashcards
List the 5 sources of prime ministerial authority
- Traditional authority
- Party
- Patronage
- Parliament
- The people
What does the monarch do as a result of not being able to exercise their prerogative powers?
Delegates them to the PM
Why is the PM effectively a temporary head of state?
Because there our no limits on how they can exercise the royal prerogative and they are supposed to represent the nation in doing so
What kind of authority does the PM inherit from the monarch?
Traditional authority
What is traditional authority?
Authority that is accepted as legitimate because it has existed for a long period of time
What will the PM also be the leader of?
The largest party in the commons following a GE
Give some examples of someone becoming PM purely because they have the backing of the largest party?
- Major replacing Thatcher in 1990
- Brown replacing Blair in 2007
- May replacing Cameron in 2017
- Johnson replacing May in 2019
What does leading the largest party allow the PM to do?
Take the lead on policy formulation and become the chief policy maker
What must each parliament accept following a GE?
The authority of the PM to lead their government
Why does the PM often have power over parliament at the start of their reign?
Because parliament can oust the government if they do not pass his budget. Members of the governing party recognise this and therefore vote in support of the PM
How did John Major re-assert his authority over parliament in the face of backbench disloyalty?
He resigned as party leader, but not PM, in 1995, and won the subsequent leadership contest
Why will the PM have authority from parliament more often than not?
By leading a party that has a commons majority
What is patronage?
The power to make important appointments to public offices
How does patronage grant the PM power?
Because those who aspire to high office will have to be loyal. The loyalty remains once appointed to prevent dismissal, too. The majority of MPs and peers from the party will therefore be loyal to the PM. The PM can therefore wield great influence over their party, their PMs and, by extension, parliament
How does patronage grant the PM power?
Because those who aspire to high office will have to be loyal. The loyalty remains once appointed to prevent dismissal, too. The majority of MPs and peers from the party will therefore be loyal to the PM. The PM can therefore wield great influence over their party, their PMs and, by extension, parliament
