Prime Minister and the Executive - UK Government
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23 Terms
Executive
The PM, Cabinet and ministers responsible for governing the country
Cabinet
Senior ministers heading government departments
Government Departments
Areas of administration such as the Home Office or Treasury
Royal Prerogative
Powers formally belonging to the monarch but exercised by ministers
Examples of Prerogative Powers
Deploying armed forces, signing treaties and issuing passports
Secondary Legislation
Laws made by ministers under powers delegated by Parliament
Individual Ministerial Responsibility
Ministers are responsible for conduct within their department
Collective Ministerial Responsibility
Ministers must publicly support Cabinet decisions or resign
Prime Minister Powers
The PM appoints ministers, controls Cabinet, shapes policy and influences legislation
Factors Strengthening PM Power
Large majority, strong public image, party unity and crisis situations
Factors Weakening PM Power
Small majority, party division, economic crisis and Cabinet resistance
Tony Blair as Strong PM
Used sofa government and media management to dominate Cabinet and Parliament
Margaret Thatcher as Strong PM
Dominated government through ideology and strong party leadership until removed
Theresa May as Weak PM
Weak majority and Brexit divisions limited her authority
Boris Johnson as Strong PM
80-seat majority and Brexit mandate increased executive dominance
Cabinet Government
View that major decisions are made collectively within Cabinet
Prime Ministerial Government
View that modern PMs dominate Cabinet and government
Sofa Government
Blair's informal decision-making style bypassing full Cabinet discussion
Ministerial Resignations Example
Theresa May faced numerous resignations over Brexit disagreements
Whips
Party officials ensuring MPs vote with the government line
Party Discipline
Pressure placed on MPs to support party policies
Coalition Government Definition
A government formed by multiple parties sharing power
2010 Coalition Government
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed coalition after no overall majority