the prime minister and the executive

think tank

an organisation outside government that carries out research and recommends policy options. staffed by experts and funded by organisations such as universities and businesses.

royal prerogative

a constitutional principle that allows the prime minister to adopt the powers which remain to the monarch e.g declaring war and negotiating foreign treaties.

cabinet secretary

the most senior civil servant which organises the work of cabinet and of government at the centre of power

government department

20 departments which manage policy and its implementation in key areas. e.g health, education, foreign affairs.

cabinet committee

a subcommittee of the cabinet which discusses the details of policy and then presents proposals for the approval of the whole cabinet.

minister

an mp or peer who is promoted by the prime minister either to run a government government department or to carry out a specific role for the government or the governing party.

secretary of state

a senior minister who runs a large department and is most likely to be a cabinet member

minister of state

runs a subdivision of the department and will not be a cabinet minister.

parliamentary under- secretary of state

a very junior minister who runs a specialised section of the department

parliamentary private secretary

an unpaid mp who acts as a link between ministers and mps

secondary ( delegated ) legislation

orders made by ministers which require relatively little parliamentary control

roles of the executive in general

- Propose legislation - introducing new laws and amendments

- Foreign policy

- Propose the budget

roles of the prime minister

Chief policy maker and chief executive, chief economic policy maker. Head of the governing party.

roles of cabinet

- approving policy and settling disputes within government

- determining the government's reaction to crises and emergencies

- determining the presentation of government policy

roles of the treasury

- managing the government's finances

- determining the quantity and distribution of taxation in the country

roles of government departments

- developing and implementing specialised policies

- responsibility for various aspects of the government's roles

annual budget

the government's plans for the annual levels of spending and the taxes to be levied. it also determines whether the government will be borrowing money or achieving a surplus

white paper

a document outlining the details of a proposed piece of legislation, it is usually published about a year before the legislation is presented to parliament. they will usually debate the white paper and proposed changes may be considered.

Individual Ministerial Responsibility

- ministers must be prepared to be accountable to parliament for the policies and decisions made by their department.

- if a minister makes a serious error of judgement, they should be required to resign by the prime minister

e.g. large amounts of accidentally released criminals means the cabinet member responsible should take accountability and address the issue, or resign if the issue is serious enough