chapter 6 the prime minister and executive

the executive

• executive- branch of government concerned with the formulation and implementation of policy
• heart of government- provides the high politics of national leadership and the mundane day to day administration of government
• prime minister, cabinet, ministers, government departments
• political executive and administrative executive

what is the role of the executive?

• making policy decisions- set political priorities; determine the country's overall policy direction; make day to day decisions on policy; administrative executive is responsible for policy implementation, oversees the day to day administration of the state
• proposing legislation- devises and initiates legislation; primary legislation is proposed by the executive; government bills put into effect the policies proposed in the manifesto of the governing party; has law making powers on secondary legislation
• proposing a budget- makes key decisions on economic policy; proposes a budget; chancellor sets out proposed levels of taxation and public spending following negotiations in cabinet and with government departments

what are the powers of the executive?

prerogative powers

• powers exercised by ministers that do not require parliamentary approval
• collectively known as the royal prerogative
• date from the time when the monarch had direct involvement in government
• monarch still has some personal prerogative powers- appointment of the PM, giving royal assent to legislation, seeks to avoid controversy, acts under the direction of ministers
• most prerogative powers are exercised by ministers acting on behalf of the crown
• making and ratifiying treaties; international diplomacy; deployment of the armed forces overseas; PM patronage powers and ability to recommend the dissolution of parliament; organisation of the civil service; granting of pardons
• some have been clarified and limited in recent years
• has become a constitutional convention that parliament votes on the deployment of the armed forces overseas
• fixed term parliaments act 2011- early election can only be called if 2/3 MPs approve in a vote in the HoC
• PM's powers to award honors and make public appointments have been restricted

control of the legislature agenda

• most bills are proposed by the government
• controls the legislative timetable
• most government bills are approved by parliament and become law
• private members' bills that do not enjoy government support are unlikely to succeed
• imposition of party discipline on important votes
• requirement that all minister must support the government in parliament

powers of secondary legislation

• form of legislation which allows the provisions of an Act of Parliament to be brought into force or amended by ministers without requiring a further Act
• confer on ministers the power to make more detailed rules and regulations through statutory instruments
• vary from being largely technical to providing greater detail on broad provisions of an Act
• scrutinised by parliamentary committees
• not debtated
• unusual to be rejected

the prime minister and cabinet

the prime minister

• head of the UK govermnment
• provides political leadership within the cabinet system and the country
• chairs the cabinet 
• appoints ministers
• leader of the largest party in the HoC

what is the role of the prime minister?

• the precise role of the PM is not set out in statute law
• political…