Prime ministerial power, cabinet government and Whitehall

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Created by: Annagc
Created on: 15-03-21 15:15

What is Luke's three dimensions of power?

Decision making, agenda-setting and shaping the preference of others

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Features of the executive

Drawn from parliament, core executive is PM and fellow cabinet ministers, they legislates and executes policy (in UK)

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What are the powers of the PM?

Appoint, shuffle and dismiss ministers, chair the cabinet, control Whitehall, dispense honours and public appointments

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What are the PM's powers in controlling Whitehall?

Deciding who is ministerial head of departments and create/abolish/merge departments,

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What factors affect the perceptions of the PM?

How they became PM, if they have a majority or to, divisions between back and front bench of governing party, poll ratings , the economy they inherited

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Kevin Theakston's criteria for assessing PM's

Communication, organisation of gov., political skills, strong policy vision, how they approach decisions, emotional intelligence e..g in crisis

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Philip Norton's categories of PM: Innovators

Clear personal goals e.g. Thatcher and Blair

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Reformers

Party over personal agenda e.g. Major

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Egos

Seeking power for own sake e.g. Brown and Johnson

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Balancer

Concerned with peace in the party

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Presidentialism of the premiership: What is the impact? (advocated for by Foley 2000, Webb and Poguntke 2013)

Centralisation of power in DS, build up of no.10 staff, decisions made by PM and cabinet is informed, distancing of pm from parliament, personalisation of policies

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Presidentialism of the premiership: Sceptics (advocated by Downing 2013, Heffernan 2003,05,13)

PM can be seen as presidential on world stage but we shouldn't generalise from that

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The power elite (C.Wright Mills):
Top level

in command of major institutional hierarchies e.g. executive, business, military

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The power elite:
Middle level

Semi-organised stalemate of interest groups and legislative policies

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The power elite: Bottom level

Fragmented society of the masses

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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Features of the executive

Back

Drawn from parliament, core executive is PM and fellow cabinet ministers, they legislates and executes policy (in UK)

Card 3

Front

What are the powers of the PM?

Back

Card 4

Front

What are the PM's powers in controlling Whitehall?

Back

Card 5

Front

What factors affect the perceptions of the PM?

Back

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Prime ministerial power, cabinet government and Whitehall