Summary
Summary The Prime Minister and The Cabinet
- Course
- Institution
Complete comprehensive study of the PM and Cabinet’s relationship as it relates to the AQA specification.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
nathanh2004
Content preview
📊Relativity of Prime minister and
Cabinet
Cabinet government or prime ministerial government?
For much of the 1900s, the main debate on this subject was whether the UK still
had a cabinet government(a government with the cabinet at the centre) or a
prime ministerial government(a government dominated by the prime minister
and can bypass the cabinet).
In the classic text ‘The English Constitution’(1867), Walter Bagehot described a
system of cabinet government and described the prime minister as a ‘first
among equals.’
By the end of the 1900s the power of the cabinet had weakened and the Prime
minister strengthened. The consensus now being that the will of the PM
ultimately overrides the cabinet.
This argument is flawed however. The power in the government, whether
unequally or not, is shared. The prime minister needs support of cabinet
ministers to achieve their goals.
The power of the prime minister can also vary due to external factors(e.g policy
success, government popularity) and the leadership style and specific skills of
each prime ministers.
Relativity of Prime minister and Cabinet 1
, John Major and Gordon Brown Case Study
Major and Brown are often overlooked due to their predecessors in Margaret
Thatcher and Tony Blair.
Neither enjoyed the perks of large parliamentary majorities.
Instead both led unpopular and divided parties
The leadership style of both men was also criticised. Major’s being viewed as a
welcome departure from Thatchers dominance however he was then regarded
as weak and indecisive
And Brown’s communications skills, micro-management and temperament were
are criticised
When is a Prime Minister predominant?
Richard Heffernan describes a system in which the prime minister is the pre-
eminent figure because they automatically have four institutional power resources;
Legal head of the government (e.g appointing ministers)
Leadership of the government (e.g setting the policy agenda)
The Prime Minister’s office
Setting the political agenda (e.g through their party and the media)
The prime minister will be predominant (stronger component) if they combine
effective use of these power resources.
Leadership ability and reputation
Association with political success
Electoral popularity
A high standing with their party.
Thatcher and Blair were good examples of predominance within the role of prime
minister.
Has the prime minister become presidential?
Relativity of Prime minister and Cabinet 2
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller nathanh2004. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.23. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53340 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now