UK Government and Politics for AS/A-level (Fifth Edition)
A* student notes for the new Politics A level (starting 2019). These notes cover the entire chapter of the Prime Minister and executive with all the essential content, along with examples under the AQA and Edexcel specification. These notes address the different functions and powers of the prime mi...
How is the executive structured, what are its roles and what powers does it hold?
What are the different functions and powers of the prime minister and cabinet?
What are collective, and individual ministerial responsibility, and their significance?
What are the relative powers of the PM and cabinet, and where does power lie?
What power do the PM and cabinet have to dictate events and determine policy?
The executive
Cabinet: The prime minister and the senior ministers, most of whom are heads of government
departments. It is formally the key decision-making body in British government
Executive: The branch of government responsible for policy making and implementation. In the
UK, the executive is the PM, cabinet and junior ministers who make up the government
Government department: An administrative unit of the executive that is responsible for an area
of policy
Minister: An MP or member of the HoL who is appointed to a specific position in the
government by the PM
Prime Minister: The head of government and of the executive branch. The prime minister chairs
the cabinet
Secondary legislation: A form of legislation which allows the provision of an Act of Parliament to
be brought into force or altered by ministers without requiring additional primary legislation
Royal prerogative: A set of powers exercised by the monarch which do not require
parliamentary approval
Cabinet
Prime Minister
Main
institutions
Ministers
Government
departments
Political executive – Politicians who enter office as MPs or peers from a party that won the last general
election.
Administrative executive – Government departments, which are staffed by civil servants, oversee the
daily administration of government. Civil servants are not political appointments and remain in post
when the government changes.
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