40PS Public Management and Administration

1
40PS Public Management and Administration

• Lecture 3.
• Central Government 1 -
• The Core Executive Ministers, the Prime Minister
  and the Cabinet
• Spring 2003
• William Webster
• Management and Organization

2
The Core Executive

• 1. The Heart of Government
• 2. The Cabinet
• - the nature of cabinet government
• - the autonomy of the core executive
• 3. The Role of the Prime Minister
• 4. A Cabinet System of Government?

3
The Cabinet

• Centre of Political Authority
• Key Decision-Making Body
• Comprises of Ministers
• Weekly Meetings

4
The Cabinet System of Government

• Shared Authority
• Shared Accountability
• Decision-Making
• Discussion Compromise
• Role of Prime Minister

5
The Doctrines of Ministerial Responsibility

• COLLECTIVE RESPONSBILITY
• All or several members play a part in
  formulating policy
• All members support each other in public even if
  privately disagreeing
• Any member unable to lend support should resign
• Cabinet proceedings are regarded as confidential
  those who resign are allowed a resignation
  speech revealing their reasons

6
The Doctrines of Ministerial Responsibility

• INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
• Ministers are responsible for the activities of
  their Departments

7
Geoffrey Howe

• Trying to stretch the meaning of words beyond
  what was credible, of trying to pretend there was
  a common policyThat conflict of loyalty has
  become all too great
• House of Commons Speech, 13 Nov. 1990

8
Cabinet Structure

• Senior Ministers
• Generalists
• Ministers without Portfolio
• Size
• Concerns

9
Supporting the Cabinet

• Cabinet Committees
• Adhoc
• Standing
• Composition
• The Cabinet Office
• The Cabinet Secretariat

10
The Prime Minister

• Head of State
• Patronage
• Cabinet Meetings
• Cabinet Committees
• Collective Responsibility
• The Inner Cabinet
• Shaping the Machine

11
A Prime Ministers Department?

• Personal Offices
• Private Office
• Political Office
• Policy Unit
• Press Office
• Cabinet Office
• Debates
• Power of Dissolution
• Personality Factor

12
References

• Burch, M. Holliday, I 1996 The British
  Cabinet System
• Rhodes, R.A.W and Dunleavy, P. 1995 Prime
  Minister, Cabinet and Core Executive
• Smith, M. 1999 the Core Executive in Britain
• Jones, B. 1999 Tony Blairs Style of
  Government. Talking Politics
• Thomas, G. 1998 Prime Minister and Cabinet
  Today
• Kavanagh, D. Seldon, A. 1999 The Powers
  Behind the Prime Minister
• The Cabinet Office
• http//www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/