The Three Key Functions of the Prime Minister
The Cabinet and the post of Prime Minister date back to their introduction in 1721. However, at that stage, the Cabinet did not exist in its present form. Nowadays, the Prime Minister's power is akin to that of a President. The Prime Minister's post has many functions and purposes - after all, he is Head of State and Head of Government. In this essay, I aim to explore three functions of the Prime Minister.
One of the major functions of the Prime Minister concerns appointments and dismissals. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint all Ministers, and subsequently promotes, demotes and dismisses them, allowing the PM the power to decide who does
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A key example of this was in 1962, when the then-PM Harold Macmillan sacked Cabinet members resulting in a major Cabinet reshuffle, an event which became known as the 'Night of the Long Knives'. Furthermore, the Prime Minister appoints the chairmen of Cabinet committees, approves the choice of Parliamentary Private Secretaries, and approves knighthoods. The disadvantage to this function is that dismissed ministers can oppose the PM from the backbenches - in 1979, Margaret Thatcher did not choose former PM Edward Heath in her first Cabinet and he remained in the backbenches, proving to be a constant thorn in her side.
The Prime Minister is also the chief policy maker. For example, Tony Blair, current leader of the Labour Party, has increased spending for the NHS, reduced tax burdens on families, increased those gaining from the minimum wage to 1.5 million, created 1 million more jobs, and significantly reduced inflation & income tax. However, the extent of control of government policy depends upon which party he leads, and
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The less secure individuals or those who preferred a collective approach, such as John Major, have played a lesser role.
Finally, the Prime Minister is the chief government spokesperson. He is viewed as the face of his party, and his frequent appearances in the media confirm this. The twice-weekly 'PM's Questions' in the House of Commons conveys the government's current attitudes to the issues of the day, and the Opposition challenges those attitudes. Individual ministers do speak in the Commons, but the Prime Minister is the key figure. Here, the PM is placed under constant scrutiny, as is the range of policies being questioned. However, many people have argued that 'PM's Questions' is a waste of time - most MPs would prefer to spend their day in committee meetings, and in a survey stated that the most effective means of getting answers was written Parliamentary questions followed by Commons statements by ministers. The Prime Minister is also heavily involved in his annual party conference, where he discusses his aims and policies. However, this year
In May of 1787, 55 white wealthy males drifted into Philadelphia to work on the Constitution.
The governor general, who assigns judges of the federal courts and advises the prime minister as well as accomplishing those duties of the prime minister. The prime minister has power to assign and fire Cabinet ministers, and hundreds of other federal government office holders. The Crown Corporation that is established by the Government of Canada.
Dyck defines responsible government as a “form of government in which the political executive must retain the confidence of the elected legislature and resign or call an election if and when it is defeated on a vote of non-confidence”(432). Essentially this means that the executive branch of government, which is the Prime Minister and his office/staff, along with the
Malcolmson, P., & Myers, R. (2009). The Canadian Regime: An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada (4th ed.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.
For the MPs in Canada, party discipline is the core for their actions. For them, collective responsibility plays a big part in their agenda. As a party, they are held responsible for any decision that their party makes, and are expected to defend it at any given point of time. For a majority government, party discipline becomes an even more important issue as it is directly related to the term of the Prime Minister (PM). Under the rule of maintaining the confidence of the House, the PM must gain the support of the House in order to stay in his role. This is where high party discipline comes into place. With it, the PM will not have to worry about being dismissed by the Governor General. Should the high party discipline deteriorate and gives away into a low one, such as the one in the States, the government will be in a constant potential risk of collapsing into paralysis. Once the leader of the cabine...
Congress has helped develop the Presidency as we know it today. This is because Congress argues over proposals and legislation proposed by the President. They are a major determent in whether bills turn into laws. But it’s not easy. One reason for this is because there are many powerful groups out there who argue about what should be discussed such as air pollution with the EPA or jobs.
The time period of 1786-1792 was probably the most crucial time period of American history. The ratification of the constitution occurred on June 21, 1788, and symbolized a new era of politics. In order to ratify the Constitution, nine of the thirteen colonies were mandated to look over the document before it would become a common ground law book. Many important government figures at the time such as, Madison and Hamilton were faced head on with an important obstacle, state power or Anti-Federalists versus national power or Federalists. Furthermore, the United States of America was split between deciding what powers to give to the people, the states, and the executive branch. The major concerns generated by the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution were mostly due to the separation of powers to either the people, the states, or the
The Separation and Balance of Powers in the UK Constitution “By the latter part of the 20th century the independence of the judges had come under increasing threat from interference by the executive. Recent reforms have, however, served to redress this position and ensure that a proper division of personnel and functions between these two arms of the state is restored. Discuss this statement in the context of the Separation/ Balance of Powers in the UK constitution.” French political thinker Montesquieu argued during the Enlightenment that in a democratic state the three branches of government; the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary should not overlap in personnel or function. Is the British judiciary’s integrity at stake in a constitutional monarchy which does not comply with Montesquieu’s base definition of democracy?
A great Prime Minster should always do what is appropriate for Canada, no matter how many obstacles and burdens he or she faced. Trudeau is known as one of the most political figures in the Canadians history. Looking at the fifteen years of Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s wisdom, he did exactly what is right for Canada. For instance, he put an end to the October Crisis by putting the country into the effect of The War Measures Act. In another case, he performed the Official Language Act, which supported the unity and equality of the French and English Canadians. Finally, he amended the Constitution, which gave Canadians the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Trudeau was a successful Prime Minster who accomplished his goals, and facilitated the unity of Canadians despite facing enormous oppositions.
The United States Government is divided into three branches of government. These three branches are the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. The legislative branch consists of congress, and congress is responsible for making laws. Next, is the executive branch, this ranch consists of the president, vice president, and other courts. The executive branch is responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws.
Presidential power has become a hot topic in the media the in recent years. There has been extensive debate about what a president should be able to do, especially without the involvement of Congress and the American people. While this debate has become more publicized since the Bush administration, similar issues of presidential power date back to Truman and the Korean War. As with much of the structure of the U.S. government, the powers of the president are constantly evolving with the times and the executives.
The Vice President is specified in Articles I and II and the 12th and 25th Amendments of the Constitution. In Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the Constitution it states that the Vice President is the President of the Senate and he or she has no vote in the case of a tie. Both Article II and the 25th amendment specify that should the Presidential seat become empty, the Vice President is the first in line for succession. The 12th amendment does not specify a role of the Vice President but it says that the Vice President must be elected with the President.
In Mellon’s article, several aspects are mentioned supporting the belief that the prime minister is too powerful. One significant tool the prime minister possesses is “… the power to make a multitude of senior governmental and public service appointments both at home and abroad,” (Mellon 164). Mellon goes on to state the significance the prime minister has when allowed to appoint the government’s key member...
The United Kingdom as one of the remaining monarchies of the world, which head of it, the Queen Elizabeth II, has powers that provide an essential evolution of the country. These powers, are called Royal Prerogative powers. Obviously, British people respect the Royal family and additionally the queen, nevertheless they could have their own beliefs as seen on their references. According to the Royal Prerogative (“RP”), it is definitely the most historically and continuing tradition of Britain. In some situations, circumstances tend to disappear them and replaced them by other recent means. In this essay, it will define the RP and how can preserve the separation of powers. Therefore, it should explain how these powers dying to a democratic environment.
be necessary to take a brief look at the history of the office of the