The Prime Minister and the Executive | Edexcel A-Level Politics (9PL0)
The Prime Minister and the Executive
- 67 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Component 2: UK government
- Component 2
Covers the centre of British government: how the executive is built and what powers it holds, the two doctrines of ministerial responsibility, how a Prime Minister picks and controls a Cabinet, and whether the office has become presidential..
It covers the structure and powers of the Executive, the roles of the Executive and ministerial responsibility, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and ministerial selection, prime-ministerial power and the presidentialisation debate and prime Minister case studies: Thatcher and Blair.
Sample questions from The Prime Minister and the Executive
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The structure and powers of the Executive
What is the role of government departments in the executive structure?
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They are staffed by civil servants and carry out the administrative work of government under ministerial direction. -
The structure and powers of the Executive
Who sits at the apex of the UK executive structure?
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The Prime Minister. -
The roles of the Executive and ministerial responsibility
Why do most bills debated in Parliament originate from the government rather than backbench MPs?
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Because the executive has the power to initiate legislation, giving it control over the parliamentary agenda. -
The roles of the Executive and ministerial responsibility
What does collective responsibility require regarding Cabinet discussions?
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That Cabinet discussions remain confidential. -
The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and ministerial selection
How does ensuring diversity factor into ministerial appointments?
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PMs may seek to include ministers from different backgrounds, genders, and regions to reflect the broader population. -
The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and ministerial selection
How does media focus on the PM strengthen their power?
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The PM becomes the public face of government, enhancing their personal authority and ability to set the political narrative. -
Prime-ministerial power and the presidentialisation debate
If a Prime Minister has a large parliamentary majority, how might this affect their power over Cabinet?
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It strengthens their position as they are less dependent on keeping all ministers and MPs happy, giving them greater freedom to dominate decision-making. -
Prime-ministerial power and the presidentialisation debate
What comparative study of Prime Ministers is required for this topic?
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Two holders of the office, one from the post-war decades and one from the years since 1997, examined both for the occasions when they shaped events and for the occasions when events shaped them.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The structure and powers of the Executive | Recall questions on the Cabinet, ministers and departments, the royal prerogative, secondary legislation and where each sits in the structure. | 14 |
| The roles of the Executive and ministerial responsibility | Recall questions on what the executive does with legislation and the budget, and on individual and collective ministerial responsibility and how each has weakened. | 13 |
| The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and ministerial selection | Recall questions on patronage, balancing factions, the constraints on who can be appointed, and what strengthens the Prime Minister against the Cabinet. | 14 |
| Prime-ministerial power and the presidentialisation debate | Recall questions on sofa government, the case for and against the presidentialisation thesis, and what decides how much a Prime Minister can actually do. | 11 |
| Prime Minister case studies: Thatcher and Blair | Thatcher's control of economic policy, the Falklands and the miners' strike, the Westland affair, the poll tax and her fall in 1990, then Blair's first-term reforms, Kosovo, Iraq and Northern Ireland, Gordon Brown's influence, Commons defeats and his departure in 2007. | 15 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,101 questions with their answers.