Politics Explain youtube video

• Governments act rationally by


  Placing the interests of the people they serve first in order to maximise their welfare
• Austerity


  Key to the coalition's policies and the responsibility of every Department, effectively setting the government and the cabinet's agenda
• Boris Johnson suffered significant leaking from the cabinet when he was prime minister


  Suggesting his limited Authority and limited ability to set the agenda
• Rishi Sunak's government has seemed to have less leaking


  Suggesting he's been able to set the agenda more effectively
• Cabinet


  • Its importance in decision making has been largely marginalized or increasingly marginalized in recent decades
• Prime ministers use to make decisions

  1. Cabinet committees

  2. Informal groups

  3. Bilateral meetings with ministers
• Cabinet committees and informal groups used


  • The quad used by the Coalition
  • Committee on exiting the European Union used by Theresa May
  • Covid-19 strategy committee used by Boris Johnson
• Special advisors (spads)


  Unelected, hired directly by the Prime Minister, work closely with them to develop government strategy
• Powerful special advisors


  • Dominic Cummings in Boris Johnson's government
• Downing Street


  • Growth in recent decades, now has greater resources than many ministers, enables the prime minister to have an overview of policy and drive delivery and strategy across government
• Cameron tried to allow ministers more autonomy, but strengthened the center again in 2011
• Blair tried to exercise considerable control over government messaging in the media
• Boris Johnson used daily televised press briefings to control government messaging on the pandemic
• Prime Minister's majority


  Larger majority strengthens their power and control, smaller majority means they need to keep key individuals on side and the cabinet has more bargaining power
• Prime Minister's popularity with the public

  Highly important in influencing their ability to exercise control over cabinet and party
• Thatcher's unpopularity near the end of her premiership was a key factor in her cabinet resigning and bringing her down
• Boris Johnson's unpopularity after the partygate scandal led to the cabinet gaining power and eventually forcing him out
• Liz Truss was forced out due to her unpopularity and the damage it caused to the Conservative party
• Party unity


  Prime ministers find it easier to manage their cabinet and party if the party is unified, rather than divided
• Wider political and economic situation


  Shapes the prime minister's ability to control the cabinet, crises can damage or help their popularity
• Presidentialization of the Prime Minister


  Suggests the prime minister is increasingly acting like and having the powers of a U.S. president
• Prime Minister's role


  • Increasingly behaves like a head of state, particularly in foreign policy and emergencies
• Prime Ministers behaving presidentially

  • Tony Blair's close relationship with George Bush and negotiating with the EU
  • Boris Johnson rallying the country during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Head of state


  In the UK, the monarch is the head of state, whereas in the US the president is the head of state
• In the context of foreign policy and emergencies, the Prime Minister has taken on a very presidential role
• Prime Ministers with a presidential role

  • Tony Blair
  • Boris Johnson
• Prime Minister's role


  • Represents the UK in international conferences and institutions like the G7 and G20
  • Negotiates with the EU rather than Parliament
• During emergencies


  The Prime Minister can rally the country and speak for the country like a US president
• Prime Ministers' use of media

  They use the media and their personal popularity to reach out to the public and create a level of personal support like a president
• The growth of television and social media has aided Prime Ministers in developing personal popularity
• Prime Ministers increasingly rely on non-elected advisors rather than the cabinet and seek to determine all of the government's policies
• Prime Ministers have sought to distance themselves from the rest of government and their party
• The Prime Minister is ultimately still accountable to the legislature and party, both of which can remove them
• The Prime Minister ultimately still relies on the cabinet to run departments and settle key disputes
• Events and a divided party can limit the Prime Minister's ability to act like a head of state
• Cabinet Government


  In the past, the Prime Minister relied a lot on the cabinet and it was very much a Cabinet Government rather than a presidential government
• Prime Minister's power


  • The role of the cabinet in decision making has decreased significantly
  • Prime Ministers can use the media to distance themselves from their party and develop personal popularity
  • Prime Ministers can use their power of patronage to influence the cabinet
• Limits on Prime Minister's power


  • The cabinet can play a crucial role in weakening the power of the Prime Minister
  • Prime Ministers largely still rely on their cabinets to settle key disputes and run departments
  • The cabinet is highly important for protecting government unity and decision making during crises
  • Prime Ministers have to recognize the status of powerful ministers and give them significant autonomy
• Thatcher


  • Agenda-setting Prime Minister who won three elections
  • Weakened the power of trade unions and introduced major economic changes like privatization and lowering taxes
  • Victory in the Falklands War boosted her popularity
  • Became unpopular towards the end of her reign due to sidelining the cabinet and introducing unpopular policies like the poll tax
• Blair


  • Able to win support beyond the traditional party base
  • Skillfully managed the cabinet in the early years to cement his authority
  • Became more dominant and sidelined the cabinet as his popularity grew