Cabinets - UK/US Comparison
US Cabinet: UK Cabinet:
Cabinet US system - singular executive. Part of a plural executive + bound by
All executive power - vested in president, none in the doctrine of collective responsibility.
cabinet - they are cabinet officers, not cabinet Drawn exclusively from the legislature.
ministers. All belong to one political party - the
Drawn from different pools of recruitment, not largest party.
permitted to be serving members of the legislature. Appointed by the PM + serve them. (PM'S
Cabinet officers - associated same political party as patronage).
president. Serve together in shadow cabinet before
Some are non-political and at least one - 'opposition taking office.
party'. In terms of election - PM's equal as they
Cabinet officers appointed by president - but advice + are elected - represent a constituency.
consent of Senate. Politically, they are prime ministers
Haven't served together in any shadow cabinet. potential rivals.
In terms of election - not Presidents equal. Cabinet - only pool of recruitment of
President gains office at national election but cabinet PM's.
members - no elective base at all. Departmental ministers - not policy
Politically - not presidents potential rival. specialists - moved from one department
Always policy specialists of the particular department. to another during the lifetime of a
government.
Frequency of Meetings: UK:
Has declined - predictability has not.
Emergency meetings can be called at short notice by the PM - crisis.
Cabinet meetings - discussion takes place + decisions are agreed + PM sums up before 'going round
the table' asking for their 'yes' or 'no'. Cabinet members informally count the 'yes' or 'no' votes.
Frequency of Meetings: US:
Cabinet meetings are irregular + infrequent.
Less frequent as the administration progresses.
No particular day of the week/time set for meetings.
Caspar Weinberger - 'no regular scheduling' + 'sometimes announced only the day before'.
Reagan called a cabinet meeting on the day when Thatcher visited the Pentagon + was late to greet
the PM and when he told Thatcher she thought a crisis was happening.
To a PM emergency cabinet meeting = crisis.
US cabinet meeting - not a decision making forum - no votes/summing up.
Anthony King - "president doesn't sum up at the end of the meeting; he is the meeting".
Meeting described as: pointless, boring meetings.
UK meetings - less important + the US cabinet more important than conventional wisdom.
UK government - grown in both scope + complexity - full cabinet seen less + meetings = fewer +
shorter.
Thatcher cabinet member - challenged by a backbencher - back of the House of Parliament so soon at
the start of the meeting said: "Cabinet meetings? Oh no, we don't have those anymore. We just have
a lecture from Madam!".
Government business - conducted in cabinet committees + ad hoc groups.
1968 The Times - full cabinet meetings are now 'occasions for coordination + keeping busy
departmental ministers in touch'.
These sound like those under G.W.Bush - cabinet used as informative, consultative + discursive
forum for 'big picture items".
US Cabinet: UK Cabinet:
Cabinet US system - singular executive. Part of a plural executive + bound by
All executive power - vested in president, none in the doctrine of collective responsibility.
cabinet - they are cabinet officers, not cabinet Drawn exclusively from the legislature.
ministers. All belong to one political party - the
Drawn from different pools of recruitment, not largest party.
permitted to be serving members of the legislature. Appointed by the PM + serve them. (PM'S
Cabinet officers - associated same political party as patronage).
president. Serve together in shadow cabinet before
Some are non-political and at least one - 'opposition taking office.
party'. In terms of election - PM's equal as they
Cabinet officers appointed by president - but advice + are elected - represent a constituency.
consent of Senate. Politically, they are prime ministers
Haven't served together in any shadow cabinet. potential rivals.
In terms of election - not Presidents equal. Cabinet - only pool of recruitment of
President gains office at national election but cabinet PM's.
members - no elective base at all. Departmental ministers - not policy
Politically - not presidents potential rival. specialists - moved from one department
Always policy specialists of the particular department. to another during the lifetime of a
government.
Frequency of Meetings: UK:
Has declined - predictability has not.
Emergency meetings can be called at short notice by the PM - crisis.
Cabinet meetings - discussion takes place + decisions are agreed + PM sums up before 'going round
the table' asking for their 'yes' or 'no'. Cabinet members informally count the 'yes' or 'no' votes.
Frequency of Meetings: US:
Cabinet meetings are irregular + infrequent.
Less frequent as the administration progresses.
No particular day of the week/time set for meetings.
Caspar Weinberger - 'no regular scheduling' + 'sometimes announced only the day before'.
Reagan called a cabinet meeting on the day when Thatcher visited the Pentagon + was late to greet
the PM and when he told Thatcher she thought a crisis was happening.
To a PM emergency cabinet meeting = crisis.
US cabinet meeting - not a decision making forum - no votes/summing up.
Anthony King - "president doesn't sum up at the end of the meeting; he is the meeting".
Meeting described as: pointless, boring meetings.
UK meetings - less important + the US cabinet more important than conventional wisdom.
UK government - grown in both scope + complexity - full cabinet seen less + meetings = fewer +
shorter.
Thatcher cabinet member - challenged by a backbencher - back of the House of Parliament so soon at
the start of the meeting said: "Cabinet meetings? Oh no, we don't have those anymore. We just have
a lecture from Madam!".
Government business - conducted in cabinet committees + ad hoc groups.
1968 The Times - full cabinet meetings are now 'occasions for coordination + keeping busy
departmental ministers in touch'.
These sound like those under G.W.Bush - cabinet used as informative, consultative + discursive
forum for 'big picture items".
