Cabinets

A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers or the Executive Council. more...

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In some countries, particularly those under Westminster system, the cabinet collectively decides the government's policy and tactical direction, especially in regard to legislation passed by the parliament. In countries with a presidential system, such as the United States, the cabinet does not function as a collective legislative influence; rather, their primary role is as an unofficial advisory council to the head of government, consisting of the heads of the executive departments they are appointed to lead. In some countries, cabinets are required to be appointed from sitting members of the legislature while in others, such as the United States, cabinet members may not be sitting legislators; they must resign their legislative office if they accept a cabinet appointment.

In most governments, members of the cabinet are given the title of minister, and each hold a different portfolio of government duties ("Minister for the Environment", etc). In a few governments, as in the case of the Philippines, the title of secretary is also used for some cabinet members ("Secretary of Education", etc). The day-to-day role of most cabinet members is to serve as the head of one segment of the national bureaucracy, as the head civil servant to which all other employees in that department report.

Westminster cabinets

Under the Westminster system members of the cabinet are collectively responsible for all government policy. All Cabinet decisions are made by consensus, a vote is never taken in a Cabinet meeting. All ministers, whether senior and in the Cabinet, or junior ministers, must publicly support the policy of the government regardless of any private reservations. Although in theory all Cabinet decisions are taken collectively by the Cabinet, in practice many decisions are delegated to the various sub-committees of the Cabinet which report to the full Cabinet on their findings and recommendations. As these recommendations have already been agreed upon by those in the Cabinet who hold affected ministerial portfolios, the recommendations are usually agreed to by the full Cabinet with little further discussion.

Cabinet deliberations are secret and documents dealt with in cabinet are confidential. Most of the documentation associated with Cabinet deliberations will only be publicly released a considerable period after the particular cabinet disbands; for example, thirty years after they were discussed.

In theory the prime minister/premier is first among equals. However, the Prime Minister holds the Royal Prerogative, which is theoretically a power of the Monarch but in practice normally carried out on the advice of the Prime Minister. This notably includes the powers to declare war, use nuclear weapons, to expel ministers from the Cabinet and determine their portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle, and to change Constitutional Law (in fact in law to introduce, change or abolish any law at all, although in practice usually this is done through parliament).

Read more at Wikipedia.org