Understanding Cabinet Government

This chapter introduces the idea of cabinet government as a way of doing business in executive government. Even though often written off as no longer functional, it still survives, even if there is no single job description. This chapter introduces the three key questions of the book: ➢ What dilemmas do cabinet governments face? ➢ In what way do they differ across countries? ➢ Why is there a common thread to all systems despite different constitutional and institutional architecture? The chapter examines the different approaches to cabinet government: constitutional, institutional, public administration, and policy analysis. It explains why the authors adopted an interpretivist approach where traditions and beliefs shape the choices of individuals. The chapter identifies the common dilemmas that must be managed in all political systems: the process, political, policy, leadership, and accountability dilemmas. It also identifies the five examples of cabinet government systems the book considers: the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.