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Executive (The functions and powers of the PM (SOURCE: (What is the source…

- - - - Ruling Party = safe to assume that the PM has the support of her party both in Parliament and the country in the form of the ordinary members. Since that party has won the right to govern at the last general election, the PM carries all the party's elective authority with her. Of course under coalition, this source became a little diffused. David Cameron's legitimacy came from his leadership of the largest parliamentary party together with his agreement with Nick Clegg and the later endorsement of that agreement by both coalition parties.
      - Royal Prerogative = the reigning monarch retains in theory and in law, the power to carry out functions as head of state. This means commanding the armed forces, conducting relations with foreign powers or international organisations and generally maintaining the security of the state. Bestows the right to appoint and dismiss ministers, decide the date of the general election by dissolving Parliament, making key appointments of peers, judges and Church of England bishops and controlling the civil service machinery. Of course, in a democracy, we cannot allow the unelected monarch to exercise any of these powers in reality. The traditional authority of the monarch to exercise these so-called 'prerogative powers' is therefore delegated to the prime minister of the day. However, we are a democracy, therefore the powers are delegated to the PM.
      - Popular Mandate = although technically the electorate are choosing MP's and a party when they vote at a general election, it is undeniably true that they are also conscious of the fact that they are electing a prime minister. Research suggests that the leader of each party has become a more significant factor in voting choices than ever before thus the winning PM can claim a popular mandate. Does not apply to PM's who took office between elections e.g. Gordon Brown 2007 - authority of PM is slightly weakened. David Cameron's mandate was also weaker as his party failed to win parliamentary majority - he could claim that the coalition had a mandate to govern, albeit a contested mandate.
      - Parliament = PM is a parliamentary leader - as long as she can enjoy the support of the majority in the House of Commons she can claim to have parliamentary authority.
- - - - • No codified rules to govern this process
      - • The natural consequence of a general election
      - • No rules needed as historically, the power was in the hands of the monarch
      - • Still true in practice up to nineteenth century