5 ms·

- Then why not directly make one of those experts actually the Minister? - What if 2 "below" experts have 2 different opinions? Is the Minister supposed to cho

- Then why not directly make one of those experts actually the Minister? - What if 2 "below" experts have 2 different opinions? Is the Minister supposed to choose randomly?

wpietri 8y ago
My understanding is that in a parliamentary system, ministers are selected from parliament. (The US equivalent would be something like making a rule where every cabinet secretary had to also be an elected member of the House of Representatives.) So the expert would have to first run for parliament and be elected.
- icebraining 8y ago
  In the parliamentary system here, only the Prime Minister is selected from parliament. The other ministers are selected by the PM, and don't have to be (and usually aren't) members of parliament.
- m0skit0 8y ago
  In all parliamentary systems I know (Spain, France, Morocco) ministers do not have to be selected from the parliament. Parliament is legislative while ministers are executive.
  - wpietri 8y ago
    Ah, thanks. Clearly it varies by country. This appears to be more a matter of tradition in the UK than legal requirement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom#Composition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom#... In Japan it's a legal requirement that the majority of the cabinet be elected reps, but not all of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Japan
ceejayoz 8y ago
> What if 2 "below" experts have 2 different opinions? Is the Minister supposed to choose randomly? Consult (or more likely, have one's staff consult) a third (and fourth, and fifth...) and figure out what the consensus is?
- m0skit0 8y ago
  What I meant is that if there's no consensus and the third, the fourth, the fifth... also either have a different proposition/idea or are divided somewhat equally into both sides.
cwyers 8y ago
> - Then why not directly make one of those experts actually the Minister? If you watch Yes, Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister), the show's thesis is that the system is mostly set up so that the civil service can run things regardless of whatever policies the politicians are trying to implement.
- m0skit0 8y ago
  Then what are politicians for?
  - cwyers 8y ago
    To take the blame, mostly, as far as the show is concerned. Hacker even says it in one episode, I think the one about the civil service pay rise (or maybe the one about civil service honors). Going from memory: Sir Humphrey: Civil servants are paid but a modest wage. Hacker: Modest? You make more than me. Compared to who? Sir Humphrey: Comparable positions in industry. Hacker: In industry, when you do something wrong, you get the boot. In civil service, when you do something wrong, I get the boot.

- Then why not directly make one of those experts actually the Minister? - What if 2 "below" experts have 2 different opinions? Is the Minister supposed to choose randomly?

wpietri 8y ago

My understanding is that in a parliamentary system, ministers are selected from parliament. (The US equivalent would be something like making a rule where every cabinet secretary had to also be an elected member of the House of Representatives.) So the expert would have to first run for parliament and be elected.

icebraining 8y ago
In the parliamentary system here, only the Prime Minister is selected from parliament. The other ministers are selected by the PM, and don't have to be (and usually aren't) members of parliament.
m0skit0 8y ago
In all parliamentary systems I know (Spain, France, Morocco) ministers do not have to be selected from the parliament. Parliament is legislative while ministers are executive.
- wpietri 8y ago
  Ah, thanks. Clearly it varies by country. This appears to be more a matter of tradition in the UK than legal requirement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom#Composition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_Kingdom#... In Japan it's a legal requirement that the majority of the cabinet be elected reps, but not all of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Japan

ceejayoz 8y ago

> What if 2 "below" experts have 2 different opinions? Is the Minister supposed to choose randomly? Consult (or more likely, have one's staff consult) a third (and fourth, and fifth...) and figure out what the consensus is?

m0skit0 8y ago
What I meant is that if there's no consensus and the third, the fourth, the fifth... also either have a different proposition/idea or are divided somewhat equally into both sides.

cwyers 8y ago

> - Then why not directly make one of those experts actually the Minister? If you watch Yes, Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister), the show's thesis is that the system is mostly set up so that the civil service can run things regardless of whatever policies the politicians are trying to implement.

m0skit0 8y ago
Then what are politicians for?
- cwyers 8y ago
  To take the blame, mostly, as far as the show is concerned. Hacker even says it in one episode, I think the one about the civil service pay rise (or maybe the one about civil service honors). Going from memory: Sir Humphrey: Civil servants are paid but a modest wage. Hacker: Modest? You make more than me. Compared to who? Sir Humphrey: Comparable positions in industry. Hacker: In industry, when you do something wrong, you get the boot. In civil service, when you do something wrong, I get the boot.