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The Constitution Unit

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Government

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The Constitution Unit has long held an interest in the role of the executive in the constitution. Our study of minority and multi-party government overseas led to development of the Cabinet Manual in 2010, which was followed by a study into the early years of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. Other projects have focused on ministers from outside parliamentthe role of government lawyersspecial advisers (which resulted in the production of many resourcesand the role of non-executives in Whitehall.

The Constitution Unit's work on government is led by Professor Robert Hazell.

Research

The King in the House of Lords.

Prerogative Powers

Professor Hazell was part of a SSHRC-funded research project comparing how the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are seeking to regulate prerogative powers. This project's main output was Executive Power: The Prerogative, Past, Present and Future. It ran between 2019 and 2024.

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    Non-Executive Directors in Whitehall

    This project assessed the contribution of non-executive directors in and outside of Whitehall departmental board meetings. It was led by three former civil servants: Alan Cogbill, Hilary Jackson and Howard Webber. It published its report in 2018.

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    Pre-Appointment Scrutiny Hearings 

    Many senior public appointments have been subject to scrutiny by parliamentary select committees since 2007. This project examined the impact of these processes, updating earlier Constitution Unit research. It published reports in 2010 and 2017.