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 parliament, the role of government lawyers, special advisers (which resulted in the production of many resources) and the role of non-executives in Whitehall.
The Constitution Unit's work on government is led by Professor Robert Hazell.
Prerogative Powers
A project comparing prerogative powers in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The main output was Executive Power: The Prerogative, Past, Present and Future, published in 2022.
Non-Executive Directors in Whitehall
A project assessing the contribution of non-executive directors in and outside of Whitehall departmental board meetings, resulting in a report in 2018.
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, reporting in both 2010 and 2017.
