Cabinet
- Cabinet
The committee of senior British ministers that meets formally and regularly and is chaired by the Prime Minister. It is empowered to make decisions on behalf of the whole government, its traditional functions including making policy, reacting to events that occur during the lifetime of the administration and ironing out any disputes that arise between ministers and between departments of State.
Over many years, writers have characterised the importance of the Cabinet in different ways, depending on whether they believe that we have Cabinet government or prime ministerial government. Some (for example, Walker 1970) portray it as the unique source of authority, standing at the pinnacle of British government. Others (for example, Crossman 1963) argue that it has lost its influence to the extent that it has become been relegated to one of the dignified elements of the constitution. Reacting to the Butler Report, Hennessy argued that: ‘The Cabinet is no longer a central organ of Government. Cabinet ministers still matter as heads of departments, but Cabinet meetings no longer really count’. Most would agree that Cabinet influence fluctuates, much depending on the personalities involved and the types of issues and problems they face.
Further reading: R. Crossman, in an introduction to a re-issue of W. Bagehot, The English Constitution, Fontana, 1963; P. Gordon Walker, The Cabinet, Cape, 1970; P. Hennessy on Butler, as reported in The Guardian, 28 February 2005
Glossary of UK Government and Politics .
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cabinet — [ kabinɛ ] n. m. • 1491 « petite chambre »; du picard cabine I ♦ 1 ♦ Rare en emploi libre Petite pièce située à l écart. ⇒ 2. réduit. Cabinet de débarras. ⇒ cagibi. CABINET NOIR, sans fenêtre. Menacer un enfant de l enfermer au cabinet noir.… … Encyclopédie Universelle
cabinet — CABINÉT, cabinete, s.n. I. 1. Încăpere dintr o locuinţă sau dintr o instituţie, folosită pentru exercitarea unei profesiuni. ♦ Biroul unei persoane cu muncă de răspundere. Cabinetul ministrului ♢ Şef (sau director) de cabinet = funcţionar… … Dicționar Român
cabinet — CABINET. s. m. Lieu de retraite pour travailler, ou converser en particulier, ou pour y serrer des papiers, des livres, ou quelque autre chose, selon la profession ou l humeur de la personne qui y habite. Grand cabinet. petit cabinet. cabinet à… … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
Cabinet — Cab i*net (k[a^]b [i^]*n[e^]t), n. [F., dim. of cabine or cabane. See {Cabin}, n.] 1. A hut; a cottage; a small house. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Hearken a while from thy green cabinet, The rural song of careful Colinet. Spenser. [1913 Webster] 2. A… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Cabinet — index bench, board, chamber (body), commission (agency), committee Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton … Law dictionary
cabinet — cab‧i‧net [ˈkæbnt] noun [countable] the group of politicians, including the leader of the government, who hold important positions in the government and meet regularly to discuss important issues: • a law approved by the prime minister and his… … Financial and business terms
cabinet — Cabinet, alij malunt, Gabinet, Cistula, Conclaue, Pinacotheca. Le cabinet du Roy, Cimeliarchium. B. Qui a la clef du cabinet, Cimeliarcha. Somme contente ou Cabinet du Roy, Confiscata summa. B. ex Sueton. Le cabinet d une femme, toutes les sortes … Thresor de la langue françoyse
cabinet — [kab′ə nit] n. [Fr, prob. < It gabbinetto, dim. of gabbia < L cavea, CAGE] 1. a case or cupboard with drawers or shelves for holding or storing things [a china cabinet, a medicine cabinet] 2. a) a boxlike container, usually decorated, that… … English World dictionary
Cabinet — Cabinet … Википедия
Cabinet — Cabinet, 1) ein kleineres Behältniß neben einem größern Zimmer, dient als Spielgemach, Toilette, Buffet, Garderobe etc. 2) In Palästen, Wohn oder Arbeitszimmer, letzteres namentlich für regierende Fürsten, zugleich Versammlungsort der höchsten… … Damen Conversations Lexikon
Cabinet — Cab i*net, a. Suitable for a cabinet; small. [1913 Webster] He [Varnhagen von Ense] is a walking cabinet edition of Goethe. For. Quar. Rev. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
