In any country of the world, the supreme executive power, in fact, is the cabinet of ministers, although this body can be called in different ways. In the Soviet Union, the cabinet is the Council of Ministers, and in Russia now it is the government. In a number of countries, for example, in Israel, Latvia, Japan, Uzbekistan, the government is called the Cabinet of Ministers. All the main functions for managing the country's current activities lie with this supreme executive body.
Main functions
The Cabinet of Ministers is the collegial supreme executive authority in the country. The cabinet may include branch ministers and ministers without a portfolio (a member of the government who does not manage a ministry or other government body). The cabinet is led by a prime minister appointed by the head of state and / or parliament. The head of government forms the cabinet of ministers, which, as a whole, or its individual members (for example, deputy prime ministers) must be approved by the head of state or parliament. The main tasks that are delegated to the cabinet are:
- foreign policy, although in many countries it can be largely the prerogative of the head of state;
- domestic policy, including being responsible for state policy in the field of culture, science, education, health, social welfare, ecology;
- state and internal security, including ensuring compliance with laws protecting citizens and combating crime;
- national defense;
- economic policy, including the development and implementation of the country's budget, state property management.
In the field of defense, foreign policy and state security, the head of state forms the policy, and the cabinet provides measures for its implementation. Decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers are adopted by voting and drawn up in the form of a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers. What the Cabinet of Ministers is specifically responsible for is usually determined by a special law.
The first cabinet in the history of Russia
In the history of Russia, too, there was a cabinet of ministers during the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1731-1741). Then this supreme state organ of the empire existed as a council under the monarch. The Cabinet of Ministers, and this was an advisory body consisting of two or three cabinet ministers, was supposed to facilitate the decision-making process by the empress and increase the efficiency of state administration. The cabinet prepared draft decisions of the head of state, announced its registered decrees and resolutions. However, he gradually began to perform full-fledged government functions. The introduction of the ministers included military, police and financial services.
Where in Russia there are cabinets
Since Russia is a federal state, each subject of the federation (region, territory, national republic) has its own government. In some republics, the government is a cabinet of ministers. For example, in Tatarstan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea. The activities of the cabinet ministers of the republics are determined by the laws of the Russian Federation and the local law on executive bodies. Regional, regional and republican offices are mainly engaged in socio-economic issues, including the formation and execution of the local budget, economic and domestic policies, foreign economic relations, within the limits defined by Russian law. In general, with the exception of defense, security, and foreign policy (in part), it does the same as the federal government. Decisions made by the government are drawn up in the form of resolutions of the cabinet of ministers of the republic, territory, etc.
The most unusual office
Japan for us is a country of all kinds of interesting, beautiful and sometimes strange customs and things. That’s the Cabinet of Ministers of the Land of the Rising Sun is very peculiar. Now the Japanese government includes 12 branch state ministers and 8 ministers without a portfolio. According to the constitution, they must be civilians and the majority must be members of parliament. But usually the cabinet of ministers is only the deputies who are more busy with affairs in parliament, and the ministries are controlled by officials. Sometimes a deputy can head two ministries. The candidacy of the prime minister is put forward by the parliament from among the deputies, which is further approved by the emperor. The work of the cabinet is carried out on the basis of customs and precedents; there is no law regulating the procedure for meetings and decision-making. All decisions are made by consensus, not by vote.
UK has two rooms
Life on the island, even large, probably has a strong influence on customs. Another example of a peculiar understanding of the state system is Great Britain, which also occupies a group of islands, and they also have a constitutional monarchy. However, here the cabinet is a collegial body of government. The government itself is about a hundred people appointed by the queen of the members of parliament. According to the constitution, the Prime Minister appoints the leader of the ruling party, who is gaining the Cabinet of Ministers, about twenty people. The leader of the opposition party forms the shadow cabinet, which controls the activities of the government. In the United Kingdom, this is an official body. The head of the shadow cabinet and some members receive a reward.