Kabinetets

Kabinetets refers to the cabinet, the executive body of government in many parliamentary and semi-parliamentary systems. It typically consists of ministers who head government departments and is led by a head of government such as a prime minister, although some systems place the head of state in a largely ceremonial role. The cabinet is the main forum where policy is formulated, coordinated, and collectively decided.

Membership and appointment: Ministers are usually appointed by the head of state on the recommendation of the prime minister or equivalent figure. They oversee specific ministries or portfolios and, together, bear responsibility for government policy. In most systems, cabinet ministers are expected to defend cabinet decisions in public.

Functions: The cabinet sets policy direction, proposes legislation and budgets, coordinates administration, and represents the government domestically and internationally. Ministers are individually responsible for their departments, while the cabinet as a whole adheres to the principle of collective responsibility, requiring members to support cabinet decisions or resign.

Accountability and operation: Cabinet decisions are taken in meetings and translated into government action. In many parliamentary systems, the cabinet remains in office only as long as the legislature maintains its confidence; elections, votes of no confidence, or resignations can lead to a change of government.

Variations and terminology: The cabinet exists worldwide in various forms. Linguistically, the term appears as Kabinett, Kabinettet, Kabinet, or Kabinetten in Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and related languages, with differing constitutional arrangements in monarchies, republics, and semi-presidential systems.

Etymology: The term derives from the French cabinet, originally a small private room, later extended to the group of advisers and ministers.