The Governmental Machine

Abstract

The constitution of France provides a distinct role for the government, and specifies that the prime minister is the head of that government. Even throughout the periods when the President has dominated politics and policy the government has had a major role in the formation and execution of policy in many areas. This chapter examines the structure and working of that machinery from the political viewpoint; Chapter 5 looks at the workings of government from an administrative angle. This chapter is concerned with the nature and role of the prime minister and the ministers of the government; with the French ‘machinery of government’ — that is, the structure and functions of the various ministries and departments; and with the mechanisms for coordination between them.