Task
You work as a junior researcher for the Government Research Institute (fictitious)
and have been asked to investigate and evaluate methods of executive
accountability in the UK. Instructions are as follows:
1. Based on your research, identify case study examples of where the executive has
been held accountable.
2. Examine the methods of accountability used in these examples and provide an
evaluation of their effectiveness.
3. Consider proposals for reform or to enhance the effectiveness of existing methods.
To begin your research, you have been provided with some materials (below).
Please extend your research with additional sources based on the examples you
have chosen.
In order to assist you, you have been given the following indicative template:
Title: Provide a suitable title for the paper
Executive Summary: This should be written once the paper is complete and should
briefly summarise the ideas developed in the paper.
Introduction: This should provide general context and elaborate on the importance
of the problem. You may want to draft a few questions (research questions) which
need answering.
It should contain:
An explanation of your task
Questions you have decided to address.
Discussion:
This section should be divided into subsections – each with a title. Each subsection
should discuss one issue based on your questions – discussing the evidence and the
pros and cons of each potential solution.
Conclusions and Recommendations:
What are your findings and what do you recommend considering your findings?
Referencing: submissions should be referenced in OSCOLA format, i.e. footnoted
with a bibliography.
Material to begin your research:
Commission on Political Power, Options Paper: Executive Reform, September 2022,
available at https://commissionpoliticalpower.uk/publications/executivereform
Institute for Government, Accountability in modern government – directions for
change, April 2018, available at
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/accountability-summary-
final.pdf
change, April 2018, available at
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/accountability-summary-
final.pdf