New prime ministers typically are strongest immediately following an election; their power and prestige may decay if the government becomes unpopular. Because Britain and most Commonwealth countries have adopted plurality-based national electoral systems, coalition governments are rare in Westminster systems, and when they do occur (as in India, for example, in the 1990s and early 21st century) the prime minister’s political predominance is considerably reduced (see plurality system).
The premier does not have a large executive department but controls the central direction of policy by selecting all the cabinet ministers and junior ministers; by determining the legislative agenda of the government and strongly influencing economic priorities; by managing the civil service; by setting the structure and operations of the government (e.g., creating new departments or determining which cabinet committees make which decisions); and by leading the majority in parliament.
