Whitehall’s Collective Brainpower

The body politic is a singular entity, while the government is a collective noun that encompasses the many departments found in Whitehall and its environs. Each department has particular policy responsibilities; collectively, they have far more staff and brainpower than Downing Street. Because responsibility for policy is clearly fixed on the party in power, departmental ministers are collectively accountable to the electorate. This avoids the confusion that exists in Washington, where departmental secretaries are accountable to the White House and to Congressional committees that supervise them.