Understanding government as an MP
How to hold ministers to account and get the best out of government for your constituents.
The state of the state
Whitehall Monitor 2024
IfG's annual Whitehall stocktake: Next government must launch most fundamental civil service reform in decades
General election 2024: The precarious state of the state
The scale and severity of the problems facing the next government.
A reading list for reform
Strengthening the UK’s fiscal framework
The UK’s fiscal framework, including a flawed set of rules, incentivises bad policy decisions shaped by short-termism and fictional spending plans.
Better Budgets: Making tax policy better
The government must change the way it makes tax and budget decisions.
A preventative approach to public services
The next government must focus on prevention or risk worse public services and higher taxes.
Rebuilding trust in public life
The next government should start the difficult process of showing the British public that the institutions on which we all rely can be trusted.
Power with purpose: Final report of the Commission on the Centre of Government
Why the centre of government has failed successive prime ministers – and seven recommendations for radical reform.
When should public bodies exist?
It's time to rewrite the government's outdated tests for creating and closing public bodies.
How the next government should complete the job of English devolution
The next government must extend devolution to 85% of England to deliver meaningful and balanced economic growth.
Getting started in parliament as a new MP
What you need to know to hit the ground running in the House of Commons.
Explore our resources
Government explained
See all
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office forms part of the centre of government, alongside 10 Downing Street and the Treasury. But what does it do?
Ministerial code
The ministerial code is a set of rules and principles which outlines the standards of conduct for government ministers. But what does is cover?
Ministerial accountability
Ministerial accountability is a constitutional convention that ministers are accountable to Parliament for the actions of government.
Cabinet secretary
The cabinet secretary is the most senior civil service adviser to the prime minister and cabinet.
Public bodies
Public bodies deliver a public or government service, though not as a ministerial department.
Budgets
Governments require parliament’s approval to spend money, as well as to raise revenue in the form of taxes.
Major projects in government
Major projects in government are large-scale development initiatives that aim to modernise and strengthen the UK’s infrastructure.
Ministers Reflect
Interviews with former ministers on the realities of the role and how to be effective in government.
Explore the archive of interviews
Ministerial careers
See all
Getting things done in government
Key lessons from former ministers on how to be effective in government.
A job like no other: How government ministers can be supported to succeed
How ministers benefit from professional executive support, the skills and areas this support can cover, and how ministers can access it.
Find out more
Public services
We examine the performance of public services and make proposals about how they can improve.
Public finances
We analyse tax, spending and wider economic policy, looking at how it can most effectively be designed, implemented and where government falls short.
Policy making
We look at how government makes policy and develop ways to do it more effectively.
Regulation
We look at how government uses regulation to achieve its objectives and how rules can most effectively be designed and implemented through regulators.
Devolution
We examine the effectiveness of devolution across the UK and the relationships between national and devolved government.
Net zero
Our net zero project looks at how to embed net zero in government and policy making.