Deck 14: National Decision-Making Institutions: Parliamentary Government

Question 1

In a pure parliamentary system, the parliament is sovereign. That is, it has ultimate authority.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following is typically NOT a key function of the parliament in a parliamentary system?

A) Public debate of proposed bills
B) Frequent source of amendments to bills
C) Scrutiny of cabinet bills by the opposition
D) Oversight of government policy
E) Provide members to serve in the cabinet

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In India, which political institution has supreme authority?

A) Supreme Court
B) President
C) Parliament
D) State governments
E) Council of States

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A political system in which the citizens elect only the legislature is called a ___________________ system.

Question 5

The "head of state" in the British system is called the Prime Minister.

Question 6

In smoothly running parliamentary systems:

A) votes of confidence take place frequently
B) parliament members vote their consciences
C) the prime minister is constantly concerned about being replaced
D) coalition governments contain three or more parties
E) the cabinet dominates the parliament

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT typically an essential aspect of parliamentary government?

A) Bills passed by parliament are the law.
B) Cabinet has executive power.
C) Cabinet retains executive power through the "confidence" of the parliament.
D) Parliament members are elected through proportional representation.
E) The cabinet leader can usually dissolve parliament and call for new elections.

Question 8

In a parliamentary system, the head of government:

A) is the leader of the cabinet
B) is also the head of state
C) is chosen directly by the citizenry
D) cannot, by law, be an elected member of parliament
E) is usually also a member of the highest court

Question 9

An elected legislator who commits himself/herself to mirroring the sentiment of the public on public issues is embracing the notion that he/she is a __________________.

Question 10

In a parliamentary system if no political party wins a majority of seats in the legislature, a _______________ must be formed; this then would represent a majority that would, in turn, support a cabinet.

Question 11

Comparing the parliamentary systems of Germany and Britain, it is true that:

A) Germany's Bundesrat is more powerful than the House of Lords
B) Germany's Bundestag does not choose the leader of government, whereas Britain's House of Commons does
C) Germany does not have a head of state
D) Germany does not practice neo corporatism, whereas Britain does
E) German political parties have less power in the Bundestag than do political parties in Britain's parliament

Question 12

As a general rule, legislative committees in a parliamentary system are _________________ (choose one: weaker or stronger) than their counterparts in the presidential system.

Question 13

In a parliamentary system, the executive leadership of the country is composed of a sub-set of legislative representatives usually functioning in a cabinet.

Question 14

If an elected legislator perceives that his/her election represents a mandate to use his/her own judgment as the basis for positions on public issues, he/she is embracing the conception of a ________________.

Question 15

In a parliamentary system, the head of state:

A) can never be a monarch
B) is typically the most powerful person in the country
C) is responsible for determining which political parties may run in elections
D) usually designates which party has the first opportunity to form a government
E) has veto power over legislation passed by parliament

Question 16

The cabinet government remains in power as long as it has the _________________ of the parliamentary majority. Practically speaking, this means that all decisions put before the legislature by the cabinet must be passed.

Question 17

Lok Sabha, Diet, and Bundestag are all ________________________.

Question 18

In the most distilled sense, the easiest way to tell the difference between a parliamentary and presidential system is to see how the ______________ leadership is determined - if it is elected by the people or by some other means.

Question 19

The executive leader in the parliamentary system is the leader of the political party that won a majority of seats in the legislature (if a party won a majority).

Question 20

In parliamentary systems, the upper chamber:

A) usually has similar powers as the lower chamber
B) helps choose the country's leader
C) has far less power than the lower chamber
D) has roughly the same powers and duties as the United States Senate
E) meets in the same time and place as the lower chamber

Question 21

Responsibility for key decisions is less clear in a parliamentary system than in a presidential system.

Question 22

In all parliamentary systems, no court can overrule an act of parliament.

Question 23

Executive leadership in a parliamentary system is likely to have more experience and expertise than counterparts in a presidential system.

Question 24

Parliaments in authoritarian systems function to add an aura of legitimacy to the political system. They also create many positions that can be filled by status-seeking vs. power-seeking politicians.

Question 25

Critical Thinking
"Representation" is a critical concept in democratic thinking. What are the implications for a political system if it is left unclear whether elected legislators are responsible for functioning as "delegates" or "trustees?" Does such ambiguity jeopardize the integrity of the very notion of "representation?"

Question 26

What are the typical roles and the overall power of the prime minister in a parliamentary system?

Question 27

In many parliamentary systems the oversight or watchdog function is performed through a mechanism called question time.

Question 28

Parliamentary systems tend to have one-chamber legislatures.

Question 29

Because the outcome of most parliamentary votes is a foregone conclusion (i.e. highly predictable), the parliament is not a genuine arena for public debate on issues.

Question 30

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of a parliamentary system? Would you rather live in a democracy with a parliamentary system or a presidential system? Why?

Question 31

The most unstable parliamentary situation is one in which there is a minority cabinet. In this case, the cabinet is not supported by a coalition with a majority of legislative votes.

Question 32

Power (legislative and executive) is "unified" in a parliamentary system.

Question 33

A citizen living in a parliamentary system will find it easier to become well informed about policy-making than a comparable person living in a presidential system. Valid?

Question 34

What are the key differences between a parliamentary system and a presidential system? Which is able to make important policies more easily? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Question 35

Minority voices in policy-making can be lost altogether in a parliamentary system.

Question 36

What are the key aspects of consensus parliamentarism?

Question 37

Parliamentary governments, given the tenuous hold on power stemming from the constant need to hold a majority in the legislature, can be unstable and can experience frequent change.

Question 38

What are the typical roles and the overall power of the parliament in a parliamentary system?