Deck 5: The United Kingdom

Question 1

Which current British political party has its roots in the English nobility?

A) The Conservative Party
B) The Labour Party
C) The Liberal Democrats
D) The Social Democrats
E) The Scottish National Party

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A term used to accurately describe the development of the British state is

A) tumultuous.
B) socialistic.
C) divided.
D) gradual.
E) erratic.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, is also known by what name?

A) Ulster
B) Wales
C) Scotland
D) Celtic
E) Britain

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following statements best describes British political culture?

A) The British are deeply divided over religion.
B) Almost all the British respect the democratic rules of the game.
C) Most British people favor abolishing the monarchy.
D) There is strong support for writing a new constitution.
E) Individuals actively resist powerful leadership.

Question 5

The divisions between Protestants and Catholics that split Europe did not have the same impact on Britain because

A) there were no Catholics living there.
B) there were no Protestants living there.
C) King Henry VIII established the Church of England.
D) the Protestants quickly established military dominance.
E) the Pope dominated the British state.

Question 6

The broad agreement on social policy during the 1950s and 1960s was known as

A) socialism.
B) capitalism.
C) the collectivist consensus.
D) the individualistic consensus.
E) a united front.

Question 7

The 1701 Act of Settlement was important because it

A) asserted that the monarchy had to govern according to Parliament laws.
B) brokered peace between Protestants and Catholics.
C) brought peace to Northern Ireland.
D) preserved the total power and authority of the monarchy.
E) established the move to colonize North America.

Question 8

Gradualism, when used to describe the creation of the British state, usually means that

A) none of the historic events were unexpected.
B) people in Britain slowly gained power over other kingdoms and people.
C) authority is exercised by the government in moderation.
D) state building issues were not as important as economic issues.
E) state building issues were dealt with sequentially rather than simultaneously.

Question 9

The term "loony left" was used to describe Labour in the 1980s because

A) so many of its leaders had received psychological treatment.
B) it supported the provision of psychiatric care for free.
C) its policies were so radical.
D) its campaigns we so inept that it seemed to be committing electoral suicide.
E) it was out of power.

Question 10

Who succeeded Margaret Thatcher as prime minister?

A) Tony Blair
B) David Cameron
C) John Major
D) Nick Clegg
E) Gordon Brown

Question 11

The party that was in power the longest in the twentieth century was the

A) Conservative party.
B) Labour party.
C) Liberal Democratic party.
D) Nationalist party.
E) Christian Democratic party.

Question 12

The Good Friday Agreement helped ease tensions between

A) New Labour and Traditional Labour.
B) Margaret Thatcher and Tory Party opponents.
C) Great Britain and France at the end of the Hundred Years' War.
D) Wales, Scotland, and the British Government.
E) Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland/Ulster.

Question 13

Margaret Thatcher was part of a generation of conservative politicians that

A) supported the welfare state.
B) wanted Britain to become part of a United States of Europe.
C) advocated a more progressive income tax.
D) believed the market should play a dominant role in economic policy.
E) resisted increases in military spending.

Question 14

Which of the following was a nickname given to Margaret Thatcher?

A) The "iron lady"
B) Queen Margaret
C) Cleopatra
D) Old Blue Eyes
E) Chief Dalek

Question 15

The "collectivist consensus" in Britain refers to

A) the coalition of left-wing parties that created today's Labour Party.
B) the European socialist movement that inspired British policy in the 1930s.
C) a general agreement in the post-World War II decades about the role of government.
D) the Keynesian economic theory about government's role in maintaining economic stability.
E) uniform policy-making procedures throughout the British Empire.

Question 16

When comparing the development of democratic society in the United States and Great Britain, one aspect they shared was

A) a history free from internal conflict.
B) religion played a minor role.
C) the regime has received little popular support.
D) major crises were largely resolved before the next one came.
E) universal suffrage from the earliest days of the government.

Question 17

What was the name of the document, issued in 1942, that called for a social insurance program to be created for all citizens, making them eligible for health care, unemployment insurance, pensions, and free university tuition?

A) The Chamberlain Report
B) The Churchill Report
C) The Thatcher Report
D) The Blair Report
E) The Beveridge Report

Question 18

Since the 1960s, what has been the biggest indicator of the decline in British civic culture?

A) Increasing use of violence by labor union activists
B) Declining self-identification with Britain, especially by Welsh and Scots
C) Increasing ideological polarity between the Labour Party and the Conservatives
D) Increasing calls for reducing the budget of the British monarchy
E) Declining viewership of British national soccer games

Question 19

In the United Kingdom, most labor unions' actions are coordinated by

A) Parliament.
B) the Monarchy.
C) the Trades Union Congress.
D) the Labour Party.
E) the Conservative Party.

Question 20

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 established that the monarch would, from that point forward, always be Protestant and would

A) have absolute power to rule the country.
B) be accountable to Parliament.
C) not have to pay taxes like ordinary citizens.
D) have no power at all and would be purely ceremonial.
E) always be male.

Question 21

Collective responsibility in practice means that

A) a majority of the cabinet accepts responsibility for the decisions of the prime minister.
B) all cabinet members support all cabinet decisions.
C) society is collectively responsible for the health and welfare of all citizens.
D) no Member of Parliament (MP) can make individual policy proposals.
E) there is no debate in the House of Commons over government policy proposals.

Question 22

The head of the minority party in the House of Commons becomes the leader of the opposition, and in is charge of what is known as the

A) opposition cabinet.
B) shadow cabinet.
C) hostile cabinet.
D) angry cabinet.
E) vocal cabinet.

Question 23

The Confederation of British Industries (CBI) is most closely associated with which political party?

A) Labour
B) Liberal Democratic
C) Social Democratic
D) Conservative
E) Republican

Question 24

Most unions are part of the __________.

Question 25

The majority of the legislative power in the United Kingdom resides with the

A) Queen.
B) House of Lords.
C) House of Commons.
D) Congress.
E) National Assembly.

Question 26

In 1215, King John signed the __________, which most scholars believe was the first significant event in the evolution of the British parliamentary system.

Question 27

Lobbying in Britain is done primarily

A) in the summer before the annual party meetings.
B) in the pubs, hallways, and lobbies surrounding the House of Commons.
C) to influence party leaders and top civil servants.
D) by business interest groups.
E) through advertising in the public media.

Question 28

The 2016 referendum that shook up British politics is commonly referred to as

A) Europhile.
B) The FA Cup.
C) The Eurovision contest.
D) Brexit.
E) Good Friday Agreement.

Question 29

Which type of electoral model does England use?

A) Proportional representation
B) First-past-the-post
C) Runoff
D) Lottery
E) Voice vote

Question 30

In recent years, the most difficult policy issues for Britain's Conservative Party to resolve internally have revolved around

A) education.
B) privatization.
C) the European Union.
D) immigration.
E) devolution.

Question 31

The new party that was formed in 1987 is now known as the

A) Labour Party.
B) Conservative Party.
C) Liberal Democratic Party.
D) Social Democratic Party.
E) Christian Democratic Party.

Question 32

The most recent peace agreement to resolve the violent conflict in Ireland is known as the __________ Agreement.

Question 33

Minor parties have traditionally won relatively few seats in the House of Commons because

A) the electoral system discriminates against them.
B) they have poor leaders.
C) few people agree with their ideas.
D) they cannot raise enough money to run an effective campaign.
E) free television time is not available to them.

Question 34

What is the term used to describe British newspapers that are considered quality, non-tabloid papers?

A) Ragsheets
B) Topsheets
C) Broadsheets
D) Narrowsheets
E) Mainsheets

Question 35

The Labour Party's successes in the past twenty years were built in part on Tony Blair's

A) reputation as an old-time party boss.
B) collaborative leadership model.
C) engaging and open image, which he presented in person and on television.
D) similarities to Neville Chamberlain.
E) appeal to the left-wing of the Labour Party.

Question 36

The House of Commons has how many members currently?

A) 100
B) 435
C) 650
D) 700
E) 1000

Question 37

The year 1707 marks the last time a British monarch failed to give __________ to an act of Parliament.

Question 38

What was significant about Clause 4 of the Labour Party original manifesto?

A) It called for a Marxist revolution.
B) It called for an end to England's nationalized health care system.
C) It called for an end to government-funded pensions.
D) It called for an end to the Anglican Church.
E) It called for the nationalization of key British industries.

Question 39

Blair's New Labour was born out of

A) consecutive electoral victories.
B) the successes of nationalized industries.
C) union-business coalitions.
D) moderation of unions' socialistic policies.
E) widespread disillusionment with the monarchy.

Question 40

An important parliamentary vote is signified by

A) an announcement in Norman French.
B) a three line whip.
C) an advertisement in the Times of London.
D) a proclamation by the Queen.
E) a proclamation by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Question 41

The primary interest group representing business interests in Britain is the __________.

Question 42

How has Britain's relationship with the European Union changed in the past forty years? Do you believe the United Kingdom would be better served to be more closely integrated with Europe or should they leave the EU entirely? Why?

Question 43

What are the three largest parties in the United Kingdom? Who are their major constituent groups? How do their issue positions differ from one another? Which party (parties) is (are) currently in power?

Question 44

Great Britain has historically been considered as the model industrialized democracy. Does it still deserve that reputation? Why or why not?

Question 45

The __________ was the 1942 document advocating for a range of social programs including unemployment and health insurance.

Question 46

The British health care system is known as A) The National Health Service
B) Socialized medicine
C) Blaircare
D) Obamacare
E) Socialism

Question 47

What affect has immigration had on British politics in the years since the end of World War II? What issues have arisen as a result?

Question 48

A __________ is a person who is opposed to further British integration into the European Union.

Question 49

The __________ was a short-lived coalition between the Liberals and the Social Democrats in the 1980s.

Question 50

What role does the monarchy play in British politics? How has this role evolved over time? How is this different from heads of state in other countries?

Question 51

The title of the British equivalent of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury is the __________.

Question 52

Given its previous degree of world domination, why has Britain been reduced to its current economic condition, where the standard of living is often lower than many other continental European democracies? What factors led to the economic decline?

Question 53

How did the post-World War II "collectivist consensus" affect the relations between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party in England through the end of the 1970s? Why did the "consensus" end? How has that shaped British politics today?

Question 54

The Prime Minister of the UK in 2017 was A) Theresa May
B) Tony Blair
C) David Cameron
D) David Beckham
E) Dame Judy Dench

Question 55

Personality has played an increasing role in the British political process and the role of the prime minister. Is this a long-term trend or one based on recent incumbents in the office? Do you consider this a positive development in a democracy? Why or why not?

Question 56

Scotland and Wales are part of Great Britain but have gained greater autonomy in recent years. Do you think this is a positive or negative development? Why? Are these changes leading to the dissolution of the country or the political regime?

Question 57

Thatcher's policy of selling government-owned enterprises was called __________.