Deck 8: Central Government

Question 1

Under the Act of Settlement 1700 a Roman Catholic cannot succeed to the throne and this law still applies today.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT accepted as a constitutional feature of the Civil Service?

A) Permanence
B) Political Neutrality
C) Anonymity
D) Interactivity

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following are proclamations of the Privy Council used for?

A) Summoning Parliament
B) Dissolving Parliament
C) Declaring War
D) Announcing the succession to the throne

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following are TRUE in relation to the role of the Prime Minister?

A) The Prime Minister has responsibility for the Civil Service
B) The Prime Minister has always been appointed from the House of Commons
C) The Queen appoints a succeeding Prime Minister
D) The Prime Minister has the power to declare war

Question 5

In 1864 the Northcote-Trevelyan Report stated that the key principles which underpin the governance of the Civil Service are:

A) Integrity
B) Honesty
C) Impartiality
D) Objectivity

Question 6

Describe the composition and role of the Privy Council.

Question 7

Outline how the role of Prime Minister developed and describe the powers attached to the role.

Question 8

Explain how a Prime Minister was appointed after the 2010 election in which no one party returned enough seats (326) to form a clear majority.

Question 9

Explain how the Civil Service functions and outline the constitutional principles which underpin its existence.

Question 10

Which of these Government Agencies is the largest?

A) Child Support Agency
B) Land Registry
C) UK Passports Agency
D) (Social Security) Benefits Agency

Question 11

The Cabinet Office was established in:

A) 1910
B) 1917
C) 1923
D) 1930

Question 12

Which of the following can the Prime Minister NOT do?

A) Determine the size of the Cabinet
B) Appoint Ministers
C) Control the Cabinet's agenda
D) Control the timing of a General Election

Question 13

If the Queen abdicated, the consent of the Parliaments of the Dominions would be needed to allow Prince Charles to succeed.

Question 14

The Prime Minister attends weekly audiences with the Monarch.

Question 15

The role of the Prime Minister is enshrined in and controlled by the law.

Question 16

No Prime Minister has ever been a member of the House of Lords.

Question 17

The number of Ministers in a Cabinet is fixed at 20.

Question 18

In which year did Queen Elizabeth II accede to the throne?

A) 1952
B) 1954
C) 1958
D) 1962

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT one of the points relating to the relationship between the Monarch and the PM as outlined in the letter sent to The Times by Michael Heseltine (1986)?

A) The Sovereign can encourage and warn the Government
B) The Sovereign can propose new legislative reforms
C) The Sovereign is bound to accept the advice of Ministers
D) The communications between the Sovereign and the PM are entirely confidential

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a principle of Cabinet Government described by Maitland (1908)?

A) Stability
B) Political Unanimity
C) Common responsibility to Parliament
D) A common leader

Question 21

With reference to the liability of the Crown, liability in tort, liability in contract and public interest immunity, evaluate the relationship between the Government and the courts.