Deck 11: The Electoral System

Question 1

A person can be eligible to vote in more than one constituency.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following are roles of the Electoral Commission?

A) Review the redistribution of seats at parliamentary elections
B) Regulate political advertising
C) Promote public awareness about electoral systems
D) Review the registration of political parties

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following are NOT allowed to vote in General and By-Elections?

A) Those under 18
B) Former members of the House of Lords
C) Mental patients detained under statutory authority
D) Convicted prisoners in detention

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following are disqualified from election to the Commons?

A) Members of the clergy
B) Civil Servants
C) Members of the police force
D) Members of the regular armed forces

Question 5

Which of the following does the Election Court have the power to do?

A) Set the limits of election expenditure
B) Define constituency boundaries
C) Order a fresh election
D) Declare corrupt practices

Question 6

Outline the four principles of an equal and fair electoral system.

Question 7

Outline the stages which led to women achieving equal voting rights.

Question 8

Giving reasons for your answer, do you agree with the ban on allowing prisoners to vote?

Question 9

Evaluate why the courts are reluctant to challenge the power of the Boundaries Commission.

Question 10

With reference to key cases, evaluate the courts' approach to election expenditure.

Question 11

Explain how the system of political party funding works.

Question 12

"The voter ranks candidates in order of preference, the candidate with more than 50% of the first vote wins, if no candidate achieves this then the votes of the candidate with the lowest first preference votes are redistributed and this continues until a candidate achieves the required 50%". This is a description of which voting system?

A) Single transferable vote
B) The additional member system
C) The supplementary vote
D) The alternative vote

Question 13

Under the current simple majority system, how many seats does a party need in the UK Parliament to gain a majority?

A) 326
B) 346
C) 365
D) 385

Question 14

The Election Court is comprised of judges from which court?

A) The Crown Court
B) The High Court
C) The Court of Appeal
D) The Supreme Court

Question 15

In the case of Hirst v UK (2004) the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the blanket ban on giving prisoners the vote was unlawful.

Question 16

The Prime Minister controls the timing of general elections.

Question 17

In the case of R (ProLife Alliance) v BBC (2003) the House of Lords held that the BBC was entitled to refuse an election broadcast if it would be offensive to public feeling.

Question 18

Lying in election literature is an illegal practice which can lead to an individual being disqualified from the House of Commons.

Question 19

In the UK registered political parties are eligible for State funding.

Question 20

Under the powers provided by the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which of the following was the only area to establish a Boundary Commission?

A) England
B) Northern Ireland
C) Scotland
D) Wales

Question 21

What is the maximum potential custodial sentence for an individual found guilty of applying for another's postal vote with the intention of stealing the vote?

A) 6 months
B) 1 year
C) 2 years
D) 3 years

Question 22

Where does the European Convention on Human Rights enshrine the right to fair elections?

A) Protocol 1
B) Protocol 2
C) Protocol 3
D) Protocol 4

Question 23

What changes to the number of UK constituencies does the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 make?

A) Reduces them from 650 to 550
B) Increases them from 600 to 650
C) Reduces them from 650 to 600
D) Increases them from 550 to 600

Question 24

In a vote of no confidence, greater than what proportion of the number of seats must vote in favour?

A) Two-thirds
B) Three-fifths
C) Three-quarters
D) Half

Question 25

Evaluate and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the simple majority system and proportionally representative systems.