Deck 2: Britain

Question 1

British democracy came about swiftly through a major revolution much like the one in France.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The British House of Commons is more powerful than the House of Lords.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A key difference between parliamentary and presidential systems is that the legislative and executive branches are fused in a presidential system.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Countries with a majoritarian, or first past the post, electoral system, tend to have two major parties.

Question 5

Great Britain is a pure meritocracy.

Question 6

According to Hobbes, people initially submitted themselves to the will of monarchs because the state of nature was so terrible and insecure.

Question 7

British cabinet ministers are elected by the general public and frequently disagree with each other concerning matters of public policy.

Question 8

Britain has a two-plus party system.

Question 9

The prime minister is the head of state in Britain.

Question 10

The Swedish welfare state is much more expansive than the British welfare state.

Question 11

Which of the following was the first step in the development of British democracy?

A) the Glorious Revolution
B) the Magna Carta
C) the creation of the House of Lords
D) the beheading of Charles I

Question 12

In 2014, which region narrowly voted against independence?

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

Question 13

Which of the following best describes Britain's Constitution?

A) It is a brief document very similar to the U.S. Constitution.
B) It is a series of documents and customs that provides considerable flexibility.
C) It is one long but detailed document.
D) It is an oral tradition that has been passed down over generations.

Question 14

The British legal system uses __________.

A) Common Law
B) Code Law
C) Civil Law
D) Roman Law

Question 15

What type of electoral system does Britain have?

A) proportional representation
B) minority representation
C) single transferable vote
D) first past the post

Question 16

In Britain, the head of government is the __________ and the head of state is the __________.

A) king or queen; president
B) king or queen; prime minister
C) president; prime minister
D) prime minister; king or queen

Question 17

Who picks and controls the cabinet?

A) Parliament
B) the king or queen
C) the prime minister
D) the chancellor of the exchequer

Question 18

What are the three most influential parties in the House of Commons?

A) Conservative, Labour, and Tory
B) Tory, Labour, and Liberal Democratic
C) Christian Democratic, Labour, and Liberal
D) Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democratic

Question 19

Which two British parties would be least likely to support changing to a proportional representation electoral system?

A) Liberal Democratic and Labour
B) Social Democratic and Labour
C) Conservative and Liberal Democratic
D) Labour and Conservative

Question 20

What event had the biggest impact on the enfranchisement of the majority of British citizens?

A) the Industrial Revolution
B) World War I
C) World War II
D) the enactment of the Magna Carta

Question 21

Which of the following is the upper house of the British parliament that can delay, though not block, statutes passed by the lower house?

A) House of Lords
B) Senate
C) House of Commons
D) National Assembly

Question 22

Which of the following is the most powerful institution in the British political system?

A) the queen
B) the House of Lords
C) the House of Commons
D) the Senate

Question 23

British citizens' human rights are protected through __________.

A) the British Bill of Rights
B) informal agreements
C) a British law that adopted the European Convention on Human Rights
D) the British Constitution of 1646

Question 24

In Britain, one of the monarch's most important roles is to __________.

A) initiate legislation
B) veto legislation
C) implement laws
D) serve as the "psychological cement" for the country

Question 25

Which British political party pushed to have a referendum in 2011 that would have implemented an "alternative vote" or "instant runoff" electoral system?

A) Labour
B) Scottish Nationalist
C) Conservative
D) Liberal Democratic

Question 26

Under which of the following circumstances would the Liberal Democrats win more seats?

A) if its members were more geographically concentrated
B) if it took very conservative positions
C) if it appealed to a smaller segment of the population
D) if it encouraged independence movements or formed coalitions with larger parties

Question 27

Which of the following is evidence that the British class divide has lessened moderately since World War II?

A) Fewer lower income students are enrolled in "public" schools such as Eaton.
B) The vast majority of all MPs have been educated in government-funded primary and secondary schools.
C) Fewer MPs are Oxbridge educated.
D) There are fewer members of the House of Lords.

Question 28

Members of which of the following groups are most likely to vote for the British Labour Party?

A) suburban residents
B) upper class
C) rural residents
D) working class

Question 29

Which of the following issues is most likely to be used by the Conservative Party to woo working-class voters away from the Labour Party?

A) increased immigration to get cheaper labor
B) lower taxes
C) more generous social welfare programs
D) increased government spending

Question 30

If British citizens believe their government's rule is rightful, they believe the government __________.

A) has authority
B) is legitimate
C) is sovereign
D) is powerful

Question 31

The psychological attachment of a voter to a particular party is called __________.

A) party image
B) party allegiance
C) party identification
D) ideology

Question 32

What party image does the Conservative Party aim to convey?

A) helping people through market intervention
B) helping people through social and educational reforms
C) producing economic growth through hard work with little state intervention
D) reducing economic inequality by correcting flaws in the free market

Question 33

If no party wins the majority of seats in Parliament, as was the case in Britain in 2010, how can a government be formed?

A) The party with the most seats forms the government.
B) The upper legislative house chooses the government.
C) New elections are automatically called.
D) At least two parties make a coalition government.

Question 34

The British government's legitimacy is lowest in __________.

A) London
B) Ulster
C) the European Union
D) labor unions

Question 35

Which is the most powerful British ministry?

A) International Development
B) Defense Ministry
C) Treasury
D) Education

Question 36

How has Britain's geography influence its political development? Cite specific examples in your answer.

Question 37

Discuss at least two differences between presidential and parliamentary systems. Use the U.S. and Britain for tangible examples.

Question 38

Which institution is the most powerful in the British system? What makes it so powerful? Discuss the relative powers of each major political institution in your answer.

Question 39

Discuss the process by which Britain became democratic. Given the experience of Britain, do you think nondemocratic countries such as Russia will eventually democratize?

Question 40

Describe the British constitution. In light of the experiences of Britain, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an unwritten constitution. If you were establishing a new country, would you choose a written or unwritten constitution? Explain.

Question 41

Describe the British political parties.