Deck 6: Political Institutions I: Institutional Structures

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a major role of the legislature?

A) Oversight of the executive branch
B) Interpretation of laws
C) Representation of citizens
D) Enactment of legislation
E) All of the above are major roles.

Answer 1

Interpretation of laws

Question 2

Which of the following is an important area of legislative oversight?

A) Approving major executive appointments
B) Enacting regulatory legislation
C) Committee hearings on legislation
D) Control of the agenda by the legislative majority
E) All of the above

Answer 2

Approving major executive appointments

Question 3

A legislative ombudsman is an independent agency that assists in

A) judicial review.
B) legislative oversight of the administration.
C) policy implementation.
D) supervision of the military.
E) analyzing legislation.

Answer 3

legislative oversight of the administration.

Question 4

Which of the following is a potential drawback of a bicameral legislature?

A) Proliferation of elections
B) Less effective representation
C) Stalemates in policymaking
D) Proliferation of political parties
E) All of the above

Question 5

Many observers claim that during the twentieth century the power of legislatures

A) increased steadily.
B) declined significantly.
C) remained the same.
D) increased relative to the executive but declined relative to the judiciary.
E) declined in bicameral but not in unicameral legislatures.

Question 6

In a political system with a fused executive,

A) one actor carries out ceremonial aspects of the executive role while another carries out more political aspects.
B) a small number of people exercise collective executive leadership.
C) the ceremonial and political functions of the top executive both reside in the same actor.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is most responsible for the state's relations with other countries?

A) The legislature
B) The administration
C) The executive
D) The judiciary
E) All are equally responsible.

Question 8

In comparison to legislatures, executive structures tend to be

A) more streamlined.
B) more capable of decisive action.
C) more unified.
D) more streamlined and unified but not more decisive.
E) more streamlined, decisive and unified.

Question 9

The concept of an independent judiciary means

A) judicial actors are not members of political parties.
B) judicial actors are not elected.
C) judicial actors are not constrained by the executive or legislature.
D) judicial actors control their ideological preferences.
E) All of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a function of the judiciary?

A) Settling disputes among private actors
B) Social control
C) Interpretation of policy
D) Arbitrating disagreements among other branches of government
E) Approval of major administrative appointments

Question 11

The power of judicial review means that judicial actors can

A) revoke the actions of the legislature.
B) impeach the executive.
C) evaluate the actions of other judges.
D) reject the executive's judicial appointments.
E) conduct hearings regarding executive conduct.

Question 12

In the majority of countries with legislatures, the national legislature

A) has one powerful house and one weak house.
B) has two relatively powerful houses.
C) has only one house.
D) has more than 500 members.
E) is dominated by a single party.

Question 13

As the head of state, the chief executive

A) manages the administration.
B) represents the governing party coalition.
C) embodies the national identity.
D) takes the lead on major legislation.
E) All of the above

Question 14

According to Edmund Burke, a legislator

A) should attempt to represent the majority view of his constituency.
B) should make policy decisions on the basis of his intellect and conscience.
C) should represent and support his political party.
D) should be guided by the national interest.
E) should work collaboratively to enact legislation.

Question 15

One very visible cross-national difference in the structural arrangements of legislatures is the

A) ratio of votes to seats.
B) length of the session.
C) number of political parties.
D) qualifications for office.
E) number of houses.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the decline in the power of most legislatures?

A) Legislatures have no coherent structure within which power can be concentrated.
B) Legislatures have slow and cumbersome procedures.
C) Legislatures do not meet often enough for effective leadership to emerge.
D) Legislatures have less support services than other branches.
E) Legislatures can speak with too many voices.

Question 17

The actual provision of public goods and services is primarily performed by members of the

A) executive.
B) legislature.
C) administration.
D) judiciary.
E) foot soldiers.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT usually a role of the executive?

A) Functioning as a symbol of the entire society
B) Implementing policies and laws
C) Interpreting the constitutionality of laws
D) Supervising military and foreign affairs
E) Asserting policy leadership

Question 19

At the heart of the adjudication function is the attempt to

A) interpret and apply the laws to a given system.
B) regulate the proper implementation of new laws.
C) ensure that the laws are fair.
D) enact the laws for the state.
E) guard against government corruption.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the forms of administration discussed in the Compare in 6?

A) Humane administration
B) Inept administration
C) Corrupt administration
D) Discriminatory administration
E) Weberian bureaucracy

Question 21

In comparison to proportional representation systems (PR), a problem with plurality electoral systems is

A) fewer citizens are allowed to vote.
B) citizens have fewer electoral choices.
C) electoral outcomes are ambiguous.
D) the total number of elected representatives must be smaller.
E) there is a less direct translation of votes into legislative representation.

Question 22

Briefly describe the functions of legislatures and the main difficulties legislatures may experience in carrying out those functions. Could those difficulties be overcome by structural change? Explain why or why not.

Question 23

Explain why executives seem to be increasingly dominant relative to legislatures. Do you believe this situation should be altered? How might the power of the executive be limited? Should the legislature or another political actor (which one?) be empowered to balance executive power?

Question 24

What are the advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy as it exists in contemporary political systems? Under what conditions would a non-bureaucratic form of administration be desirable?

Question 25

Some contend that judicial review is not compatible with democracy. Outline the main arguments for and against this contention. Indicate which position is most persuasive and explain why.