Deck 7: Parliamentary Democracy

Question 1

The victory of Hamas in 2006 Palestinian elections made relations between Israel and Palestine better.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

It is possible for the House of Lords to thwart legislation passed in the House of Commons.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Israel's parliament is a bicameral institution.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

France has more political parties, representing a wider range of interests, than the United States.

Question 5

France's first three tries at a republican government ended in a dictatorship.

Question 6

The democratic system in Israel guarantees full civil liberties to all citizens.

Question 7

Who serves as Britain's Head of State?

A)The Prime Minister
B)The President
C)The Queen
D)The President of the House of Lords
E)None of the above

Question 8

Under the 1958 Constitution, what can the President of France do?

A)Dissolve the legislature and call for new elections
B)Issue decrees having the force of law
C)Call a national referendum on virtually any matter of choice
D)Appoint and dismiss the prime minister and members of the cabinet
E)All of the above

Question 9

The German federal system has stronger regional government than the United States, as the Länder have more power and receive a larger portion of taxes than American states.

Question 10

All parliamentary systems are alike.

Question 11

The British prime minister serves definite and limited terms of office like the American president.

Question 12

A British Prime Minister's job depends solely on his/her ability to maintain the economy.

Question 13

Except for a brief period in the early 1990s, Japan has been ruled in the postwar era by the Liberal Democratic Party.

Question 14

With the numerous parties and proportional representation in Europe, few governments are run by a majority, so most settle for a coalition form of government.

Question 15

Japan has successfully blended Western political forms and Japanese political culture.

Question 16

In which parliamentary system is immigration a major issue?

A)UK
B)France
C)Germany
D)Both A and C
E)Both B and C

Question 17

Unlike that of France and Britain, the upper house of the German legislative branch is more powerful than the lower house.

Question 18

Which is the current iteration of the French Republic?

A)Third
B)Fourth
C)Fifth
D)Sixth
E)None of the above

Question 19

Which British Prime Minister brought a return to conservative ideas and reprivatized state-run industries?

A)David Cameron
B)Gordon Brown
C)Tony Blair
D)Margaret Thatcher
E)None of the above

Question 20

Japan is a perfect example of what Aristotle would call a "mixed regime."

Question 21

With 70 percent of its 1.1 billion population still living in small villages, which of the following is the best description of India today?

A)Urban society in a rural pattern
B)Rural society in a postindustrial world
C)Rural society in an urban world
D)Country mentality in an industrial world
E)Urban world occupying a rural society

Question 22

In Germany, who is considered the most important government official?

A)Chancellor
B)President
C)Prime minister
D)Executive commander
E)Premier

Question 23

Briefly describe how France has achieved political stability with its "hybrid system" of government. How has Charles de Gaulle's influence extended beyond his term as President of France from 1959 to 1969?

Question 24

Israel fought a war of self-defense against which nation(s)?

A)Egypt
B)Syria
C)Jordan
D)Lebanon
E)All of the above

Question 25

Which of the following is a good example of representative democracy at its best?

A)Germany's Bundestag
B)Israel's Knessett
C)India's Lok Sabha
D)France's Fifth Republic
E)Britain's Question Time

Question 26

How does the history of parliamentary democracy in Europe, and its prevalence among European nations, help these governments when compared to parliamentary systems more recently put in place in Israel and India?

Question 27

The two German legislative units are the Bundestag and the _____.

A)Bundesderg
B)Leänder
C)Chancellery
D)Bundesrat
E)Löader

Question 28

What peace treaty was brokered by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to end the war between Israel and Egypt?

A)Meiji Restoration
B)Peace of Washington
C)Knesset Armistice
D)Camp David Accords
E)Israeli Concord

Question 29

How are the democracies in India and Israel similar?

A)They both have written constitutions.
B)They are examples of the successful adaptation of the parliamentary system.
C)They show democracy can flourish in adverse circumstances.
D)Both A and C are correct.
E)Both B and C are correct.

Question 30

Which French president's disdain for the "special relationship" between the United States and the UK, and the mutual mistrust it fostered, played a key role in shaping France's postwar foreign policy?

A)Charles de Gaulle
B)Jacques Chirac
C)Nicolas Sarkozy
D)François Hollande
E)None of the above

Question 31

Unlike U.S. Senators and Representatives, what key power does the U.S. President possess?

A)Rule of law
B)National popular mandate
C)Judicial review
D)Control of the bureaucracy
E)Constitutional mandate

Question 32

Differentiate between the Japanese style of government and the French style of government. Do there seem to be any advantages of one style over the other?

Question 33

What have the recent histories of France, Germany, and Japan clearly demonstrated?

A)Constitutional democracy is highly adaptable.
B)Democracy will flourish whenever a country is economically prosperous.
C)Strong executives lead to weak judiciaries.
D)Some states have authoritarian political cultures that preclude democracy.
E)Any government that can alleviate poverty is, by definition, good government.

Question 34

Which of the following powers is NOT common to elective legislative bodies in Britain and the United States?

A)To pass or defeat proposed new laws
B)To confirm new cabinet ministers
C)To question and investigate the chief executive
D)To enact any law it likes, without having it set aside by another body
E)To question and investigate cabinet members

Question 35

What element of the Israeli and British parliamentary systems distinguishes them from most other parliamentary democracies?

A)A dual executive
B)The lack of a written constitution
C)A mixed regime
D)The existence of a loyal opposition
E)The enforcement of strict party discipline

Question 36

What is the term used for the protracted Palestinian uprising against the Israelis?

A)Junta
B)Jihad
C)Intifada
D)Patricide
E)Khett

Question 37

Does there appear to be an advantage to a system like Britain's, which evolved over time, or to Germany's, which was written and instituted deliberately? Explain.

Question 38

In which of the following positions can the incumbent NOT be removed by a vote of no confidence in the lower house of the legislature?

A)The British Prime Minister
B)The French Premier
C)The German Chancellor
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 39

Is it better to rest power in the executive or the legislative body in a democracy? What are some of the benefits of each side? What does a society lose by granting an executive or legislature too much power?

Question 40

Virtually every government in the world today tries to give the appearance of

A)constitutionalism.
B)populism.
C)environmentalism.
D)socialism.
E)equality.

Question 41

Discuss the reunification of Germany and its aftermath. Have they succeeded, or are their lingering problems?