Deck 2: Britian

Question 1

Under Gordon Brown, New Labour's economic policies emphasized all of the following EXCEPT

A) economic stability (low debt, low deficit, and low inflation).
B) economic growth, fueled by tax cuts.
C) foreign investment.
D) government - business partnerships.
E) labor market flexibility.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

All of the following are TRUE of monetarism in the United Kingdom EXCEPT that it

A) reflected a radical change from the postwar consensus regarding economic management.
B) signaled a rejection of Keynesian economics.
C) called for a widespread nationalization of industries.
D) assumed that there is a natural rate of unemployment set by the market.
E) indicated that government intervention in the economy should be limited to the manipulation of the money supply to keep inflation low.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

All of the following are TRUE about the collectivist consensus that existed in Great Britain following World War II EXCEPT that it

A) was inspired by the suffering shared by Britons during World War II.
B) led to the direct ownership by the British state of its key industries.
C) accepted the policy of full employment.
D) led to the expansion of the social welfare state and its services.
E) was only promoted by a succession of left-leaning Labour governments until the 2008 global economic crisis.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The term ____________ refers to the British Coalition Government's governing vision to empower ordinary citizens to take control over their lives and shift the balance of power downward from the state to communities and individual citizens.

A) Big Society
B) Third Way
C) Big Vision
D) Thatcherism
E) Great Society

Question 5

The current prime minister David Cameron

A) styles himself as a new brand of Conservative, a compassionate conservative.
B) represents an atypical prime minister having come to power directly from his former position as the mayor of London.
C) is an ex-journalist from a working-class background.
D) advocates more centrist policies only because of his party's being in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
E) rejects Britain's monarchy, calling for the establishment of a republic in the United Kingdom.

Question 6

The moniker of New Labour refers to

A) the political party that is in coalition with the Conservative Party in Britain's current government.
B) an attempt by the Labour Party to rebrand itself as a "third-way" alternative to the collectivism of traditional Labour Party politics and Thatcherism.
C) the Labour Party under the leadership of Gordon Brown.
D) the Labour Party under the leadership of David Miliband.
E) a new party, which formed following a split that developed within the Labour Party due to the leadership's support for the war in Iraq.

Question 7

The British Coalition Government's proposed debt reduction measures are

A) regressive in nature.
B) progressive in nature.
C) neither regressive nor progress, affecting everyone equally.  
/* Style Definitions */
Table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
Mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
Mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
Mso-style-noshow:yes;
Mso-style-parent:"";
Mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
Mso-para-margin:0in;
Mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
Mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
Font-size:10.0pt;
Font-family:"Times New Roman";
Mso-ansi-language:#0400;
Mso-fareast-language:#0400;
Mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
D) initially regressive, but over the course of the four years they will become more  progressive.
E) initially progressive but over time will affect everyone equally.

Question 8

The term hung government refers to

A) a situation of divided partisan control of the two houses of Parliament.
B) instances where no party can claim by itself the control of a majority of the seats in Parliament.
C) a situation of extreme partisanship within Parliament.
D) the formal veto power of Parliament to reject legislation promoted by the executive.
E) past instances where the British monarch tried to limit the power of Parliament.

Question 9

As an approach to economic and social policy in the United Kingdom, neoliberalism supports

A) increased social spending.
B) the promotion of market competition and entrepreneurship.
C) government intervention in the economy through the use of nationalized industries.
D) decreased foreign investment to limit Britain's exposure to the forces of globalization.
E)
Normal
0
False
False
False
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
A ll of these.
/* Style Definitions */
Table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
Mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
Mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
Mso-style-noshow:yes;
Mso-style-parent:"";
Mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
Mso-para-margin:0in;
Mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
Mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
Font-size:10.0pt;
Font-family:"Times New Roman";
Mso-ansi-language:#0400;
Mso-fareast-language:#0400;
Mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Question 10

The extension of the right to vote

A) occurred very quickly within a 50-year time period.
B) involved a great deal of violence.
C) inflamed existing rural-urban divisions in the United Kingdom.
D) was done so mainly on the basis of property qualifications.
E) was fully completed by 1900.

Question 11

Great Britain's position as an island has made it less subject to invasion and conquest. It has also had the added effect of

A) complicating matters with the European Union, due to a feeling of separation from mainland Europe.
B) causing Great Britain to practice isolationism for much of its history.
C) causing Great Britain to develop an advanced space program, due to its geographical benefits for space shuttle and rocket launches.
D) causing Great Britain to seek closer relations with mainland Europe to avoid being isolated.
E) making Great Britain one of the strongest supporters of a more powerful European Union to avoid more wars with mainland countries.

Question 12

Social policy in the U today

A) offers greater comprehensive services in comparison to its European neighbors.
B) focuses on training and broader social investment.
C) promotes family-friendly policies that help women balance work and family responsibilities.
D) is characterized by austerity, including recent budget cuts and changes to the National Health Service.
E) emphasizes efficiencies to break welfare dependency.

Question 13

Collectivism is the term applied to the

A) governing philosophy supporting the United Kingdom's participation in the European Union.
B) belief that ordinary citizens should take control over their lives and shift the balance of power downward from the state to communities and individual citizens.
C) support for trade unionism in the United Kingdom.
D) consensus that drove politics in the postwar period and presupposed that the state should take on more responsibility for economic governance and social welfare provisions.
E) consensus that the British government should take control of its defense industries in order to successfully wage war during war time conditions.

Question 14

A state that controls the patterns of alliances and shapes the political developments in countries around the world is called a(n)

A) hegemonic power.
B) superpower.
C) hyperpower.
D) sovereign dominion.
E) imperial power.

Question 15

Margaret Thatcher's leadership as PM marked a critical dividing line in postwar British politics in all of the following ways EXCEPT

A) she served the longest continuous stretch as prime minister in the 20th century.
B) she was the first female prime minister in Western Europe.
C) she was the first British prime minister to win three general elections in a row.
D) she was known for her contentious relationship with British unions.
E) she was known for her close foreign policy relationship with the United States.

Question 16

New Labour's approach to society

A) emphasizes entitlements.
B) re-emphasizes the collectivist consensus, which supported broad and deep state intervention in the economy to promote an egalitarian society.
C) emphasizes that government intervention to foster societal equality was unnecessary and undesirable.
D) supports comprehensive solutions to society's ills and the reduction of the tendency for government to neglect marginalized individuals.
E) led to a significant narrowing of inequality in the United Kingdom.

Question 17

The term United Kingdom refers to

A) England only.
B) England and Scotland only.
C) England, Scotland, and Wales only.
D) England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
E) England, Scotland, Wales, and all of Ireland.

Question 18

According to the authors, which of the following is NOT of interest to the study of British politics today?

A) Britain's laissez-fair approach to economic governance and its ability to sustain economic growth and competitiveness
B) Citizen control over the government and constitutional reform
C) The question of what it means to be British
D) The relevancy of the Westminster model in a world of turbulent political change.
E) Britain's role within the international arena

Question 19

All of the following are TRUE of the Industrial Revolution EXCEPT that it

A) created pressures for the country to become more democratic.
B) decreased the standard of living throughout the United Kingdom.
C) involved the rapid expansion of manufacturing production and technological innovation.
D) squeezed small landowners off the land.
E) allowed Great Britain to become the dominant international power.

Question 20

The Magna Carta was a document that

A) eliminated the monarchy in Great Britain.
B) unified the Scottish and English crowns.
C) established Norman rule throughout the British Isles.
D) resolved Britain's long-standing religious conflict.
E) placed the first formal restrictions on the power of the monarch.

Question 21

All of the following are TRUE of Great Britain's constitution EXCEPT that it

A) is not a single, formal written document.
B) sets up a dual executive with the powers equally shared between the prime minister and the monarchy.
C) is a combination of state law, common law, convention, and authoritative interpretation.
D) dates back to the seventeenth century.
E) All of these are true of Great Britain's constitution.

Question 22

The British judiciary is generally less influential than the U.S. judiciary due to

A) being less competent jurists.
B) a societal emphasis on compromise, resulting in a less litigious society.
C) undue influence from strong prime ministers.
D) the fact that they only meet three months out of the year.
E) a lack of power of judicial review.

Question 23

The political institution that has greatest impact upon policy-making in the United Kingdom is the

A) British civil service.
B) British Parliament.
C) British monarch.
D) European Union.
E) British prime minister and cabinet.

Question 24

The introduction of devolution by Tony Blair's Labour government involved the

A) creation of power-sharing legislative bodies in all geographical areas throughout the United Kingdom.
B) redistribution of formal power to an authority governing London with a directly elected mayor.
C) continuance of the private finance initiative (PFI) to expand the involvement of the private sector within the revitalization of British public services.
D) redistribution of policy-making powers to quangos within the British political system.
E) redeployment of power from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT true about the system of vertical power in the United Kingdom?

A) Historically, no powers were reserved for subnational units of government in the United Kingdom.
B) The Labour Government of Tony Blair introduced reforms that devolved specified powers to legislative bodies in Scotland and Wales.
C) The Labour Government of Tony Blair introduced reforms that granted some specific powers to all major metropolitan areas.
D) The United Kingdom has historically been a unitary rather than a federal state.
E) Regional development agencies were set up to enhance development plans throughout the United Kingdom.

Question 26

Despite the devolved nature of the United Kingdom, Westminster continues to control all of the following policy areas throughout the United states EXCEPT

A) security and defense policy.
B) economic policy.
C) social security.
D) trade policy.
E) justice.

Question 27

Members of the cabinet are

A) chosen by the prime minister, but limited to members of the Commons or the Lords, and practice collective decision making.
B) chosen by the prime minister, but limited to members of the governing party, and have limited responsibilities.
C) chosen by the prime minister, but limited to members of the Commons, and are mainly an advisory board.
D) chosen by the prime minister to reflect a balance between parliamentarians and influential civic and business leaders and are not utilized with any frequency.
E) elected on the same ballot with the prime minister and practice collective responsibility.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about the British police force is NOT correct?

A) Those involved in law enforcement enjoy much popular support.
B) Constitutional tradition traditionally distanced the British police from politics.
C) Beginning in the 1980s, the police came under increasing government control.
D) Since the 1990s, concerns have arisen about police conduct regarding its interrogation techniques.
E) As a result of the 2008 economic downturn, local police forces are being privatized.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT true about the British civil service?

A) Two important positions in ministries are the permanent secretary (responsible for the daily administrative running of the department) and the principal private secretary (liaison between the minister and senior civil servants).
B) There is a concern that the growing importance of special advisors is eroding the impartiality of civil servants.
C) Civil servants in Britain do much of the work of conceptualizing and refining legislation.
D) The size of the civil service has decreased with the ongoing modernization of Whitehall.
E) The majority of people at the top of Britain's ministries are traditional career civil servants.

Question 30

The prime minister is

A) elected by the House of Commons.
B) the leader of the party after a general election who controls a majority of seats in the House of Commons.
C) directly elected by a majority vote of the whole electorate.
D) selected by an electoral college on the basis of votes cast by electors representing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
E) chosen by the monarch.

Question 31

Parliamentary sovereignty means that Parliament

A) has more authority than the executive and judicial branch but not the monarchy.
B) is a separate and equal branch, having a clear set of powers, separate from those given to the prime minister and judiciary.
C) chooses the next king or queen when there is a vacancy due to death, retirement, or abdication.
D) can overturn decrees passed by the European Union legislature.
E) has ultimate authority to make or overturn any law and the prime minister and judiciary cannot overturn Parliament's actions.

Question 32

Cabinet government includes all of the following EXCEPT

A) fusion of powers.
B) supreme control of government.
C) responsibility for policy-making.
D) choosing the next monarch.
E) coordination of government departments.

Question 33

Environmental policy in the United Kingdom

A) is solely promoted by the British Green party.
B) has begun to reflect a cross-party consensus since the 2013 - 2014 floods.
C) prioritizes urban environmental issues over rural ones due to the Coalition Government's urban bias.
D) reflects a tension between a growing desire of British citizens to think green and the country's anti-regulatory bias.
E) supports fracking.

Question 34

Quangos are

A) a pejorative term political opponents use against each other.
B) quasi-nongovernmental organizations that take responsibility for specific functions and combine government and private sector expertise.
C) private enterprises that have taken control over traditionally public-owned entities like the mail service.
D) international companies headquartered in another country.
E) government initiatives to expand private investment in capital projects, like the building of schools and hospitals.

Question 35

Members of ethnic minority groups in the United Kingdom

A) are well integrated.
B) are overwhelmingly under the age of twenty-five.
C) are increasingly foreign-born.
D) used to experience considerable racially motivated criminal attacks, but such attacks have decreased since the 1990s.
E) make up a higher proportion in the managerial and professional ranks than white men.

Question 36

Two constitutionally mandated mechanisms for checking the prime minister are

A) the impeachment process and variable elections.
B) the vote of no confidence and the convention of collective responsibility.
C) the monarch and the House of Lords.
D) question time and the election process.
E) fusion of powers and judicial review.

Question 37

The gender pay gap in the United Kingdom is

A) expected to narrow as the country recovers from the 2008 global economic crisis.
B) narrowing due to the policies promoted by the Coalition Government.
C) expected to widen as public sector cuts increase the number of women in the private sector.
D) widest for part time workers than for full time workers.
E) very low due to the extremely high educational levels of women.

Question 38

According to the text, Great Britain ranks high for foreign direct investment because

A) of its relationship with the European Union.
B) of strong government control of the economy.
C) its geographic location makes it a gateway to the European mainland.
D) its economy is more market-driven and it offers a business-friendly political climate.
E) English is the language most spoken in Great Britain.

Question 39

The House of Commons serves all of the following functions EXCEPT

A) passing laws.
B) providing finances by authorizing taxation.
C) choosing the next monarch.
D) reviewing and scrutinizing public administration and government policy.
E) providing a visible arena for public debate.

Question 40

Before a bill becomes a law, all of the following must occur EXCEPT it must be

A) approved by the House of Commons.
B) read and debated in the House of Lords.
C) sent to the Crown for royal assent.
D) approved by the House of Lords.
E) All of these must occur before a bill becomes a law.

Question 41

The most significant institutional choice facing the United Kingdom since 1707 is

A) the Scottish referendum for independence.
B) the alternative vote referendum.
C) the upcoming referendum concerning the retention of the British monarchy.
D) further House of Lords reform.
E) the establishment of a citizen's right to privacy in the wake of the hacking scandal.

Question 42

The Liberal Democrats became a serious contender in the 2010 election for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A) the country's fatigue with New Labour.
B) Nick Clegg's leadership of the Liberal Democrats.
C) the party's outreach to British voters through their campaign to "Knock on 1 million doors."
D) the general fear among the British electorate about the potential success of radical right parties in the 2010 election.
E) the general concern among the British electorate with the erosion of civil liberties in the United Kingdom.

Question 43

The term backbenchers refers to

A) members of parliament who unseat an incumbent.
B) elderly life peers in the House of Lords.
C) members of the minority party.
D) members of the governing party who have no government office and rank-and-file members of the opposition.
E) the shadow cabinet of the opposition party.

Question 44

The choice of Ed Miliband as the leader of the Labour Party in 2010 marked

A) a continuation of  New Labour policies.
B) the party's adoption of a more progressive ideology without returning to "Old Labour".
C) the party's return to social democracy associated with the Keynesian welfare state and trade unionism.
D) the party's adoption of an even more centrist ideology in order to appeal to Liberal Democrat and moderate Conservative Party voters.
E) a radicalization of the party's ideology moving it to the extreme left.

Question 45

All of the following are TRUE about Britain's two-party system EXCEPT

A) the Conservative and Labour parties routinely divide at least 85 percent of the seats in the House of Commons.
B) from 1945 to 2010, only leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties served as prime ministers.
C) from 1945 to 2005, the Conservative and Labour parties each won eight general elections.
D) since the 1960s, the Liberal Democrats have become an important alternative to Britain's two major parties.
E) despite the dominance of Britain's two major parties, it also has a number of national parties.

Question 46

Normal 0
False
False
False
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
PM David Cameron has sought to expand the special relationship to build closer foreign policy ties with
/* Style Definitions */
Table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
Mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
Mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
Mso-style-noshow:yes;
Mso-style-parent:"";
Mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
Mso-para-margin:0in;
Mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
Mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
Font-size:10.0pt;
Font-family:"Times New Roman";
Mso-ansi-language:#0400;
Mso-fareast-language:#0400;
Mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

A) African countries.
B) the European Union.
C) its former colonies.
D) the United States.
E) its key allies and critical trading partners with special historic ties to the United Kingdom.

Question 47

If it had passed, the 2011 referendum on the "a" vote (alternative vote) system would have established a _______________ voting system in the United Kingdom for its parliamentary elections.

A) proportional representation
B) first-past-the-post
C) multi-member districts
D) rank-ordered preferential
E) two-round majoritarian

Question 48

All of the following have been major influences in the last forty years on British culture EXCEPT

A) feminis.
B) antinuclear activism.
C) class identity.
D) environmentalism.
E) All of these have been major influences.

Question 49

Britain's single-member plurality electoral system tends to

A) exaggerate the scale of victory of the largest party.
B) result in minority or coalition governments.
C) result in a House of Commons that accurately reflects the demographic characteristics (such as race, ethnic identity, and gender) of the populace.
D) keep the combined popular vote for smaller and national parties below 5 percent.
E) all of these.

Question 50

Blair's "doctrine of international community" referred to his

A) close relationship with the U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush.
B) belief in multilateralism.
C) support for the use of military force when necessary to right human rights abuses.
D) support for increased ties between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
E) belief in giving greater power to international organizations, like the United Nations.

Question 51

Which of the following statements about Britain's national parties (the Scottish National Party and the Plaid Cymru) is CORRECT?

A) These national parties dominate the contests in their regions.
B) The biggest competitor for these national parties in their respective regions is the Labour Party.
C) These parties have seen their support erode in favor of the British Green Party.
D) These parties have started to competitively participate in electoral districts outside of their respective regions.
E) The biggest competitor to these parties in their respective regions is the Conservative Party.

Question 52

Which of the following is TRUE of the Conservative Party?

A) Trade unions make up a large part of its party membership.
B) Their main rival is the Liberal Democratic Party.
C) It is considered to be one of the most innovative center-right parties in Europe.
D) It has won the prime minister position more times than any other party from 1945 to 2010.
E) Due to the current world climate, it is focused on economic and security issues, to the detriment of social and environmental issues.

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT true about Muslims in the United Kingdom?

A) Muslims in the United Kingdom are a direct reflection of the country's decolonization process.
B) Muslims in the United Kingdom have experienced police insensitivity, problems accessing the best public housing, and hate crimes.
C) Muslims in the United Kingdom have been increasingly scrutinized since the events of 7/7.
D) Muslims in the United Kingdom are increasingly gaining political office, including the election of dozens of Muslim city councillors around the country.
E) Muslims in the United Kingdom were unaffected by the events of 9/11.

Question 54

Backbencher dissent

A) rarely occurs in Parliament.
B) has occurred more often since the 1970s.
C) occurs only in the House of Lords.
D) often occurred before the 1980s, but has since decreased in frequency.
E) is sparked by the opposition parties towards the governing party(s).

Question 55

The events of 7/7 involved

A) ratifying the European Union constitution.
B) an Act of Parliament to devolve substantial powers to Northern Ireland.
C) opening a dialogue with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
D) a suicide bomber attack by four British Muslims on the London transport system.
E) protests against Blair's decon to send troops to Iraq.

Question 56

In terms of gender and ethnic representation in the British Parliament following the 2010 election, Parliament

A) became less diverse, only seeing an increase of white women in its ranks.
B) saw its numbers of ethnic minority MPs double.
C) became very diverse with its MPs proportionally representing Britain's ethnic and gender divisions for the first time.
D) saw its number of women MPs fall from those elected in 2005.
E) saw the election of its first Asian male MP.

Question 57

All of the following are TRUE of the House of Lords EXCEPT

A) most government policy is initiated here.
B) it can debate, amend, and delay but not block legislation.
C) it includes senior religious leaders from the Church of England.
D) it is made up of a mixture of hereditary peers and life peers.
E) it is increasingly engaging in unruly and inconclusive debate.

Question 58

In Parliament, select committees can hold hearings, take testimony, and question

A) senior civil servants and ministers.
B) the prime minister and 10 Downing Street members.
C) the British monarch.
D) members of Britain's nondepartmental public bodies.
E) all of these.

Question 59

Traditionally, Parliament's terms were

A) fixed, with elections occurring every four years.
B) staggered, so that only one-third was up for election every two years.
C) variable, occurring at least every six years.
D) variable, occurring at least every five years.
E) fixed, with elections occurring every three years.

Question 60

 Which of the following statements BEST describes the role of occupational and social class in Britain's political culture?

A) Worker solidarity is strengthening in spite of the Coalition Government's policy of "being tough on the unions," thus showing the persistence of occupational and social class.
B) Worker solidarity has been consistently attacked by Conservative-led governments since Margaret Thatcher, thus weakening the impact of occupational and social class.
C) The Labour Party has consistently supported labor unions due to the power of these groups to determine party policy, thus maintaining the role of social class.
D) Strike rates in the United Kingdom are well above average in comparison to OECD and EU countries, showing that class remains a significant political cleavage in the country.
E) All of these.

Question 61

Compare and contrast roles of the House of Lords and the House of Commons within the British parliamentary system and their relationship to one another.  Assess the impact that further House of Lords reform could have on Britain's political system generally and on the relationship between these two legislative chambers specifically.

Question 62

Describe how the British 2010 election was significant. Examine the assumption that this was a unique election within the British political system.

Question 63

Describe the political challenges facing the United Kingdom as discussed in your textbook. Rank order these challenges and give your opinion as to which of these is the most pressing challenge for the United Kingdom. Discuss the implications of this challenge for the British political system.

Question 64

Compare and contrast the approach to economic management taken by New Labour, the Conservatives under Thatcher and Major, and the current Coalition Government. Describe the extent these approaches fundamentally differ. Compare and contrast their differences and similarities.

Question 65

Some would argue that Britain's joining the European Union and devolution have fundamentally challenged key principles of British politics such as parliamentary sovereignty and the unitary state. Discuss the merits of such an argument. Draw upon specific examples from the text in your answer.

Question 66

The United Kingdom has usually been described as having a "civic culture."  Explain what is meant by this.  Describe how British political culture may be changing.  Assess the impact of these changes and what they suggest about the endurance of this characterization.

Question 67

How well has Britain adjusted to the realities of a postcolonial multicultural society? Discuss the experiences of ethnic minorities in Britain, noting differences among ethnic minority communities, and evaluate government responses and policies intended to improve the economic and political conditions for ethnic minorities. Explain how the 9/11 and the London bombings of July 2005 transformed the context of multicultural politics in Britain. Please utilize specific examples from the text in your answer.

Question 68

Scholars have often characterized British democracy as being evolutionary. Discuss the historical and institutional bases for this assumption. Evaluate whether or not this assumption still holds true.

Question 69

Describe the key features of the British political system that affect the way power is organized in the state, highlighting any changes that may be occurring to these features.  Assess the argument that a democratic deficit exists within the heart of this political system.

Question 70

Describe the policy-making process in the United Kingdom, highlighting the major actors within this process.  Explain how the policy-making process is being transformed internally and externally.