Deck 6: Legal Structures and Judicial Systems

Question 1

In a parliamentary system of governance, which of the following is NOT true about the prime minister?

A) He or she is a member of parliament.
B) He or she is selected by parliament.
C) He or she can be dismissed by parliament.
D) He or she is elected for a fixed term of office.
E) He or she is the head of government.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In constitutional monarchies, the head of state is

A) the prime minister.
B) elected by voters.
C) unelected.
D) approved by parliament.
E) the most important political actor.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The cabinet in a political system is best understood as

A) part of the legislative branch.
B) a collection of government ministers.
C) a symbolic institution.
D) a committee that meets only in emergencies.
E) an unelected body typically led by the head of states.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The only country in Europe with a U.S.-style presidential system is

A) Poland.
B) France.
C) Finland.
D) Cyprus.
E) Bulgaria.

Question 5

In which type of system is executive and parliamentary power separated?

A) Presidential
B) Parliamentary
C) A supranational one
D) One with proportional representation
E) A constitutional monarchy

Question 6

A vote of no confidence

A) is a means by which a monarch can exercise some political power.
B) can remove the prime minister.
C) can remove the president.
D) can remove either the president or the prime minister.
E) means voters have rejected the government.

Question 7

All of the following are true about presidential systems EXCEPT

A) divided government is possible.
B) there is separation of powers.
C) there are set terms of office.
D) the chief executive is elected by voters.
E) the president can dismiss the prime minister.

Question 8

According to the textbook, which country does NOT have a coalition government?

A) Ireland
B) Greece
C) Sweden
D) Germany
E) Great Britain

Question 9

A minority government

A) is impossible.
B) tends to be more unstable than one with a majority.
C) is possible only in a presidential system.
D) is a common feature in a semi-presidential system.
E) is theoretically possible, but has not yet been created in any European country.

Question 10

When comparing a parliamentary and presidential system, which statement is true?

A) The chief executive in a parliamentary system is more accountable to parliament.
B) The chief executive in a parliamentary system is less accountable to parliament.
C) The level of accountability of chief executives to parliament is about the same.
D) It is easier for voters to remove a prime minister than a president.
E) The presidential system has a less predictable term of office.

Question 11

In a parliamentary system, elections are held

A) every four years.
B) every five years.
C) every six years.
D) only after the term of the parliament is finished.
E) if the prime minister calls for them to be held.

Question 12

From Figure 6.1 in the text, one can conclude that

A) most European governments last less than two years.
B) coalition governments last longer than majoritarian ones.
C) German governments last longer than those in Sweden.
D) the duration of European governments varies widely.
E) coalition governments in Poland have been durable.

Question 13

Compared to the Italian prime minister, the British prime minister typically

A) is weaker.
B) is stronger.
C) has the same amount of power.
D) must rely on support from both houses of Parliament.
E) lasts a relatively short time in office.

Question 14

All of the following might be considered advantages of a presidential system over a parliamentary system EXCEPT

A) it is more stable.
B) its leader is directly elected.
C) there is separation of powers.
D) it is easier to get rid of an unpopular leader.
E) presidents can claim a popular mandate.

Question 15

Divided government

A) makes accountability to voters more problematic.
B) is common in parliamentary systems.
C) means that no party has a majority in parliament.
D) means that there is a coalition government.
E) forces governments to call for early elections.

Question 16

"Cohabitation" is unique to

A) presidential systems.
B) parliamentary systems.
C) semi-presidential systems.
D) countries with a minority government.
E) countries with a coalition government.

Question 17

Data from countries that have democratized since World War II suggest

A) presidential systems perform best of all.
B) parliamentary systems perform best of all.
C) semi-presidential systems perform best of all.
D) all systems of government perform about equally well.
E) presidential systems are more successful economically but are less stable.

Question 18

Semi-presidentialism can be found in

A) Cyprus
B) Germany
C) Spain
D) The Netherlands
E) Poland

Question 19

One could argue that parliamentary systems are superior to presidential systems because

A) parliamentary systems have separation of powers.
B) parliamentary systems offer more choices to voters.
C) parliamentary systems require coalition governments.
D) parliamentary systems do not have "lame duck" leaders.
E) parliamentary systems employ a "winner-takes-all" logic.

Question 20

The example in this chapter of the role played by Vaclav Klaus in ratifying the Lisbon Treaty shows

A) the Czech Republic is best understood as a parliamentary system.
B) the Czech Republic is best understood as a presidential system.
C) the Czech Republic is best understood as a semi-presidential system.
D) Klaus is a stronger backer of the European Union.
E) the Czech presidency is entirely symbolic.

Question 21

Cabinet ministers

A) are appointed by the head of government.
B) check the powers of the prime minister.
C) are elected by voters.
D) have powers that illustrate the "presidentialization" of politics.
E) are the members of parliament responsible for selecting the prime minister.

Question 22

Presidentialization suggests

A) more countries in Europe are adopting presidential systems.
B) presidential systems perform better than parliamentary ones.
C) prime ministers are increasingly gaining power at the expense of parliament.
D) presidents are becoming more powerful than parliaments.
E) prime ministers need to be elected by voters in order to stay in office.

Question 23

One cause of presidentialization is

A) the lack of public trust in prime ministers.
B) the desire to copy from the United States.
C) the role of the media.
D) political decentralization.
E) constitutional changes in many European countries.

Question 24

As used in this chapter, state capacity depends upon

A) the prime minister.
B) the parliament.
C) the president.
D) the military.
E) the bureaucracy.

Question 25

A politicized bureaucracy

A) is more inefficient than a professional one.
B) reflects the partisan composition of the current government.
C) is staffed with career civil servants.
D) has been a goal of reformers in post-communist Europe.
E) is more powerful than a professional one.

Question 26

The head of state and head of government are the same person in a presidential system.

Question 27

Cabinets are a type of institution only found in parliamentary systems.

Question 28

Monarchy in contemporary Europe serves a mostly symbolic role.

Question 29

In the French system of government, there is both a president and a prime minister.

Question 30

According to Duverger's definition of semi-presidentialism, presidents in this type of system are not directly elected by voters.

Question 31

In a parliamentary system, elections can be held at virtually any time.

Question 32

Swedish governments are among the least durable in Europe.

Question 33

Minority governments occur when no single party gets a majority of the seats in parliament.

Question 34

Prime ministers are more accountable to parliament than presidents.

Question 35

Some presidents in Europe have only symbolic powers.

Question 36

Some suggest that a parliamentary system better reflects voters' preferences than a presidential system, even though presidents are directly elected by voters. Why might this be the case?

Question 37

Why is a British prime minister, in terms of institutional power, more powerful than a U.S. president?

Question 38

Some argue the merits of presidential/semi-presidential and parliamentary systems with claims about the efficiency of one type of system vis-à-vis the other. In your view, which one is likely to be more "efficient"?

Question 39

Why might Italy have less durable governments than Sweden or Great Britain? Try to come up with several possible arguments.

Question 40

What are the tensions between a politicized and professional civil service? Do you think that the civil service should be subject to "politicization"?