Test 2-Comparative Governments
True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
1. Dictators usually take power by force.
2. Modern constitutional monarchies generally follow democratic practices.
3. Until the late 1600s, absolute monarchy was the dominant form of government.
4. The number of totalitarian states grew considerably after World War II.
5. Britain’s House of Lords has relatively little power.
6. Britain’s Labour Party supports private enterprise and minimal government intervention.
7. Great Britain is not a member of the European Union.
8. The Authoritarian Government in China is considered to be a Dictatorship.
9. In the 1970’s, the Chinese Government became a Democracy.
10. Huey Long was aiming at running for President before his life was taken in 1935.
11. The Ferguson unrest catipulted out of control this past weekend.
12. In a parliamentary system of government, the voters elect the president directly.
13. In the United States, disagreements along party lines between Congress and the president often lead to “gridlock”
that stalls political action.
14. Many dictators impose democratic rule on their people.
15. The number of democratic states grew considerably after World War II.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
16. What are hereditary rulers with unlimited authority to do as they wish?
a. prime ministers b. dictators c. absolute monarchs d. presidents e. oligarchy’s
17. In a ____ state, the government’s control extends to almost all aspects of people’s lives.
a. democratic b. totalitarian c. unitary d. parliamentary e. all of the above
18. In a ____, the power of the hereditary ruler is limited by a constitution and laws.
a. republic b. absolute monarchy c. representative democracy d. constitutional monarchy e. democracy
19. In which form of government do the executive and legislative functions both reside in an elected assembly?
a. constitutional monarchy b. parliamentary system c. constitutional republic d. totalitarian regime
e. democratic republic
20. In a ____ system of government, power is centralized.
a. constitutional b. parliamentary c. unitary d. devolutionary e. evolutionary
21. What is the British equivalent of our Democratic Party?
a. Labour Party b. House of Lords c. House of Commons d. Conservative Party e. Republican Party
22. ____ are the fundamental rights that belong to every person on Earth.
a. Constitutional rights b. Freedoms c. Liberties d. Human rights e. Freedom of Speech
23. Mary Landrieu has an uphill fight for re-election against
a. Edwin Edwards b. Bill Cassidy c. David Vitter d. Bobby Jindal e. none of the above
24. Britain’s House of ____ is not an elected body and has relatively little power.
a. Commons b. Labour c. Lords d. Conservatives e. Representaves
25. What has controlled the People’s Republic of China since 1949?
a. People’s Party b. dynasties c. Communist Party d. military dictatorship e. Republican Party
26. In ____ regimes, power is held by an individual or group not accountable to the people.
a. absolute b. democratic c. unitary d. both a and e e. authoritarian
27. ____ exercise complete control over a state, usually by relying on the police and military.
a. Dictators b. Prime ministers c. Absolute monarchs d. Presidents e. Oligarchies
28. A ____ is a representative government in which no leaders inherit office.
a. republic b. dictatorship c. constitutional monarchy d. absolute monarchy e. parliamentary system
29. What is the title given to the head of a parliamentary government?
a. president b. governor c. prime minister d. monarch e. none of the above
30. Most democratic countries follow this system of government, modeled by Great Britain.
a. absolute monarchy b. ministerial c. presidential d. parliamentary system e. oligarchy
31. China was once ruled by ____, or families that held power for many generations.
a. dictators b. dynasties c. collectives d. absolute monarchs e. socialism
32. The House of ____ is the main lawmaking body of the British Parliament.
a. Conservatives b. Commons c. Labour d. Lords e. Representatives
33. Louisiana, as it relates to political party, is mostly a
a. Independent State b. Republican State c. Democratic State d. Conservative State e. Liberal State
34. Before the Magna Carta, under what circumstances could a portion of a persons’s property be taken away?
a. if the king wanted it b. if the person had committed a crime that warranted the fine c. if a neighbor wanted it
d. if a merchant wanted it e. none of the above
35. In the year 2000, the largest percentage of government systems throughout the world were ____
a. authoritarian. b. limited democracies. c. monarchies. d. democracies. e. absolute monarchy’s
36. The United States has a democratic type of government, while China is a ____
a. monarchy. b. dictatorship. c. oligarchy. d. constitutional monarchy. e. none of the above
37. In reality, how would you best describe the way Huey Long ruled in Louisiana?
a. like a republic. b. like a dictatorship. c. like a democracy d. like an oligarchy e. like an absolute monarchy
38. In which type of government is it possible to have different political parties?
a. absolute monarchy b. dictatorship c. democracy d. totalitarian regime e. oligarchy
39. In which of the following ways do authoritarian governments differ from democratic governments?
a. selection of leaders b. means of ensuring compliance c. extent of government power d. all of the above
e. none of the above
40. The number of people living under which form of government grew the most between the years 1950 and 2000?
a. authoritarian b. restricted democracy c. monarchy d. democracy e. dictatorship
41. Which of the following statements applies to the parliamentary form of democracy?
a. Executive and legislative functions are united. b. Powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are
separated. c. The president is elected by popular vote. d. The presidents acts as head of government and head of
state. e. None of the Above.
42. Which of the following countries is an example of a present-day totalitarian regime?
a. Mexico b. Soviet Union c. North Korea d. Great Britain e. France
43. Which of the following is an advantage of parliamentary systems?
a. keeps people under control b. more checks and balances c. legislature and executive are independent
d. political opposition banned e. unity between legislature and executive
44. Of the more than 190 countries in the world, approximately how many have democratic governments?
a. one-third b. one-half c. two-thirds d. three-fourths e. one-tenth
45. Fidel Castro of Cuba is an example of a modern-day
a. monarch. b. president. c. prime minister. d. dictator. e. democracy
46. A Realist believes that
a. that Huey Long had a chance to be elected President b. Balanced Budgets c. that democracy should be spread
at all cost. d. the US cannot support a Dictatorship e. the US can support a Dictatorship
47. Which of the following countries is NOT part of the United Kingdom?
a. Wales b. Scotland c. Northern Ireland d. France e. all of the above
48. Great Britain’s great contribution to modern governments around the world was the development of which system
of government?
a. unitary system b. constitutional monarchy c. absolute monarchy d. parliamentary system e. an unbelievable
accent
49. How long may a British prime minister serve in office?
a. 4 years b. 8 years c. for two terms of 10 years each d. There are no limits. e. none of the above.
50. Which party in Great Britain supports private enterprise and minimal government intervention?
a. Conservative Party b. Labour Party c. Liberal Democratic Party d. Republican Party e. Moderate Party
Essay
51. On a separate sheet of loose leaf paper, write a three paragraph essay that explains what opinion you came into
Friday with, the positives and negatives of both sides of the issue, and the outcome your group decided on.