POSC 215
Kesselman, pgs. 78-82, CP10-12
Part II
Elections
True or False Questions
1. The British prime minister is not elected as prime minister but as a member of Parliament from a single constituency (electoral district). True or False
2. The British Parliament has a maximum life of five years that is fixed to assure greater continuity and accountability. True or False
3. The problem for the Lib Dems in the 2010 elections was Nick Clegg, a poorly prepared, boring personality that could not effectively debate let alone articulate clear ideas. True or False
4. A change to proportional representation in the British electoral system is strongly supported by the Labour Party, believing that minor parties are being seriously underrepresented and shortchanged by the current system. True or False
5. Despite the general trend of increased representation of women and minorities, they remain substantially underrepresented in Parliament. True or False
6. In the election of 2010, the Conservatives had a poor showing in Scotland with Labour showing significant strength. True or False
7. Thatcherism considered individual property rights more important than the social rights claimed by all citizens in the welfare state. True or False
8. Both New Labour and the Conservative-led coalition government in Britain have been tough on unions, especially in an environment where many argue a need to cut public spending. True or False
9. Ethnicity, intra-UK territorial attachments, Europeanization, and globalization are complicating national identity in Britain. True or False
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A situation after an election when no single party comprises a majority in the Commons: a)
Polarized Parliament, b) Veto Sanction, c) Hung Parliament, d) Neutered Assembly.
2. What is the average size of a British single constituency (electoral district) as of 2010? a) 68,000 registered voters, b) 155,000 registered voters, c) 357,000 registered voters, d) 1,057,000 registered voters.
3. Traditionally, what is the maximum term of an elected British Parliament? a) 4 years, b) 5 years, c) 6 years, d) unlimited.
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4. In the British system, election to the Commons is based on a winner-take-all system called: a) proportional representation, b) party caucus vote, c) an open primary, d) a) single-member plurality system.
5. A parliamentary system where the number of seats a party receives in the legislature is a consequence of the percentage of votes it received in a national election: a) dual representation, b) proportional representation, c) at-large distribution, d) popular adjustment.
6. Why does a winner-take-all system tend toward stable single-party government? a) it allows minor parties to have a significant voice in government, b) it assures that political parties do not have too much influence, c) it may exaggerate the size of victory of the major party and minimize the influence of lesser, third parties, d) it develops an effective consensus by giving access and a voice to all political parties in the cabinet.
7. In spite of the fact that the Liberal Democrats won roughly two-thirds of the votes received by the
Conservatives in the election of 2010, how many seats did they receive out of the roughly 640 seat
Commons? a) 57 seats, b) 79 seats, c) 159 seats, d) 200 seats.
8. If no candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes, then second-preference votes of the candidate who finished last are redistributed, and the process is continued until a candidate achieves a majority: a) equitable plurality, b) unit rule, c) popular distribution, d) alternative vote.
9. How many ethnic minorities were elected to Parliament in 2010, which was double the number of
2005? a) 15, b) 19, c) 27, d) 38.
10. During the Thatcher era, the traditional values of “an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay” and solidarity among co-workers in industrial disputes were labeled: a) solvency, b) rigidities, c) inefficiencies, d) laziness.
11. What percent of the people who live in Britain are of African, African-Caribbean, or Asian descent? a) 8%, b) 12%, c) 17%, d) 21%
Fill-in Questions
1. What are the negative consequences of a winner-take-all electoral British system? a) It raises questions about representation and _________ because a close second place in a constituency (or district) is simply a _____. b) The system reduces the ________________ of ________ ________, with diffuse pockets of support across the country.
2. The British political scientist Ivor Crewe has referred to the emergence of two two-party systems because of the following: a) Competition between the Conservative and Labour parties dominates contests in English urban and _________ seats, and b) _____________-_______ party competition dominates England’s _______ and southern seats.
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3. What trends in Britain have fragmented the political map and inspired a shift to the right? a) the long years of economic ________ culminated in economic reversals in the standard of living for many Britons. b) the historic bonds of occupational and social ______ grew weaker with union membership dropping. c) a growing number of conservative think tanks and mass-circulation ___________ worked hard to erode support for the welfare state. d) new _______ __________ such as feminism, antinuclear activism, and environmentalism, challenged basic tenets of British political culture.
Answers
True or False Questions
1. True
3. False
5. True
7. True
9. True
Multiple Choice Questions
1. c
3. b
5. b
7. a
9. c
11. a
Fill-in Questions
1. a) fairness, loss, b) competitiveness, smaller parties
3. a) decline, b) class, c) newspapers, d) social movements
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