Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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. A

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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 3

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

Accepted Answer

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 4

Members of the cabinet are

Accepted Answer

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 5

Backbencher dissent

Accepted Answer

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 6

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

Accepted Answer

The British 2010 election was significan...

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

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 8

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Social policy in the U today

Accepted Answer

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 10

Which of the following is TRUE of the Conservative Party?

Accepted Answer

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 11

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.

Accepted Answer

The term "civic culture" refers to a pol...

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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 13

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

Accepted Answer

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 14

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.

Accepted Answer

The argument that Britain's joining the ...

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

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 16

The term backbenchers refers to

Accepted Answer

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. D

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

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. A

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

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 19

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

Accepted Answer

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 20

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

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 2: Britian

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

Correct AnswerverifiedA

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

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Members of the cabinet are

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Backbencher dissent

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

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe British 2010 election was significan...View AnswerShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Social policy in the U today

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is TRUE of the Conservative Party?

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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.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe term "civic culture" refers to a pol...View AnswerShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe argument that Britain's joining the ...View AnswerShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The term backbenchers refers to

Correct AnswerverifiedD

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

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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The British 2010 election was significan...
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The argument that Britain's joining the ...
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