practice quiz 5 Flashcards
In the United States, electoral college votes are allocated in all but three states (Iowa, Maine and Nebraska) through what kind of system?
winner-take-all.
How many Electoral College votes are needed in order to win the American presidency?
270 votes
Since the majority party that controls the House of Commons determines the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, we label it as a
parliamentary democracy.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why new democracies would choose multiparty parliamentary systems rather than presidential or majoritarian parliamentary systems?
Which delegate to the American Constitutional Convention had the greatest impact on the design of the individual executive?
James Wilson of Pennsylvania
The Council of Ministers includes which of the following?
Answers A, B and C
According to Steiner and Crepaz, which of the following is an advantage to having an independent executive (president):
All of the above
Where is the “real” (governing) power in India?
with the office of the prime minister and his or her Council of Ministers
When Alexander Hamilton made a five-hour speech calling for a strong individual executive with imperial powers including a life term and an absolute veto, he may have been doing what?
shifting the debate away from weak presidential models
Approximately what percentages of vetoed bills are overridden by Congress with a two-third vote?
4 percent
Which of the following is NOT an Indian political party?
All of the above are Indian political parties
_________________ is considered the model for parliamentary democracy around the world.
The United Kingdom
The two dominant parties in the UK are
Conservative and Labour.
The number of Electoral College votes per state is based upon
the number of U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators per state.
The “dual executive” system in the United Kingdom includes:
all of the above
Which of the following is NOT a potential concern about a presidential system, particularly in a newly emerging democracy?
the president may too easily be impeached
Approximately how many civilian federal employees does the president oversee as chief executive?
3 million
As chief diplomat, the president
recognizes foreign governments, makes treaties, and effects executive agreements.
The mechanism that allows the president to veto only certain provisions of a law while signing the rest into law is called:
the line-item veto
What alternative to an individual executive did the framers of the American Constitution consider and reject because of the need to act and react quickly in the arena of foreign affairs?
an executive council
Which of the following served as the first British Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Robert Walpole
This first president of India generated a constitutional crisis in the 1950s by violating the conventions of cabinet government intended by India’s Constituent Assembly.
Rajendra Prasad
The United Kingdom is said to possess _____________ political parties.
disciplined
Which of the following is NOT a Constitutional means by which Congress checks the president’s commander-in-chief powers?
Congress’ authority to appoint ambassadors, ministers and consuls
The British Prime Minister is called “first among equals” because…
All of the above.
The head of government in the United Kingdom is
the prime minister.
British debate on parliamentary systems emerged from the traditional dispute between:
the monarch and parliament
As commander in chief, the president is
the ultimate decision maker in military matters.
These three executive departments were initially responsible for all federal business.
Departments of Treasury, State, and War
The American and French Revolutions signaled to the masses that the only way for government to preserve rights is through ___________.
representation
If the president refuses to sign a bill and Congress adjourns within ten working days after the bill has been submitted to the president, it is called a
pocket veto.
Which branch of government is most associated with individuals that serve as the independently elected head of government or those who serve as the leader of their party and overall government in the national legislature?
executive
What term describes the tendency of members of the prime minister’s party to vote for his/her agenda?
disciplined political parties
Presidential systems are characterized by
an executive branch that is independent from the legislature.
The method by which Electoral College members are selected has evolved since George Washington’s administration. In the modern era, Electoral College members are selected by
the political parties.
Which is NOT true of India’s federal system?
There are four legislative lists of powers.
In the United Kingdom, there is a “symbolic head-of-state” that reinforces the state’s history and traditions. That person…
all of the above
In _____________ systems the leader of the executive branch is elected by the people in a separate election.
presidential
Which of the following is NOT part of the “presidentialization” of the British Prime Minister?
appointment of a “second among equals” analogous to the vice-president
Which best describes the current system in the UK?
The United Kingdom typically has a majoritarian system in which one of two parties wins a majority of legislative seats, but currently is being governed by a coalition government.
The 15th executive department was created after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. It is the…
Department of Homeland Security.
The President is empowered to negotiate treaties with foreign nations. Treaties, however, do not become officially ratified until
ratified by the Senate with a two-thirds vote.
Which of the following describes the legislature’s attempt to step away from legislation they consider destructive, and may also give the public a perception that there is instability in the government?
the “vote of no confidence”
Indefinite terms of office refer to
the way in which the British prime minister can call for elections within a five-year period, serving as long as the people will continue to re-elect his or her party.
What made India’s caste system, which offered few opportunities for economic and social advancement, so difficult to deal with politically?
Social traditions that financially eliminated social progress for millions required more than legal change.
The first president of India generated a constitutional crisis in the 1950s by violating the conventions of cabinet government intended by India’s Constituent Assembly. What law resulted to clarify the situation?
the 42nd Amendment
What mechanism is periodically used in parliamentary systems to remove a prime minister and call for new elections?
vote of no confidence
Which of the following is correct?
The British prime minister can call for parliamentary elections at any point during a five-year period.
As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to
enforce the acts of Congress, treaties signed by the U.S., and judgments of federal courts.
Even though the president is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, only Congress can
declare war.
Which is NOT true of India’s divided executive system?
formal constitutional authority (Article 77) of the executive branch is given to the prime minister
In addition to an Oath of Office, what other oath must the Prime Minister of India take?
an Oath of Secrecy
Alexander Hamilton asserted that presidential pardons can be useful in “seasons of insurrections or rebellions” in this Federalist Paper.
Federalist Paper No. 74
When an elected member of a particular political party is allowed to vote against his own party’s platform/issues that system is said to have _____________ political parties.
undisciplined
