Question 1

Blair's decision to support the U.S. administration in the war on terror was based on all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   his belief in the threats of weapons of mass destruction, Al Qaeda terrorism, and rogue states.
B)   his conviction that humanitarian intervention would save Iraqi Muslims from dire human rights abuses.
C)   an understanding that Britain's special relationship required the UK to support the U.S. war in Iraq.
D)   a fear that if the United States were left to fight the war alone that unilateralist forces in the United States would be strengthened.
E)   his fears about the allegiance of British Muslims following 9/11. E

Question 2

The prime minister is

Accepted Answer

A)   elected by the House of Commons.
B)   the leader of the party after a general election who controls a majority of seats in the House of Commons.
C)   directly elected by majority vote of the whole electorate.
D)   determined after a general election by an electoral college on the basis of votes cast by electors representing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
E)   chosen by the monarch. B

Question 3

The House of Commons serves all of the following functions EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   passing laws.
B)   providing finances by authorizing taxation.
C)   choosing the next monarch.
D)   reviewing and scrutinizing public administration and government policy.
E)   providing a visible arena for public debate. C

Question 4

Compare and contrast the approach to economic management taken by New Labour, the Conservatives under Thatcher and Major, and the current coalition government. To what extent do these fundamentally differ? What explains the differences and similarities?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the approach to economic...

Question 5

The term two-party system is applied to the UK for all the following reasons EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   from 1945 to 2010, only leaders of the Conservative or the Labour Party served as prime ministers.
B)   Conservative or Labour candidates come in first or second in virtually every parliamentary contest throughout the UK.
C)   since 1945, the Conservative and Labour parties have routinely divided at least 85 percent of the seats in the Commons.
D)   between 1945 and 2005, the Conservative and Labour parties have won roughly the same number of general elections.
E)   only two political parties are allowed under British law.

Question 6

The Napoleonic Wars had which of the following consequences?

Accepted Answer

A)   They confirmed Britain's preeminence and set the stage for free international trade.
B)   They marked the end of Great Britain as a power on the European continent.
C)   They marked the rise of France as the preeminent European power.
D)   They led to the Louisiana Purchase by the United States.
E)   They were so costly to Great Britain that they lost most of their colonies.

Question 7

The Magna Carta was a document that

Accepted Answer

A)   eliminated the monarchy in Great Britain.
B)   unified the Scottish and English crowns.
C)   established Norman rule throughout the British Isles.
D)   created Great Britain's current constitution establishing a prime minister, Parliament, and the current legal system.
E)   placed the first restrictions against absolute power by the monarch.

Question 8

Under Gordon Brown, New Labour's economic policies included

Accepted Answer

A)   a focus on a well-educated, well-trained work force that can be competitive in the global economy.
B)   widespread privatization of key industries.
C)   high taxes to pay for increased social services.
D)   renewed relationships with former colonies to stimulate trade.
E)   all of the above.

Question 9

New Labour may be characterized as

Accepted Answer

A)   a new party that emerged under Prime Minister Tony Blair's leadership, after the centrist members broke away from the Labour Party.
B)   a "third-way" alternative to the collectivism of traditional Labour Party politics and Thatcherism.
C)   an appeal to workers in the high technology and the "new economy" associated with the Internet-based sectors.
D)   a reorientation of the Labour Party to commit itself more fully and comprehensively to the needs of all working people in the UK.
E)   the resurgence of labor unions after Margaret Thatcher's efforts to curb their influence.

Question 10

Gordon Brown signaled a departure from the foreign policy of Tony Blair by

Accepted Answer

A)   immediately withdrawing all British troops from Iraq.
B)   appointing ministers who had been publicly critical of the invasion of Iraq.
C)   withdrawing from NATO.
D)   opening a dialogue with al-Qaeda.
E)   joining the euro zone.

Question 11

The events of 7/7 involved

Accepted Answer

A)   ratifying the European Union constitution.
B)   an Act of Parliament to devolve substantial powers to Northern Ireland.
C)   opening a dialogue with Al-Qaeda.
D)   a suicide bomber attack by 4 British Muslims on the London underground.
E)   Blair's decision to send troops to Iraq.

Question 12

All of the following were elements of Margaret Thatcher's governing agenda EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   cutting taxes.
B)   working cooperatively with trade unions to enhance British competitiveness.
C)   using government policy to increase efficiency in the private sector.
D)   reducing social service expenditures where possible.
E)   traditional cultural values.

Question 13

The introduction of devolution by Tony Blair's Labour government involved the

Accepted Answer

A)   creation of power-sharing legislative bodies in all geographical areas throughout the UK.
B)   redistribution of formal power to an authority governing London with a directly elected mayor.
C)   continuance of the private finance initiative (PFI)  to expand the involvement of the private sector within the revitalization of British public services.
D)   redistribution of policy-making powers to quangos within the British political system.
E)   redeployment of power from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

Question 14

Universal suffrage for both men and women above the age of 21 was achieved in the UK in

Accepted Answer

A)   1832.
B)   1884.
C)   1918.
D)   1922.
E)   1928.

Question 15

Social policy in the UK 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 16

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 17

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 18

Devolution has

Accepted Answer

A)   led to the creation of a federal state within the United Kingdom.
B)   had little impact upon the UK's unitary state.
C)   been constrained by the UK's participation within the EU.
D)   led to the uneven distribution of power between the UK's various regions.
E)   been recently reversed by legislation passed by the current coalition government.

Question 19

Electoral reforms introduced by the coalition government will

Accepted Answer

A)   make positions in the House of Lords fully elected.
B)   make the position of prime minister a directly elected position.
C)   stagger elections for the House of Commons, so that only one-third is up for election at any one time.
D)   establish fixed terms of four years for the regional assemblies.
E)   establish a fixed term of five years for House of Commons members subject to dissolution by a majority of MPs.

Question 20

Given the questions about representation and fairness that single-member plurality raises, the Liberal Democrats has forced the coalition government to consider changing the electoral system to

Accepted Answer

A)   proportional representation.
B)   a winner-take-all electoral system.
C)   multi-member districts.
D)   the Alternative Vote.
E)   a majoritarian system.

Exam 2: Britain