Unit 2 AP Comp Multiple Choice
One difference between the parliamentary and presidential forms of government is that the presidential form
makes the executive electorally independent of other branches of government
The common law system, especially as practiced in Great Britain, is based on
the use of precedents to guide legal decisions
Which of the following assertions is used by the author to support the claim in the passage?
López Obrador is attempting to control judicial decision making
Which of the following is a feature shared by the political systems of Great Britain and Russia?
Separate individuals serving as head of state and head of government
Which of the following is the most substantial cause of the weak judiciary in Russia?
The executive branch, which appoints judges, uses the courts to target opposition.
The types of motions discussed in the passage are most common only in countries with
parliamentary systems
Which of the following is typically a function of the head of state in a parliamentary system?
Greeting new foreign ambassadors
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of a head of state and a head of government?
A head of state generally serves as the symbolic political representative of the nation, while a head of government is the official responsible for running the government.
Iran and China share which of the following institutional arrangements?
A national assembly with only limited powers to oversee the executive and enact laws
Which of the following explains why a country would choose a parliamentary system over a presidential system?
A parliamentary system does not divide powers among as many branches of government, so it is more efficient.
Which description below most accurately describes Iran's Islamic republic?
A unitary government with a dual executive whose prerogatives and responsibilities are specified in the Constitution
If Mr. Downie's prediction was accurate, which of the following would have been likely to occur?
A vote of no confidence would have been staged and James Callaghan would have been removed from office
Which of the following is a similarity between the political systems of Mexico and Iran?
Both countries have popularly elected presidents.
Which of the following accurately describes a similarity between the parliamentary system of the United Kingdom and the presidential system of Mexico?
Both systems have a cabinet that advises the chief executive.
Which of the following statements is true with regard to the judicial systems in Nigeria and Iran?
Both systems have elements of Shari'ah law incorporated into their judicial systems.
Which answer best describes one of the author's claims in the passage?
Both the president and legislature have democratic legitimacy, but conflicts may arise between the two institutions over policy disputes.
Which of the following is true of a presidential system?
Cabinet members operate more independently of the legislature in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system.
Which of the following institutions most limit the exercise of independent legislative power?
China's Standing Committee of the Politburo and Iran's Guardian Council
For citizens involved in legal disputes with the government in China and the United Kingdom, which of the following best explains the likely outcome?
Citizens in China are less likely to receive a fair trial because the judicial system is governed by rule by law, whereas the United Kingdom's judicial system is governed by rule of law.
Which of the following is a role of the supreme leader and explains why Khamenei has the authority to take the actions described by the authors?
Commander in chief
Which of the following statements accurately compare the parliamentary systems of China and the United Kingdom?
Even though China and the United Kingdom have parliamentary systems, they differ in how they choose their leadership: there is little competition over the selection of China's premier, while the selection of the United Kingdom's prime minister is competitive.
Which of the following best explains different checks that legislatures have on the executive in the United Kingdom and Mexico?
Even though the United Kingdom and Mexico have different types of political systems, in both countries the legislature can be a powerful check on the executive.
Which of the following explains a potentially negative consequence of executive term limits?
Executive term limits can force effective executives out of office
Which of the following is an accurate explanation of an advantage of executive term limits?
Executive term limits can prevent executives from consolidating power.
Which of the following is true of Iran's Supreme Leader?
He has the power to appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council
Which of the following best explains a major source of power for a president in a presidential system?
In addition to serving as head of government, head of state, and commander in chief, a president often appoints people to several positions in all three branches of government.
Which of the following legislative functions is similar in Iran and Russia?
In both countries, the legislature reviews and oversees the budget.
Which of the following most accurately compares the national legislatures of Iran and the United Kingdom?
In both countries, the legislatures approve legislation and oversee the budget.
In comparing the legislatures of the United Kingdom and Mexico, which of the following statements is true?
In both countries, the lower house is popularly elected.
Which of the following sets of contrasts is true for all parliamentary and presidential systems?
In parliamentary systems, the legislative and executive branches are fused, while in presidential systems they are separate.
Which of the following is an accurate description of a difference in the legislative structures of the countries?
In the United Kingdom, the upper house is not elected, while in Nigeria, the upper house is elected.
Which of the following is a potential implication of the "flood the system" strategy discussed by the authors in the passage for Iran's legislative system?
It has the potential to elect more reformers to political office.
Which of the following is true of the bureaucracy in Mexico?
It is a major source of employment within Mexico.
Which of the following is the best description of Great Britain's Fixed-Term Parliaments Act of 2011 ?
It mandates that parliamentary elections must occur every five years starting in 2015
Which of the following caused the British government to establish a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009 ?
It was determined that a permanent legal body be established with jurisdiction to resolve disputes relating to devolution in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Which of the following best describes how judiciaries remain independent from other branches of government?
Judiciaries overrule executive and legislative actions.
Which of the following best describes the authors' evidence that Supreme Leader Khamenei sided with President Ahmadinejad in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election in Iran?
Khamenei used the Revolutionary Guard to preserve the status quo by suppressing protests
The institution in Iran that makes laws related to civil liberties is the
Majles
Which of the following would have been the most effective way to prevent the Callaghan government from falling in a vote of no confidence?
Mr. Callaghan could have worked closer with members of the Labour Party and minor parties to earn support.
According to the Chinese constitution, formal power of governing rests with the
National People's Congress
Which of the following pairs of countries have a parliamentary bicameral system?
Nigeria and Mexico
Russia's prime minister is primarily responsible for which of the following?
Overseeing the civil service
Which of the following is an implication of the author's argument?
Passing laws on policy may be more efficient in parliamentary governments because the legislative and executive branches are fused.
Which of the following is a consequence of the bicameral legislature in both Mexico and the United Kingdom?
Policy making is slowed because both chambers participate in the policy-making process.
Nigeria's head of state is the
President
In the British political system, effective policy- making power rests primarily with the
Prime Minister and cabinet
Which of the following pairs of countries has a bicameral national legislature?
Russia and Britain
In which two countries does the legislative branch have the power of impeachment?
Russia and Nigeria
Which of the following countries have bicameral legislatures?
Russia and Nigeria
Which of the following statements best describes the judiciary in Russia and Nigeria?
Russia's government uses the judicial system to target opposition, and Islamic Sharia Courts have been established in northern Nigeria.
The political institution that exerts the most power in China is the
Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party
Which of the following is an accurate description of the Mexican judiciary?
Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Which of the following statements concerning Mexican and Nigerian politics is most accurate?
Supreme courts in both countries can exercise judicial review.
Which of the following accurately explains an outcome of differing judicial systems among the Comparative Government course countries?
The British judiciary uses common law to enforce rule of law, whereas the Russian judiciary uses the judiciary to target opposition.
Which of the following best explains why, between general elections, the British prime minister is more likely than the president of Mexico to be replaced between general elections?
The British prime minister can be removed by members of Parliament (MPs), while the Mexican president can be removed only by the impeachment process.
Which of the following is a difference between the parliamentary systems of China and the United Kingdom?
The House of Commons features Question Time and gives members the chance to question the prime minister, which does not occur in the National People's Congress.
Which of the following best explains the role of the judiciary in China?
The Chinese judiciary promotes rule by law instead of rule of law, resulting in a judicial system that is subservient to the Communist Party.
Which of the following institutions in Iran has the ultimate authority to assess the compatibility of laws with Islam?
The Guardian Council
Which of the following have veto power over legislation passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) ?
The Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader
Which of the following expresses the role that the Guardian Council plays in Iran's electoral process, according to the passage?
The Guardian Council vets all of the candidates seeking political office in Iran to make sure that all candidates have proper qualifications.
Which of the following describes an accurate difference between executive term limits in Iran and in Mexico?
The Iranian president is limited to two terms, whereas the Mexican president is limited to one term.
. Which of the following are the two most powerful policy-making institutions in Iran?
The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) and the Guardian Council
Which of the following are the two most powerful policy-making institutions in Iran?
The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) and the Guardian Council
Which of the following best explains how power in the National People's Congress is constrained?
The National People's Congress is subservient to the Politburo Standing Committee, which is the actual center of power in China.
Which of the following best explains why many respondents to the poll agreed that the statement "The court system treats everyone fairly" described Nigeria well?
The Nigerian government has made an effort to reduce corruption in the judicial system by protecting the power of judicial review and independence.
Which of the following best describes how the president is removed in Nigeria?
The Nigerian president is removed through impeachment proceedings in the legislature
Which of the following is an accurate description of the executive in Nigeria?
The Nigerian president is the head of state and conducts foreign policy.
Which of the following is a difference between the prime minister of Russia and the prime minister of the United Kingdom?
The Russian prime minister may be removed by the president, while the British prime minister may be removed as a result of a vote of no confidence.
Which of the following is an argument that the authors would make about elections in Iran, based on the passage?
The authors would argue that the role that the Guardian Council plays in the Iranian electoral system prevents elections in Iran from being truly competitive.
. In Russia, the Yukos trial and the subsequent imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky reflected which of the following?
The continued weakening of the rule of law in Russia
Which of the following is a consequence of the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009 ?
The doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty remains intact, which means the Supreme Court has limited powers and cannot overturn parliamentary legislation.
Which of the following best explains why the policy-making process in the United Kingdom is usually more efficient than in Mexico?
The fusion of executive and legislative power in the United Kingdom leads to fewer institutional obstacles to enacting policy, whereas the divided branch powers in Mexico make it more difficult.
Which of the following can be considered a fundamental feature of parliamentary government?
The head of government can be dismissed through a vote of no confidence in the assembly.
Which of the following is an effect of fused executive and legislative branches in parliamentary systems?
The legislature can remove the executive without an impeachment proceeding.
The role of the executive in Nigeria is similar to that of the executive in Mexico in which of the following ways?
The legislature has a constitutional check on the executive.
Which of the following is a check on the executive in both a presidential and a parliamentary system?
The legislature may refuse to pass executive proposed legislation.
Which of the following is true of the cabinet in both Mexico and Nigeria?
The legislature must approve cabinet members nominated by the executive.
Who selects the head of the British government?
The majority party in the House of Commons
Which of the following is a correct explanation of the limited power of the Iranian Majles?
The power of the Majles is limited because the Iranian Constitution created a theocratic state with democratic characteristics, with religious leaders having more power in the system.
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice and other political institutions in Mexico?
The president has the power to appoint or nominate members to the National Supreme Court of Justice.
Which of the following best explains the effect of the president's combined role as both head of state and head of government in countries such as Nigeria and Mexico?
The president is responsible for both executing the laws and representing the state.
Which of the following is often true about semi-presidential systems?
The president usually nominates the prime minister, which implies that the prime minister would support the president's policy agenda.
Russia's constitution provides for a semipresidential system in which of the following ways?
The president's choice for prime minister must be approved by the Duma
Which of the following sets the overall state agenda, serves as commander in chief, and appoints half the Guardian Council and all members of the Expediency Council in Iran?
The supreme leader
Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin gained their political authority and effective political power from which of the following?
Their position as general secretary
Which of the following is an accurate feature of the judiciary in China?
There is no independent judicial review
The primary difference between a commander in chief in a democratic regime and a commander in chief in an authoritarian regime is that only in
a democratic regime is the commander in chief accountable to the citizens
Russia and Nigeria share all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
a parliamentary system
In Iran, the head of the judiciary is
appointed by the Supreme Leader
The political systems of Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia all have
bicameral legislatures based partly on regions and partly on population
In recent years, all of the following reforms have been instituted in China EXCEPT
creation of an independent judiciary
The main duty of China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) is to
draft and passes legislation
The primary purpose of the Question Hour in the British Parliament is to
hold government ministers accountable for their actions
One of the primary functions of Russia's Constitutional Court is to
exercise judicial review
In Great Britain, the title "chancellor of the exchequer" refers to the
finance minister
Parliamentary systems differ from presidential systems in that the head of government in a parliamentary system
is selected by the legislature, while a President is not
The use of judicial review in the United Kingdom is limited because
judicial review is seen as violating the principle of parliamentary sovereignty
One similarity between the Prime Minister of Russia and the Prime Minister of Great Britain is that both
may be removed as a result of votes of no confidence in the lower house of the legislature
In Nigeria, Shari'ah law is part of the legal system in the
northern region
Bureaucrats are best described as
officials who are responsible for the implementation of public policy
In Great Britain, the House of Lords has the power to
postpone the enactment of legislation
Divided government is possible in Mexico because it is a
presidential system
Different political parties can control the legislative and executive branches in Mexico and Nigeria because both countries have
presidential systems
In addition to its basic lawmaking function, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation also has the power to
ratify treaties and approve troop deployments
In Iran, the concept of jurist guardianship states that
senior clerics have authority over the entire community
The power of the Russian prime minister is more limited than the power of the prime minister in the United Kingdom because
the Russian prime minister is limited by a much more powerful head of state
A successful vote of no confidence in a parliamentary system means that
the government steps down and a new government must be formed
Rule of law is stronger in the United Kingdom than it is in Russia because
the judiciary in the United Kingdom is independent, whereas the judiciary in Russia is not
In a parliamentary system, a minimum winning coalition refers to
the smallest number of parties necessary to command a majority in an assembly
