Deck 5: Democratic Regimes

Question 1

In a parliamentary system, the prime minister serves as:

A)head of state.
B)head of government.
C)both head of state and head of government.
D)neither head of state nor head of government.
E)the final court of appeal.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A semi-presidential system is where a:

A)ceremonial president sits alongside a prime minister.
B)president is both head of state and government.
C)prime minister is both head of state and government.
D)president and prime minister share power.
E)president and monarch share power.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Modern democracy is viewed as a combination of direct and indirect democratic institutions, originally drawn from:

A)France and Britain.
B)Greece and Rome.
C)Athens and Sparta.
D)the United States, Britain, and France.
E)Rome and Britain.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The executive who symbolizes and represents the people is the:

A)head of state.
B)head of government.
C)ceremonial head.
D)chief executive.
E)head of authority.

Question 5

Bicameral systems can be traced back to different representation for:

A)economic classes.
B)religious groups.
C)regional differences.
D)women and men.
E)urban and rural.

Question 6

What is meant by the term liberal democracy?

A)A democratic system that values equality above all.
B)A democratic system that values personal freedom above all.
C)A democratic system that promotes participation, competition, and liberty.
D)A democratic system that promotes process, liberty, and minority rights.
E)A system with a high degree of income redistribution.

Question 7

The ability of constitutional courts to strike down legislation even in the absence of legal cases is known as _________ review.

A)abstract
B)concrete
C)hypothetical
D)preemptive
E)proactive

Question 8

Prime ministers can be removed through which mechanism?

A)Impeachment.
B)Vote of no confidence.
C)Recall.
D)Plebiscite.
E)Initiative.

Question 9

The term democracy is problematic because:

A)in reality, such a thing does not exist.
B)different people use different criteria to define it.
C)it can only be applied to countries in the West.
D)true democracy exists only when there is no state.
E)it really no longer captures how modern political institutions work.

Question 10

An important aspect of political parties is that they:

A)foster democracy by increasing accountability and competition.
B)run the risk of creating a tyranny of the majority and thus must be strictly controlled by law.
C)are more effective when led by charismatic leaders.
D)only exist in democracies.
E)do not play an important political role in poor countries.

Question 11

Bicameralism is often linked to:

A)unitary systems.
B)federalism.
C)first past the post.
D)proportional representation.
E)semi-presidentialism.

Question 12

In a presidential system, the president serves as:

A)head of state.
B)head of government.
C)both head of state and head of government.
D)neither head of state nor head of government.
E)the final court of appeal.

Question 13

A diverse fabric of organizations created by people to help define and advance their own interests is known as:

A)the political web.
B)civil society.
C)the oligarchy.
D)public networks.
E)civic autonomy.

Question 14

The origins of British democracy are traced back to the:

A)Magna Carta, 1215.
B)Bill of Rights, 1689.
C)Voting Act, 1911.
D)Reform Act, 1911.
E)Patronage Act, 1752.

Question 15

The text notes that the modern form of democracy, in which the public participates indirectly through its representatives, is commonly referred to as indirect democracy, or:

A)monarchism.
B)republicanism.
C)liberalism.
D)quasidemocracy.
E)illiberalism.

Question 16

Direct democracy is commonly traced back to:

A)Great Britain.
B)the United States.
C)Athens.
D)Rome.
E)Babylonian Empire.

Question 17

The ability of constitutional courts to strike down legislation is known as:

A)judicial review.
B)court oversight.
C)legal restraint.
D)interpretative authority.
E)authority of law.

Question 18

The executive in charge of dealing with running the state and formulating policy is the:

A)head of state.
B)head of government.
C)ceremonial head.
D)chief executive.
E)head of authority.

Question 19

Republicanism can be defined as:

A)direct participation in politics through public decision making.
B)indirect participation in politics through elected representatives.
C)a political value that believes there is one correct form of democracy.
D)a political value that believes that democracy requires compulsory voting.
E)conservative political values.

Question 20

All of the following are commonly viewed as important sources of democratization EXCEPT:

A)elites.
B)modernization.
C)civil society.
D)geography.
E)culture.

Question 21

The idea of legal institutions to which everyone is subject to exist is known as:

A)the reign of democracy.
B)rule of law.
C)the authority of the governed.
D)majority rule.
E)authority of power.

Question 22

A national vote on a policy issue called by the government is known as a(n):

A)referendum.
B)plebiscite.
C)initiative.
D)voluntary ballot.
E)mass ballot.

Question 23

Those who favor proportional representation typically do so because it:

A)forges tighter connections between voters and their constituents.
B)increases the number of parties.
C)decreases the number of parties.
D)prevents coalition government.
E)helps improve presidential accountability.

Question 24

The electoral system that tends to produce a large number of political parties is:

A)the single-member district system.
B)proportional representation.
C)the single nontransferable vote.
D)the single transferable vote.
E)binomial proportional vote.

Question 25

Proportional representation can be defined as a(n):

A)electoral system in which the candidate with the majority of the vote in a district wins the seat.
B)electoral system in which the candidate with the plurality of the vote in a district wins the seat.
C)electoral system in which the percentage of votes a party receives in a district will determine how many seats that party will win.
D)two-round system for referenda and initiatives.
E)two-round system for electing presidents and prime ministers.

Question 26

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the executive and the electoral system used to elect the legislature?

A)Countries that use a single-member district (SMD) have presidential executives, while those with prime ministers rely on proportional representation (PR).
B)Countries that use SMD have prime ministers, while presidential systems rely on PR.
C)Semi-presidential systems rely on mixed SMD and PR.
D)There is no connection between executives and the kind of electoral system used to elect parliament.
E)Semi-presidential systems use PR to elect both the president and the legislature.

Question 27

Single-member district can be defined as a(n):

A)electoral system in which the candidate with the majority of the vote in a district wins the seat.
B)electoral system in which the candidate with the largest share of the vote in a district wins the seat.
C)electoral system in which the percentage of votes a party receives in a district will determine how many seats that party will win.
D)two-round system for referenda and initiatives.
E)two-round system for electing presidents and prime ministers.

Question 28

Which is a better or more democratic form of leadership-presidents or prime ministers? Why?

Question 29

What are the most important differences between a single-member district and proportional representation? Which is more democratic? Which is more efficient? Which do you prefer and why?

Question 30

Why does civil society matter, and do you think it is in any way connected to the idea of the rule of law? How? Why?

Question 31

Should democracies rely more on initiatives or referenda to decide policy, or are forms of indirect democracy better? Why or why not?

Question 32

Civil liberties refers to the promotion of:

A)equality.
B)freedom.
C)republicanism.
D)mass participation.
E)devolution.

Question 33

Who should be allowed to vote? What should be the voting restrictions on such things as age and citizenship? Should voting be compulsory? Why or why not?

Question 34

A national vote called by the people is known as a(n):

A)referendum.
B)plebiscite.
C)initiative.
D)voluntary ballot.
E)mass ballot.

Question 35

Civil rights refers to the promotion of:

A)equality.
B)freedom.
C)republicanism.
D)mass participation.
E)devolution.