Chapter 13- Parliaments
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. According to theorists, what happens to political institutions as they become more modern?
A) Their infrastructures crumble under labyrinthine bureaucracy.
B) They become more specialized, complex, and differentiated.
C) They grow broader in scope and focus.
D) They establish a militaristic presence and harsh economic policies.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
4. Which of the following terms is defined as the post-feudal concentration of power in a monarch?
A) Absolutism
B) Totalitarianism
C) Teetotalism
D) Monarchy
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
5. Which of the following statements best defines feudalism?
A) A political structure in which power is dispersed evenly.
B) A system of political power dispersed among layers.
C) A political structure in which power rests with church leaders.
D) A system of political power distributed to the working class.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
6. By the seventeenth century, Parliament considered itself coequal with the monarch and even
supreme in what area of rule?
A) Taxes
B) War
C) Law
D) Welfare
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
7. The English Civil War erupted between which two political forces?
A) Monarchists and democrats
B) Democrats and parliamentarians
C) Parliamentarians and royalists
D) Loyalists and separatists
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
8. English philosopher John Locke extolled the power of which governing branch as the most basic
and important?
A) Executive
B) Judicial
C) Legislative
D) Parliamentary
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
9. Countries with limits on government have usually had feudal pasts, which suggests what about the
dispersion of power?
A) Equal distribution of power is the only effective political structure.
B) Power must be distributed by the working class.
C) Power should be concentrated among the lower classes.
D) Dispersion of power is good and concentration of power is bad.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Analyze It
10. Why do the responsibilities of legislative and executive powers often overlap?
A) Separation of powers is rarely clear-cut.
B) Separation of powers is rare among industrialized nations.
C) Separation of powers is absolute.
D) Separation of powers grants obtuse levels of power to the executive branch.
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 230
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Analyze It
11. Which systems demonstrate the clearest separation of power between the executive and
legislative branches?
A) Parliamentary
B) Presidential
C) Monarchies
D) Ministerial
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 230
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
12. How often does the cabinet change in a parliamentary system?
A) Every four years
B) Every six years
C) Every eight years
D) When the cabinet is voted out or resigns
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
14. In a parliamentary system, voters directly elect __________.
A) members of parliament and the prime minister
B) members of parliament and the ministerial cabinet
C) members of parliament only
D) the prime minister only
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 230
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
15. Voters receive the most direct representation in which system?
A) Parliamentary
B) Presidential
C) Electoral
D) Coalition
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.2 (Figure 13.1)
Page Reference: 230
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
16. Because of the separation of powers inherent in a presidential system, some scholars think that
executive-legislative __________is common in systems like that used in the United States.
A) cooperation
B) stagnation
C) deadlock
D) insolvency
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.2 (Figure 13.1)
Page Reference: 232
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
17. What is the effect of “divided” government, such as that used in the United States, on spending
and policy formation?
A) It encourages unhealthy spending and foolish policies.
B) It holds down spending and foolish policies.
C) It encourages irresponsible spending because representatives are held accountable for only a short
amount of time.
D) It encourages responsible spending, but is slow to implement policy.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 232
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
18. Which of the following terms identifies a primary danger to multiparty systems?
A) Ombudsman
B) Gridlock
C) Stalemate
D) Immobilism
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
19. Which of the following is a possible advantage of parliamentary systems as compared to
presidential systems?
A) Parliamentary cabinets are held directly accountable to voters, and thus work closely with the
legislature.
B) Because the prime minister is held directly accountable to voters via approval ratings,
parliamentary systems are more likely to pass legislature quickly and effectively.
C) Presidents often become involved in scandals, trapping their administrations in bureaucratic
quagmire and slowing legislature.
D) Parliamentary cabinets can be quickly overturned, and thus, such systems can avoid the paralysis
experienced in many presidential systems.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 233
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Analyze It
20. Interpret the reason behind the swift passage of laws between Britain’s cabinet and the House of
Commons.
A) New laws move between the House of Commons and the House of Lords without electoral delay.
B) The House of Commons consists only of the cabinet’s party, which is always loyal to the prime
minister.
C) The cabinet passes new laws to the House of Commons, where the prime minister’s party holds a
majority.
D) The prime minister uses “whip” tactics to maintain party coherence in the House of Commons.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Analyze It
21. The United States parliament consists of two chambers, the __________ and the __________.
A) executive; legislative
B) Senate; House of Representatives
C) president; Supreme Court
D) president; Congress
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
24. New Zealanders, Danes, and Swedes—all with __________ systems—concluded that their upper
houses served no purpose and abolished them in recent decades.
A) two-party
B) unitary
C) bicameral
D) supervisory
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
25. South Africa once had a three-chambered parliament, including __________.
A) aristocrats, commoners and working-class people
B) indigenous people, whites and immigrants
C) West Africans, sub-Saharan people, and Arabs
D) whites, mixed-race peoples, and East Indians
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
26. Within a unitary system, how useful is an upper house?
A) The upper house is absolutely necessary.
B) Its utility waxes and wanes according to power distribution.
C) It is less necessary than the lower house.
D) Its usefulness is unclear.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
27. Assess the role of Britain’s House of Lords.
A) The primary house in Britain’s parliament, they are the architects of most new laws in the United
Kingdom.
B) Holding similar weight as the House of Commons, they pass legislature in coordination with one
another.
C) A revisionary body, they rewrite laws vetoed by the prime minister.
D) Mostly an elderly debating society, they sometimes catch errors in laws that are passed too
quickly.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
28. Under the Unites States Constitution, the Senate represents __________ while the House
represents __________.
A) the states; the people
B) federal interests; local ones
C) foreign issues; domestic ones
D) the president abroad; his interests at home
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
30. Examine the power relationship between Britain’s House of Commons and the House of Lords.
A) The House of Lords is the upper house and thus determines most of the country’s foreign policy.
The House of Commons deal with domestic affairs.
B) The House of Commons overrides any objection from the House of Lords with a simple majority
vote.
C) The House of Lords is the more powerful branch drafting the majority of legislature and
overriding weak legislating by the House of Commons.
D) The House of Commons works with the prime minister, who uses a “whip” system to maintain
coherence in the House of Lords.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Analyze It
31. What sorts of bills do individual legislators create?
A) Individual legislators draft most important legislation, including immigration reform.
B) Most individual legislators focus on major legislation benefiting their party’s interests.
C) Individual legislators draft minor legislation, such as tax breaks for constituents.
D) Few individual legislators deal with minor legislation, such as smoking bans.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
32. Virtually every legislature has a number of standing or permanent committees and may from time
to time create special __________ committees to study urgent matters.
A) emergency
B) crisis
C) disaster
D) ad hoc
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 236
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
35. The main purpose of legislative bodies, in theory, is to formulate laws. This, however, varies
among political systems and is generally __________.
A) increasing
B) stagnating
C) declining
D) inflating
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 236
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
36. Often lawmakers are so busy with __________ casework that they pay little attention to making
laws.
A) constituency
B) environmental
C) congressional
D) commercial
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 237
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
37. Assess the role of most modern legislators.
A) Due to strict changes in the process, modern legislators focus solely on lawmaking.
B) Because of increased advertising costs, many legislators spend most of their time raising funds for
upcoming elections.
C) Modern legislators function as ombudsmen, intervening with government on behalf of constituent
complaints.
D) Legislators work on contract, accepting campaign donations on behalf of legal causes.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 237
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
38. Identify three major criticisms both parties have leveled against the Obama administration.
A) Over-spending, bailing out financial institutions, and complex healthcare reform
B) Lax immigration policies, weak drug control, and failed national security policies
C) Strict gun control laws, feeble immigration policies, and harsh healthcare mandates
D) Frail drug policies, a weak handle on the terrorism threat, and ignorance of LGBTQ rights
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
40. Examine the psychological effect of apartheid legislature on South Africa’s racial majority.
A) Black South Africans felt underrepresented, as the drafting legislature included less than 10 black
African representatives.
B) Created by a whites-only majority, black South Africans did not feel represented.
C) Black South Africans accepted the laws, feeling powerless to affect change.
D) Because the legislature passed in South Africa’s lower house, most black people begrudgingly
accepted it.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Analyze It
42. The average annual number of filibusters in the U.S. Senate has __________ since 1981.
A) greatly increased
B) slightly increased
C) greatly decreased
D) fluctuated widely
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
43. Projects that bring improvements to or spend money in a representative’s district are called
__________.
A) pork barrel
B) log rolling
C) whip projects
D) flood control
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
44. Which of the following is an effect of Congress’s fragmentation into committees and
subcommittees?
A) It hastens argumentation.
B) It creates interparty splits.
C) It allows representatives to ignore constituents.
D) It delays agreement.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
47. Contrary to Locke’s expectations, nineteenth-century legislatures __________.
A) lost power to the executive
B) gained power over the executive
C) stripped power from the executive
D) maintained a cooperative relationship with the executive
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
48. Due to its near-feudal dispersion of power with weaker party discipline and its tendency to
deadlock, the U.S. legislature is considered highly __________.
A) utilitarian
B) domineering
C) efficacious
D) inefficient
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
49. Assess Vladimir Putin’s handling of the deadlock between the Russian Duma and the executive
branch under Boris Yeltsin.
A) Under the auspices of the Unity Party, Putin seized power and now rules Russia under a one-party
system.
B) Putin spearheaded reforms under the National Party of the Left, which allowed parties in the
Duma to more swiftly compromise.
C) Putin founded his own party, which controls two-thirds of the Duma, but Russia is no longer a
democracy.
D) Putin led the ouster of Yeltsin’s administration, making way for faster legislation and a more
democratic Russia.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 242
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Analyze It
50. Evaluate the impact of absentee voting in the legislature.
A) It may indicate that the system has grown overly labyrinthine and is in need of change.
B) Absentee voting has little effect on legislative outcomes, as members who miss have no stake in
the legislation being voted on.
C) It almost certainly indicates that the legislator is misrepresenting his constituents and misusing
taxpayer funds.
D) It may indicate that the legislator is busy doing other important things, but may also indicate just
plain laziness.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 241-242
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Analyze It
TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
51. During the Age of Enlightenment, French philosopher René DesCartes declared that liberty could
be secured only if government were divided into four distinct branches, with the ability to check and
balance each other.
Answer: FALSE
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
52. The French Estates General, with three houses (for nobles, clerics, and commoners), was the first
successful example of parliamentary checks and balances.
Answer: FALSE
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
53. Cabinet and government, terms used interchangeably, are what Americans call an
“administration.”
Answer: TRUE
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
54. The United States takes great pride in its fusion of powers.
Answer: FALSE
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
56. Most parliaments use a unicameral system, with fewer parliaments worldwide implementing
bicameral systems.
Answer: FALSE
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
57. Since African Americans vote in considerable numbers, representatives in the U.S. South take
care not to offend them.
Answer: TRUE
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
58. Assignment to the more prestigious of Congressional committees, such as the House Ways and
Means Committee or Armed Services Committee, is frequently damaging to representatives’ careers,
and thus, they tend to avoid these assignments.
Answer: FALSE
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 236
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
59. In parliamentary systems, particularly those in Europe, party discipline is strong and legislators
obey party whips.
Answer: TRUE
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
60. The European parliaments really are more rational and efficient than the U.S. Congress, but they
are also less powerful and less interesting. Efficiency has led to atrophy.
Answer: TRUE
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK
61. In Britain, Sweden, and some other European countries, legislatures slowly grew in power and
were able to resist monarchs’ __________ demands.
Answer: Absolutist
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
62. __________ systems most clearly show the separation of power between the executive and
legislative branches.
Answer: Presidential
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 230
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
63. Within parliamentary systems, if no one party has a majority of seats, two or more parties must
form a __________.
Answer: coalition
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
64. The United States Founding Fathers insisted on “checks and balances,” otherwise known as
___________.
Answer: separation of powers
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
65. Members of Parliament with no executive responsibilities sit behind the cabinets and are called
__________.
Answer: backbenchers
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
66. Like some two-thirds of parliaments around the world, the French __________ maintains a
bicameral legislature.
Answer: National Assembly
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
67. One good way to study something is to see how it changes over time, or a __________ study.
Answer: longitudinal
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 235
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
68. In Britain, the __________ allows members of Parliament to grill ministers, sometimes with
devastating results.
Answer: Question Hour
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 237
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
69. In Democratic parliaments, once a bill reports favorably out of committee it goes to __________,
where it needs a majority vote to pass.
Answer: the floor
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 235-236
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
70. For better or worse, a __________ age has shifted power away from legislatures.
Answer: high-tech
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 238
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
71. Explain the development of feudalism and the “balance of powers.”
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229-230
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
72. Differentiate between presidential and parliamentary systems.
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 230-231
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
73. Describe the benefits and pitfalls of bicameral and unicameral legislatures.
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234-235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
74. Evaluate the work of today’s legislators. To what extent are they responsible for creating laws?
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 235-238
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Analyze It
75. Analyze the decline of parliamentary power.
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 238-239
A-Head: The Decline of Legislatures
Skill Level: Analyze It
ESSAY QUESTIONS
76. Examine the origins of parliaments by comparing feudalism and absolutism. How did one develop into the
other and what effect has that system had on today’s separation of powers?
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Define feudalism as a system of political power dispersed among layers.
2. Explain how feudalism leads to “balance of power” by separating powers and thus establishing checks and
balances.
3. Compare feudalism to absolutism, under which power was centralized under a single monarch or ruler.
4. Describe the effect separation of powers has on today’s governments, explaining that it prevents corruption
and assures equal representation in parliamentary and presidential systems around the world.
Learning Objective: 13.1
Page Reference: 229-230
A-Head: The Origins of Parliaments
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
77. Compare and contrast presidential and parliamentary systems. How are they similar? In what ways are
they disparate? Evaluate each system using specific examples.
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Define presidential systems as those systems that combine the offices of head of state with chief of
government, elected by the people; parliamentary systems should be defined as systems in which the head of
state (figurehead monarch or weak president) is an office distinct from the chief of government (prime
minister).
2. Differentiate between the two, stating presidential systems most clearly demonstrate separation of powers.
3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each system, making a strong claim regarding the most efficient
and/or fairest representative system.
4. Cite specific examples, including the United States president and Congress, the United Kingdom’s
parliament and cabinet, the Swedish Riksdag, or various other systems.
Learning Objective: 13.2
Page Reference: 230-234
A-Head: Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
78. Differentiate between bicameral and unicameral systems, evaluating the benefits and detriments to each.
Overall, which seems like the most effective legislative system? Provide examples from your text.
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Define bicameral legislation as legislation with two separate houses (an upper house and a lower house) and
unicameral legislation as legislation with only a single representative body.
2. Evaluate the benefits and detriments of each system, stating that bicameral systems represent the people by
state and by population. Students may also note the ambiguous utility of unitary systems.
3. Using the evaluation above (criteria 2), generate a keen assessment of each system’s effectiveness. Student
may privilege bicameral legislation, unicameral legislation, state that they are about the same, or that neither is
an effective method of representation.
4. Cite specific examples, including bicameral legislatures (United States Congress, French National
Assembly, or German Bundestag) and unicameral ones (China’s National Peoples Congress, Sweden’s
Riksdag or Israel’s Knesset).
Learning Objective: 13.3
Page Reference: 234-235
A-Head: Bicameral or Unicameral?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
79. Examine the committee system. How do committees function to create laws? What other roles do
committees play in the process of legislative representation? Assess the advantages and disadvantages of these
roles.
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Explain that committee members author and vote on new legislation by proposing bills, ratifying
constitutional amendments, ratifying treaties, controlling tax revenues, and scrutinizing government activities.
2. Note that today’s legislators often play other roles, primarily constituency work.
3. Examine the changing role of congressional representatives, evaluating whether or not this is a positive
change.
4. Cite specific examples, such as the U.S. House or Senate, or Britain’s House of Commons.
Learning Objective: 13.4
Page Reference: 235-238
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Analyze It
80. Investigate the decline of legislatures from the late nineteenth century to the present. How has legislative
power declined and where is that power currently centralized? What changes, social or otherwise, influenced
that shift? Does this shift enforce or disrupt the balance of powers?
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Explain that legislatures have declined in favor of executive power.
2. Note that this change occurred largely due to changes in technology, particularly television, which have
allowed the public to focus on and critique the executive branch with a higher degree of scrutiny.
3. Describe the effect of pork barreling, logrolling, overspending, and absentee voting on decreased legislative
power.
4. Evaluate this shift, arguing either that it enforces the balance of powers or disrupts it by doling more power
to the executive branch.
Learning Objective: 13.5
Page Reference: 238-243
A-Head: What Legislatures Do
Skill Level: Analyze It