Lesson 3.1.2.2.2

3.1.2.2.2 Elections and referendums: key case-study elections and referendums Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.2.2.2, Elections and referendums: key case-study elections and referendums: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Politics (7152), Unit 1: Government and politics of the UK, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In which general election did Labour win a landslide victory under Tony Blair?

    • 2017
    • 1997
    • 1983
    • 2010

  2. What share of the vote did Labour win in the 1997 general election?

    • About 53 per cent of the vote
    • About 43 per cent of the vote
    • About 31 per cent of the vote
    • About 61 per cent of the vote

  3. What does the 1997 election illustrate about first past the post?

    • Smaller parties always win more seats than the largest party under this system
    • Seats are allocated in exact proportion to each party's national share of the vote
    • A party must win a majority of votes in every constituency to form a government
    • A party can win a large majority of seats with a minority of the vote

  4. Which election before 1997 is often used to illustrate a large landslide with a strong government majority?

    • The 1974 general election, won by the Conservatives under Edward Heath
    • The 1964 general election, won by the Liberals under Jo Grimond
    • The 1945 general election, won by the Conservatives under Winston Churchill
    • The 1983 general election, won by the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher

  5. Which feature of the 1983 general election is most often cited in studies of the electoral system?

    • The Liberal Democrats won more seats than the Conservatives, reversing the result of 1979
    • Turnout was above 90 per cent, which is the highest recorded for a Commons election
    • The Alliance won about a quarter of the vote but far fewer seats, showing a gap between votes
    • Every party won a share of seats in proportion to its national vote, which was unusually fair

  6. What does a hung parliament result in the 2010 general election illustrate?

    • The Conservatives won every seat in the Commons, leaving no room for coalition talks
    • Coalition government became necessary because no single party won an overall majority of Commons seats
    • Labour won an outright majority and formed a government with no need for other parties
    • The Liberal Democrats won a majority by themselves, which gave them full control of the Commons

  7. Which factor is commonly identified as influencing the outcome of general elections?

    • The leadership and personality of party leaders, along with campaign strategy
    • The age of the monarch, which determines which party can form a government
    • The number of peers in the House of Lords, who decide which party wins each seat
    • The number of civil servants employed in each department, which decides the result

  8. Which factor influences voting behaviour in the UK, according to the specification's focus on national data?

    • Changes in the number of peers appointed by each party to the House of Lords
    • Changes in the number of cabinet ministers who attend Commons debates
    • Changes in social class, partisan attachment and issues over time, revealed
    • Changes in the number of Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch each year

  9. Which description best matches the 2011 referendum on the alternative vote?

    • A referendum on Scottish independence held after the Scottish Parliament was established
    • A national referendum in which voters rejected the switch from first past the post to AV
    • A national referendum in which voters agreed to replace first past the post with STV
    • A referendum on whether to join the euro, held across all parts of the UK

  10. What was the outcome of the 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union?

    • A majority of voters, about 70 per cent, voted to join the single currency
    • A majority of voters, about 60 per cent, voted to abolish the House of Lords
    • A majority of voters, about 52 per cent, voted to remain in the EU
    • A majority of voters, about 52 per cent, voted to leave the EU

  11. Which statement about referendums in the UK is most accurate?

    • They are held only in England, and their results apply automatically to Scotland and Wales
    • They are legally binding on Parliament, which must implement any result within six months
    • They are advisory in law and do not bind Parliament, although their political impact can be large
    • They can be called only by the Supreme Court, which decides whether the result applies

  12. Which evaluation best supports the view that referendums can strengthen democratic participation?

    • They remove the need for Parliament to debate any issue of national importance at all
    • They are used only to choose the monarch, and so have no bearing on policy at all
    • They reduce participation because voters rarely take part in a referendum on any issue
    • They allow citizens to decide directly on a major issue, which can increase engagement

  13. Which evaluation best supports the criticism that referendums can oversimplify complex issues?

    • Referendums are always decided by experts who analyse every detail before voters cast a vote
    • Referendums never produce campaigns, so voters receive no information on the issues
    • A yes or no question always captures every nuance of a policy and leaves no room for debate
    • A yes or no question may not capture the nuances of an issue

  14. Which claim best connects the 1997 election with the wider electoral system debate?

    • Its outcome showed how first past the post can produce a large majority, which fuelled arguments
    • Its outcome showed that first past the post always produces results that are perfectly proportional
    • Its outcome proved that no party can form a government under any electoral system
    • Its outcome led to the immediate abolition of the House of Lords by a Commons vote

  15. Which election is used to illustrate a clear discrepancy between votes and seats in UK elections?

    • The 1945 general election, in which all parties won seats in exact proportion to their votes
    • The 1997 general election, in which Labour won seats in exact proportion to its votes
    • The 2010 general election, in which the Liberal Democrats won exactly as many seats as votes
    • The February 1974 general election, where no party won an overall majority

  16. Which argument best supports the view that electoral outcomes reflect campaigns and leadership?

    • Electoral outcomes depend only on the number of constituencies in each region, not the campaign
    • Electoral outcomes depend only on the decisions of the Supreme Court in the year before polling
    • Electoral outcomes depend only on the monarch's personal preference for a single party
    • A leader's popularity and campaign messages can shift votes, which affects how the result is interpreted

  17. What is the significance of the 1975 referendum on UK membership of the European Community?

    • It was the first referendum to introduce proportional representation to the Commons
    • It led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament, which was established soon after
    • It was held only in Scotland and produced a result that rejected membership of the EU
    • It was the first UK-wide referendum

  18. Which evaluation best assesses the use of case-study elections in analysing the UK electoral system?

    • They prove that one electoral system is always fairer than another in every context
    • They show that voting behaviour never changes over time, so earlier elections are irrelevant
    • They demonstrate that electoral systems have no influence on the outcomes of elections
    • They allow detailed analysis of how systems, campaigns

  19. Which feature of the 1997 general election is often cited as evidence of a landslide under first past the post?

    • Labour won exactly the same share of seats as its share of votes across the UK
    • The Conservatives won more seats than Labour in every region of the UK
    • Labour won a majority of votes in every constituency in England and Wales
    • Labour won a large majority of Commons seats, far beyond a majority of the votes cast

  20. Which statement about the 2011 AV referendum is accurate?

    • Voters approved the proposal to replace first past the post with the single transferable vote
    • Voters approved the proposal, and AV was used at the 2015 general election in every constituency
    • The referendum was held only in Scotland, and its result applied only to Scottish seats
    • Voters rejected the proposal to replace first past the post with the alternative vote

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