3.2.2.2 The executives: UK prime minister and US president Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. Which statement best describes the UK prime minister's position?

   • A member of the House of Lords who chairs the Cabinet and sets the agenda for both Houses
   • Head of government, normally the leader of the party with a majority, or able to command confidence, in the House of Commons
   • Head of state, appointed by the Monarch for life to represent the nation in all official matters
   • Directly elected by voters nationwide every four years, independently of the House of Commons, and holding a formal veto over all bills

2. Which statement best describes the US president's position?

   • A member of the House of Representatives elected by his colleagues to lead the executive branch
   • Both head of state and head of government, elected separately from Congress for a four-year term
   • Elected by the Senate from among its members for a term of four years, subject to renewal each year
   • Head of state only, with a head of government appointed by the Senate after each presidential election

3. What is the constitutional term limit for a US president?

   • No limit, provided the President is re-elected by the Electoral College in every subsequent term
   • No more than two elected terms under the 22nd Amendment
   • A single five-year term set by the Parliament Acts, which applies to the President and the Prime Minister
   • No more than two full parliamentary terms before standing down, under the Fixed-term Parliaments rules

4. How can a UK prime minister lose office?

   • By being impeached by the House of Lords for misconduct, after a trial in the Supreme Court
   • By losing a national referendum on a single issue chosen by the Monarch for that purpose
   • The PM serves a fixed five-year term and cannot be removed by any vote in Parliament at all
   • If the governing party replaces the leader or the Commons passes a vote of no confidence in the government

5. How can a US president be removed from office?

   • Impeachment by the House followed by a trial in the Senate, with conviction requiring a two-thirds majority
   • Removal by the Supreme Court after a national referendum held in every state on the question
   • Removal by a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives after a committee hearing
   • Removal by a vote of no confidence in the Senate alone, without any formal trial or hearing

6. Which is a key difference in how the executive is staffed in the UK and US?

   • US cabinet secretaries are elected members of the House of Representatives at each general election
   • UK ministers are elected by the public in a separate national ballot held after each general election
   • Both systems require all ministers and secretaries to be serving members of the Supreme Court in their country at the time of appointment
   • US cabinet secretaries require Senate confirmation, whereas most UK ministers are members of Parliament

7. Which describes the presidential veto?

   • The UK Prime Minister can reject legislation passed by the House of Lords with a simple announcement to the House of Commons
   • The UK monarch can reject bills as part of the Prime Minister's executive role after each session
   • The US President can veto a bill only if the Senate has not yet voted on it in committee
   • The President can reject legislation, which Congress can override by a two-thirds majority in both chambers

8. Which factor most strongly constrains a UK prime minister's power?

   • The power of the Senate to approve every ministerial appointment made by the Prime Minister
   • The need to retain the confidence and support of MPs in their own party
   • The need to win a federal election every two years in order to remain in power
   • The Supreme Court's power to dismiss the Prime Minister from office after a judicial review

9. A US president faces a Congress controlled by the opposite party. Which is the most likely consequence?

   • The Supreme Court must pass new laws directly, since Congress is unable to agree on any bill
   • Legislative success may be limited, so the president may rely on executive orders and negotiation
   • The president must resign after the first year, under the rules governing divided government
   • The president can dissolve Congress and call new elections immediately, without any constitutional limit

10. What is a US executive order?

    • A directive issued by the president to federal agencies, which does not need a vote in Congress
    • A law passed by the president alone after a national referendum held in every state
    • A ruling issued by the Supreme Court to the executive on the enforcement of its decisions
    • An instruction issued by the Senate to the President to approve treaties before a fixed deadline set by Congress each session

11. What is the royal prerogative in the UK?

    • Powers that allow the Monarch to override the House of Commons on any matter of government policy
    • Powers held by Parliament that may be used only during a declared war or national emergency
    • Powers held exclusively by the House of Lords over public spending and the appointment of judges
    • Powers formally exercised in the Monarch's name but used in practice by ministers, such as appointing ministers

12. Which is the best evaluation of the claim that the US president is more powerful than the UK prime minister?

    • The claim has merit in formal terms, but the Prime Minister's party discipline in Parliament can give considerable influence
    • The claim is false, since the Prime Minister is elected directly by the public and so has the greater mandate
    • The claim is true in every respect, because the Prime Minister has no power outside the House of Commons
    • The claim can be settled only by comparing the number of executive orders issued by each leader in office

13. Which is an important way in which the US president is less accountable to the legislature than the UK PM?

    • The president is elected by Congress for a fixed four-year term and must resign after any defeat
    • The president cannot be removed by a confidence vote in Congress, so may serve despite legislative opposition
    • The president can be removed by a Commons vote of no confidence, which is held after every budget
    • The president must resign if Congress passes a budget bill that the president has publicly opposed

14. Which is the strongest argument that UK prime ministers are held more accountable to the legislature than US presidents?

    • The PM cannot be questioned by Parliament at all, because the Monarch personally shields the office from every parliamentary scrutiny
    • The PM is subject to more statutory term limits than the president, which the Commons may enforce
    • The PM must maintain confidence in the Commons and answers questions in Parliament regularly, including at PMQs
    • The PM is elected by the public for a longer term than the president, which gives voters greater control

15. Which factor limits a US president's policy-making more than a UK PM's, by design?

    • Party discipline in Congress, which is consistently stronger than discipline in the House of Commons
    • Royal assent, which must be granted to every executive order before it takes effect in the country
    • The fixed election cycle, which requires the president to call an election every year without exception, and to win each time
    • The constitutional separation of powers, which gives Congress independent powers to block or amend legislation

16. Why might the power of a US president depend on political context rather than the Constitution alone?

    • The President's powers are determined entirely by the Supreme Court, which varies them according to each election
    • The President's powers depend only on the number of executive orders issued in a given year
    • The President's powers are fixed in law and cannot change in practice, whatever the political situation
    • Formal powers are set out in the Constitution, but their practical use depends on party control, public support and relations with Congress

17. Which is a key similarity between the UK PM and US president?

    • Both are members of the legislature and cannot be removed from office by any vote or process
    • Both lead the executive and are constrained by institutions, including legislatures, courts and public opinion
    • Both are appointed by the Monarch and cannot be challenged by Parliament or Congress in any way
    • Both are directly elected by the public, and both serve as head of state with fixed terms of office

18. Which statement best describes the UK Cabinet?

    • A group of senior ministers, chosen by the Prime Minister, who collectively run government departments and policy
    • A committee of backbench MPs elected by their party to scrutinise the Prime Minister each week
    • A body of peers from the House of Lords who approve every bill before it reaches the Commons
    • A group of judges elected by the Commons to review the legality of decisions taken by the government

19. Which best describes the role of the US vice-president?

    • Leads the federal judiciary and approves the appointment of every justice to the Supreme Court
    • Presides over the House of Representatives and sets its agenda, with the power to veto bills alone and to appoint judges
    • Presides over the Senate, votes to break ties there, and is ready to succeed the president if needed
    • Chairs the Electoral College and declares the winner of the presidential election each four years

20. Which statement about the UK PM and US president relationship with the courts is accurate?

    • UK prime ministers may be removed by the Supreme Court if a ruling finds their policy to be unlawful
    • US presidents are subject to judicial review by federal courts, which can rule their actions unconstitutional
    • UK prime ministers are subject to the Supreme Court, which can strike down a Prime Minister's policy as unlawful
    • US presidents are immune from all judicial review, since the Constitution gives the President absolute power

Related quizzes

• The constitutional framework of US government Quiz · 3.2.1.1 · 20 questions
• The legislative branch: Congress Quiz · 3.2.1.2 · 20 questions
• The executive branch: sources and constraints of presidential power Quiz · 3.2.1.3.1 · 20 questions
• The executive branch: Imperial versus Imperilled Presidency Quiz · 3.2.1.3.2 · 20 questions
• The judicial branch: selection and role of the Supreme Court Quiz · 3.2.1.4.1 · 20 questions
• The judicial branch: judicial review and landmark rulings Quiz · 3.2.1.4.2 · 20 questions
• The electoral process: candidate selection and electoral outcomes Quiz · 3.2.1.5.1 · 20 questions
• Direct democracy and voting behaviour in the USA Quiz · 3.2.1.5.2 · 20 questions
• Political parties Quiz · 3.2.1.6 · 20 questions
• Pressure groups Quiz · 3.2.1.7 · 20 questions