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405 questions in this category · page 24 of 27

• 346. What happens if no single party wins a majority of seats in a general election?

  • A hung parliament may result, potentially leading to a coalition or minority government
  • The election is automatically rerun
  • The monarch chooses the government directly, without consulting party leaders
  • Parliament is dissolved permanently

• 347. What is a coalition government?

  • A government formed by two or more parties working together
  • A government formed entirely by unelected officials
  • A government led solely by the monarch
  • A temporary military administration

• 348. Which of these is an example of a devolved parliamentary election voting system different from Westminster's first past the post?

  • The Additional Member System used for the Scottish Parliament
  • A hereditary system
  • A lottery-based system
  • There is no different voting system used anywhere in the UK

• 349. Which of these best describes the role of the Electoral Commission?

  • Regulating elections and political party funding in the UK
  • Running local councils
  • Prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service
  • Setting interest rates

• 350. Who is legally responsible for ensuring elections in the UK are run fairly at a local level?

  • Returning Officers
  • The Prime Minister
  • The monarch
  • The Speaker of the House of Commons

• 351. What is a 'referendum'?

  • A public vote on a specific question or issue, rather than electing a representative
  • A type of criminal trial
  • A local council meeting
  • A parliamentary committee that meets to discuss a specific question or issue

• 352. Which referendum in 2016 decided that the UK would leave the European Union?

  • The Scottish independence referendum
  • The EU membership referendum, often called 'Brexit'
  • The AV referendum
  • The Good Friday Agreement referendum

• 353. In what year did a referendum ask whether Scotland should become an independent country?

  • 2011
  • 2014
  • 2016
  • 2019

• 354. What was the result of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum?

  • Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom
  • Scotland voted to become independent
  • The result was a tie
  • The referendum was cancelled

• 355. What is the role of the Privy Council in the UK's system of government?

  • A body of senior advisers that formally advises the monarch
  • The main lower chamber of Parliament
  • A criminal court
  • A local government body

• 356. Which of these is a role of the monarch in the UK's constitutional system today?

  • Largely ceremonial, acting on the advice of ministers
  • Setting government policy directly
  • Voting in general elections
  • Sentencing criminal defendants

• 357. What is meant by the term 'constitutional monarchy'?

  • A monarchy whose powers are limited by law and convention
  • A monarchy with unlimited personal power
  • A monarchy elected by the public
  • A monarchy that has been abolished

• 358. Who has the formal power to dissolve Parliament ahead of a general election?

  • The monarch, by convention on the Prime Minister's advice
  • The Speaker of the House of Commons
  • The Leader of the Opposition
  • The Lord Chancellor

• 359. What term describes government ministers who are not senior enough to sit in Cabinet?

  • Junior ministers
  • Shadow ministers
  • Backbenchers only
  • Life peers

• 360. What is a 'backbencher' in the UK Parliament?

  • An MP who does not hold a government or shadow ministerial position
  • A member of the House of Lords only, with no equivalent role in the Commons
  • A civil servant
  • An unelected adviser