Statistics for Edexcel Politics 10. Comparative Approaches

Click here to take the quiz!

General Stats

  • This quiz has been taken 21 times
  • The average score is 14 of 20

Answer Stats

Question or TermAnswer% Correct
That which is differentiated between the US and UK in that the former is codified and entrenched while the latter is uncodified and not entrenchedConstitution
100%
That UK Act which best demonstrates the differing relationships between the chambers of Congress and the two Houses of Parliament1949 Parliament Act
0%
The percentage difference between voting percentages for each party in the US and their subsequent representation in the House of representatives, having increase by 2% since the 2010 reapportionment6%
0%
Those two roles regarding law held in the UK by three officials none of whom are part of the judiciary, all instead being part of the executive and legislature, namely; the dual office of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Attorney General, and their subordinate the Solicitor General, alphabeticallyAdvise and Oversight
0%
Briefs to the court by individuals or groups trying to influence the court in reaching its decision, being one of the most common methods of pressure group activity in the USAmicus Curiae Briefs
0%
Those two types of legislation that the US' 'American Civil Liberties Union' and UK's 'Liberty' have focused much of their effort against, alphabeticallyAnti-terrorist and National Security Legislation
0%
That which the Prime Minister can make that the President cannot such as the Chairman of the BBC, Anglican Bishops (subject to church and crown involvement), chairs of certain committees and life peers (both subject to commission approval), etc.Appointments
0%
That process which is different between the US and UK in that when such in the former is submitted by the President with the help of the Office for Management and Budget, it goes through months of protracted negotiations with Congress, while in the latter, it is usually 'rubber stamped' by ParliamentBudgetary Process
0%
That Supreme Court case the aftermath of which saw accusations of partisanship and a lack of judicial neutrality and independence as a result of the presence of conflicts of interest, the fact that both majority and dissenting justices ruled inconsistently with their past voting records, while also drawing up their opinions before oral arguments even beganBush v Gore
0%
That body in the US which is differentiated from its UK counterpart in that members; cannot be part of another branch of government, require Senate confirmation, meet irregularly at the whim of the President to whom they are subordinate, are mostly policy-specialists and strangers to the President whom they rarely see, and there is not collective responsibilityCabinet
0%
That body which is different in the UK from the US as the members of the former are vested with real administrative power and authority, making them difficult for a Prime Minister to oppose, especially when unitedCabinet
0%
That which differs in the US and UK as in the former the powers of the branches of government are diffused, often leading to gridlock, while in the latter it is concentrated in a usually majority government that can dominate ParliamentChecks and Balances
0%
Those which in the US are differentiated from those in the UK in that they are entrenched in the Constitution and Bill of Rights as well as some later amendmentsCivil Rights
0%
That which in the US have not always been effectively protected by constitutional provisions, laws, amendments, and rulings as such measures have not always been implemented effectively (i.e. not prosecuting Southern lynch mobs), have sometimes infringed on others' rights (affirmative action), or have not gone far enoughCivil Rights
0%
That which is differentiated from Parliament in that there is; no government legislative programme, less party discipline, many more bills are introduced - many by individual members -, few bills pass, the committee stage is earlier with standing committees being permanent and policy specialist, bills are considered concurrently by both chambers which have equal powers and are elected, and the head of state has significant veto power of itCongress
0%
Those two bodies which are similar in that they are both bicameral with the houses sometimes being controlled by different parties to each other or the executive, they both engage in legislating and oversight, do much work through committees (oversight via standing committees in the US and select committees in the UK) and are elected via first past the post, alphabeticallyCongress and Parliament
0%
Those bodies the functions of which are differentiated in that in the former elections are much more regular and constituents are responsible for candidate selection while in the latter this second role is performed by the partiesCongress and Parliament
0%
Those parties the similarities between which are that they both oppose big government, favour lower taxation, support strong law and order and high defence spending, and promote equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcome, alphabeticallyConservatives and Republicans
0%
Those two parties the origins of which are differentiated in that the former arose out of the landed aristocracy while the latter arose in opposition to slavery and in the turmoil of the civil warConservatives and Republicans
0%
Those two parties that are differentiated in the fact that the former supports limited abortion, same-sex marriage, renewable energy, national healthcare, and limited government involvement in education, while opposing capital punishment, all the reverse of the position of the latterConservatives and Republicans
0%
That the basis for which in the US is the expectations, fears, and culture of the country in the 18th century, shaped by beliefs in liberty, individualism, equality, representative democracy, limited government, states' rights, and the rule of lawConstitution
0%
That the basis for which in the UK is evolution within a culture dominated by a belief in constitutional monarchy, a deferential class system, and an established churchConstitution
0%
The two locations from which the US and UK Supreme Courts respectively derive their powerConstitution and Parliament
0%
The location of sovereignty in the US and UK respectivelyConstitution and Parliament
0%
Those that have become constitutionalised in the US though not necessarily codified by amendments, examples being two-term limits for the President (codified in the 22nd Amendment), judicial review by the Supreme Court, the Executive Office of the President, congressional committees, etc.Conventions
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is criticised as beliefs often differentiate, sometimes widely both within and between groups, risking any conclusions made on such a basis being just a generalisation while beliefs may be only the reflection of the value of majorities or of those with significant social powerCultural Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics the basis for which is the belief that political outcomes are largely determined by the shared ideas, values, and beliefs of different groups, which serve to drive the behaviour of their members and subscribersCultural Approach
0%
An approach to comparative politics focused on shared ideas within a political group or system, useful for comparing the role of value held by; religious group, pressure groups, party factions, parties, etc.Cultural Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which can be well used to compare parties and party factionsCultural Approach
0%
That party which has been divided into two factions, a democratic socialist wing led by Bernie Sanders, and a moderate wing led by Joe Biden though formally by Hillary ClintonDemocratic Party
0%
Those parties the similarities between which are that they both stress minority and workers' rights, favour environmental protection, promote more equality of outcome, and support higher progressive taxes and government spending on public services and welfare, alphabeticallyDemocrats and Labour
0%
Those two things that are differentiated in that the former sees power but not sovereignty granted to the administrations, while the latter sees the federal government and states as equal, sharing and dividing power and sovereigntyDevolution and Federalism
0%
The different types of democracy and emphasised by the US and UK respectively, the former in the form of initiatives, primaries, and very regular elections, and the latter in the form of an appointed upper house, unelected head of government and no popular candidate selectionDirect and Representative
0%
That type of party system which exists in the US and UK at the regional level such as in states (i.e. Wyoming having not had a Democratic Senator since 1977) and constituencies (i.e. East Devon (and its predecessors) having been held by the Conservatives since 1835)Dominant Party System
0%
Those two things which US pressure groups structurally have more opportunities for than their UK counterparts as there are many more elections with greater frequency, an elected head of government, both chambers of Congress being elected, an elected governor, elected judges and state legislatures, and primaries for both presidential and congressional elections, alphabeticallyElectioneering and Endorsing
0%
Those which can be difficult to compare between the US and UK due to their widely different natures, structures, and scopeElections
0%
Those, five of which are used in the UK, namely; first past the post (general elections), additional member system (Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Greater London Assembly), single transferable vote (Northern Ireland Assembly), alternative vote (Scottish local by-elections), and the supplementary vote (Mayor of London)Electoral Systems
0%
That type of criticism which is often a by-product of judges' ruling on politically sensitive matters and chairing public inquiries, potentially undermining judicial independence as occurred after Citizens United v Federal Election Commission and R (Miller) v The Prime MinisterExecutive Criticism
0%
The bodies responsible for overseeing party donations in the US and UK respectivelyFederal Election Commission and Electoral Commission
0%
That cultural background and principle Congress is most a reflection ofFederalism
0%
Those two things, the former in the US and the latter in the UK, the debates around which are differentiates in that the former concerns whether more or less power should lie with the federal government while the latter concerns how much power should be granted to the devolved administrations, and in the case of Scotland, whether it should be an independent countryFederalism and Devolution
0%
That which the Prime Minister is described as being relative to the rest of the executive (mostly Cabinet) that the President is not due to there being a 'collective executive' in the UKFirst Among Equals
0%
That voting system that is considered a principal though debatable weakness that Parliament shares with CongressFirst Past the Post
0%
That 2011 Act of Parliament the UK is planning to repeal as of March 2020, an eponymous repeal bill having had its first reading in the House of Lords in FebruaryFixed Term Parliaments Act
0%
That the weaknesses of which are that party representation is not reflective of voting potentially weakening constituency representation, Question Time is often parliamentary theatre and it is overly dominated by governmentHouse of Commons
0%
That the strengths of which are that it is the supreme house, the executive is drawn from and accountable to it, it has influential select committees, and can question and debate ministers directlyHouse of Commons
0%
That the weaknesses of which are that it lacks a democratic mandate, its powers are mostly only ones of delay, it has a poor public image, the government often lacks a majority, and it contains Anglican BishopsHouse of Lords
0%
That body that changed with the extension of the franchise in that it lost much of its power and hereditary nature under the 1911 and 1949 Parliament Acts and 1999 House of Lords Act, becoming subservient to the elected lower houseHouse of Lords
0%
That the strengths of which are that it is somewhat more socially representative, has more experience and expertise, is less constrained by discipline, has high quality debate, it is not subject to constituents' whims, and it provides continuity due to life appointmentsHouse of Lords
0%
That the weaknesses of which are that executive branch officials can appear only before committees, the President very rarely gives direct evidence, it shares legislative power with the Senate, and it experiences short election cycles, as well as gridlock, partisanship, and divided governmentHouse of Representatives
0%
That the strengths of which are that it initiates all money bills, draws up articles of impeachment, has powerful standing committees, and has strong constituency links due to the two-year election cycleHouse of Representatives
0%
Where a more recent UK act contradicting an earlier one, supersedes it unless concerning a point of constitutional/fundamental law which much be repealed expresslyImplied Repeal
0%
That which the UK Supreme Court has more of than its US counterpart in that appointments are made via an independent and apolitical Judicial Appointments CommissionJudicial Independence
0%
That increasingly asserted power of the UK courts that has seen many pressure groups start to more heavily lobby the judiciaryJudicial Review
0%
That branch of government that in 2016 in the US was just over 33.3% female and 14% ethnic minority, and in the UK was 25% female and 5% ethnic minorityJudiciary
0%
That UK party the origins and ideology of which are differentiated from what is most often considered its US counterpart in that it formed out of the trade union movement and has been socialist for most of its existenceLabour Party
0%
That of the President as given in the State of the Union Address which is differentiated from that of the Prime Minister as given in the Queen's Speech, as the former is largely a wish list while the latter is a near certain policy programme (to-do list)Legislative Agenda
0%
That which it is often said Parliament does concerning legislation due to much greater executive power and party unity, in contrast to Congress truly passing itLegitimation
0%
The oldest UK constituency, being formed in 1265Lincoln
0%
That action undertaken by pressure groups within Congress and Parliament that when undertaken in the former usually involves both chambers and more importantly, constituents, though when undertaken in the latter is increasingly aimed at the less whipped upper house which has less party loyaltyLobbying
0%
That which in the UK is most often directed at the executive branch due to the fusion of powers and its pre-eminence unlike in the US where it is aimed equally at congressional committees, executive departments, and the Supreme CourtLobbying
0%
Those types of chamber the move from one to the other is seen as a promotion in the US but as a retirement of political failure in the UKLower House and Upper House
0%
Those two factions that have most divided the Labour Party, alphabeticallyMomentum and New Labour
0%
That individual in the UK whom still holds the executive powers/roles - held by the President in the US - to veto legislation (royal prerogative) and to be the Head of StateMonarch
0%
That which is more prevalent in Parliament than in Congress in that Parliament can question and debate executive officials before the whole House on a weekly basis - being drawn from and thus answerable to the legislature, the two not being entirely separateOversight
0%
That over the executive which is mostly undertaken in Congress in the form of committee hearing and appointment confirmationsOversight
0%
That over the executive which is mostly undertaken in Parliament in the form of Question Time, committee hearings, and policy debatesOversight
0%
That which is more prevalent in Congress than in Parliament in that Congress must approve judicial and executive appointments, must ratify treaties, can impeach and try federal officials, and at least formally has the power to declare warOversight
0%
Those that often form in large broad-church parties like the Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, and Labour, due to them being less ideologically pureParty Factions
0%
Those characteristics of which are that they change and evolve to reflect new circumstances, may exist for brief or very long periods of time, may be based entirely among professional politicians, the grassroots, or both, and may be formal groups or loose coalitions of the like-mindedParty Factions
0%
Those the aims and functions of which are to accentuate and extol certain policies, aspects of ideology, or party 'greats' (Thatcherites), to widen voter appeal and diversity by reflecting demographic, religious, or ideological groups within the party, to challenge the party establishment, and to support and encourage those of a similar mindsetParty Factions
0%
Those the benefit of which are that they provide and propagate new ideas and policies while also helping to keep member and voters within the party (who otherwise might leave) by acting as a potential future leadershipParty Factions
0%
Those the disadvantages of which are that they can lead to intra-party power struggles and in-fighting, potentially harming electoral performanceParty Factions
0%
That which is criticised in the UK as Labour is reliant on and beholden to large trade unions (85% of income in 2014) while the Conservatives are likewise to large businesses and wealthy individualsParty Finance
0%
That which is regulated in the UK in that parties must register with the Electoral Commission per the PPERA, while groups may only spend £9,750 per constituency per the Lobbying Bill which further requires any group spending over £20,000 in England to register with the Electoral CommissionParty Finance
0%
That which is regulated in the US in that FECA introduced maximum donations with loopholes closed by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act many regulations of which were overturned by Citizens United v FEC, allowing for the formation of Super PACs which can make unregulated party donationsParty Finance
0%
That which in the UK the modern form of which was given rise to by the three structural changes of the Troubles, Devolution, and EU Membership (UKIP, Brexit Party)Party System
0%
That in the UK which is different to the same in the US due to the presence of third parties in the legislature, nearly all nationalist or Northern Irish unionist partiesParty System
0%
The different types of sovereignty and emphasised by the US and UK respectively, the former in the form of initiatives, primaries, and very regular elections, and the latter in the form of an appointed upper house, unelected head of government and no popular candidate selectionPopular and Parliamentary
0%
That which is stronger in Parliament than in Congress in that parliamentary sovereignty allows it to make laws and constitutional changes and the supremacy of the Commons prevents gridlockPower
0%
That which the President has more of than the Prime Minister in that he is; directly elected and has constitutional authority over the executive branch, is unrestrained by Cabinet of party, and can use executive orders and executive agreements to largely circumvent checks and balancesPower
0%
That which the Prime Minister has more of than the President in that they have significant influence over the legislature in the form of patronage, whips, and party loyalty, often manage to act free of Cabinet restraint, do not face such strong constitutional checks from the Supreme Court, face no term limits, and require no approval for executive appointmentsPower
0%
That which is stronger in Congress than in Parliament in that separation of powers grants it relative freedom from the executive, it can better check the executive (making appointments, ratifying treaties, etc.) and the Senate can better check executive actions than the House of LordsPower
0%
The only major US elections in which a winner take all system is almost entirely unusedPresidential Primaries
0%
Those bodies for which the only opportunity above the local level in the UK for electioneering and endorsing are during elections to the House of Commons and devolved administrations, EU elections now having ceased in the UKPressure Groups
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is criticised as being simplistic and for assuming that everyone is equally positioned to take a logical approach to politics, or even to know where their self-interest liesRational Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is perhaps most salient in comparing elections and votingRational Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics the basis for which is the assumption that individuals will act with rational self-interest to achieve or encourage particular political aims and outcomes, possibly by resisting structural and cultural factorsRational Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is best suited for examining why some states support reforming senatorial elections and others don'tRational Approach
0%
An approach to comparative politics focused on individuals within a political system, useful for comparing the roles of premiers, cabinets, speakers, key individuals in each branch of government, parties, pressure groups, and the role and actions of the electorateRational Approach
0%
That approach which is useful for comparing legislatures in that such bodies are comprised of individuals able to act in their own interest to different degrees, i.e. the Lords are free of executive and constituency constraints than the Senate, while Representatives are more free of executive pressure than MPsRational Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which best examines why different parties support or oppose state fundingRational Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which when used to compare executives mostly concerns personal popularity and attributes of the premier and senior executive officialsRational Approach
0%
That form in which representative democracy is being increasingly challenged by direct democracy in the UKReferendums
0%
The only US Supreme Court Justice to be impeached (in 1804) though he was acquitted at trialSamuel Chase
0%
That which the Prime Minister is more subject to than the President in that Parliament can directly question them both in Prime Ministers Question Time and via committeesScrutiny
0%
That the strengths of which are that is has exclusive power over confirming appointments, ratifying treaties, and trying impeachment cases, is a common recruitment pool for the presidency and vice presidency, has long terms, and shares equal power with the HouseSenate
0%
That the weaknesses of which are that executive branch officials can appear only before committees, the President very rarely givens direct evidence, it shares legislative power with the House, pays less consideration to constituents due to 6 year election cycles, and experiences gridlock, partisanship, and divided governmentSenate
0%
That body that changed with the extension of the franchise in that it became directly elected per the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, thus preserving the equal powers of the two chambersSenate
0%
That which is structurally different in Parliament from Congress as a vote in the former can bring down an entire government while a veto in the latter can impeach a member of the executive only for them to be automatically succeeded by anotherSeparation of Powers
0%
That type of funding of parties the benefits of which are that it could; end parties' dependence on wealthy donors, businesses, and unions, increase transparency, equalise party resources, limit spending, and enable parties to shift focus towards the concerns of the electorateState Funding
0%
That type of party funding the disadvantage of which is that taxpayers would be unhappy at supporting parties they oppose, it could allow parties a dependable source of income without the need to pursue policies in tune with voter wants, it could make parties a part of the state, and it may reinforce the financial advantage of large parties particularly under First Past the PostState Funding
0%
That approach to comparative politics the basis for which is the belief that political outcomes are largely determined by the formal processes within that political system, giving strong emphasis to the way in which the institutional structure moulds the actions of individuals and groupsStructural Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which in a wider sense focuses on legislatures, executives, judiciaries, constitutions, class structures, electoral systems, political parties, pressure groups, the media, etc.Structural Approach
0%
An approach to comparative politics focused on institutions within a political system, useful for comparing the functions and interactions of the three branches of government with the constitution, party system, electoral system, and each otherStructural Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is most useful for comparing constitutionsStructural Approach
0%
That approach to comparative politics which is most useful for comparing legislatures and executivesStructural Approach
0%
That which in the UK is differentiated from its US counterpart in that it cannot - due to the absence of a codified constitution - declare acts unconstitutional (though it can make declarations of incompatibility and rule whether the rule of implied repeal applies)Supreme Court
0%
That court which in the UK lacks the fundamental ability to overrule Parliament or strike down Acts of Parliament unlike its US counterpartSupreme Court
0%
That body which in the US is 33.3% female and 22.2% ethnic minority but in the UK is 16.6% female and 0% ethnic minoritySupreme Court
0%
That US body the defining powers of which are that it is the final court of appeal for federal and state supreme court cases, rules on the constitutionality of federal and state law and actions of federal and state executives, interprets the Constitution, and is subject to no higher authoritySupreme Court
0%
That UK body the defining powers of which are that it is the final court of appeal for UK civil and non-Scottish criminal cases, can interpret but not strike down Acts of Parliament, rules on whether ministers' actions are ultra vires, and is subject to a higher authority in the form of the European Court of Human RightsSupreme Court
0%
Those parties that are more successful in winning votes in the UK as it is multinational, both major parties supported EU membership leaving UKIP the only rational alternative, voters are reluctant to support minor presidential candidates in the US, US parties are more responsive to voters and thus more subject to changes in leadership making protest voting unnecessary, and US elections are much more expensive and complex for small parties to manageThird Parties
0%
Those bodies with less lobbying power in the US compared to the UK due to the proportion of the population whom are members let alone affiliated with the AFL-CIO being much smallerTrade Unions
0%
That cultural background and principle Parliament is most a reflection ofTradition
0%
That country's Supreme Court the membership of which is composed of 12 Justices whom must retire at 70 (75 if in a judicial office before 1995) and may be removed by petition to the monarch from both Houses of Parliament (never happened), with vacancies filled by a commission that recommends candidates to the Lord Chancellor with 5 to 11 hearing cases, and being presided over by the President of the Supreme CourtUnited Kingdom
0%
That country the lower first past the post elected chamber of which has more parties and thus less proportionality due to the country being multinational as well as one non-contiguous region being in a unique political situationUnited Kingdom
0%
The country in which a Supreme Court ruling can only be overturned by a constitutional amendment or a subsequent Supreme Court rulingUnited States of America
0%
That country the culture of which in the 18th century was based on having broken free of an autocratic monarchy and unrepresentative parliament, and that was largely accepting of slavery, fearful of state-organised religion, and deferential to individual libertiesUnited States of America
0%
That country's Supreme Court the membership of which is composed of 9 Justices with life tenure appointed by the President and approved by the Senate, who all hear cases unless recused, presided over by the Chief Justice, and removable only by impeachment and trialUnited States of America
0%
That attribute of the party or coalition that government stability and survival are reliant on in the UK that it is not in the USUnity
0%
Those two countries in which the location of powers is differentiated in that in the former there is separation of powers (separation of institutions/sharing of powers) where in the latter there is fusion of powers, the executive being drawn from the legislature and the legislature being able to dismiss the governmentUSA and UK
0%

Score Distribution

Percentile by Number Answered

Percent of People with Each Score

Your Score History

You have not taken this quiz