3.2.2.4 Electoral and party systems: UK and US comparison Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. Which electoral system is used for UK general elections?

   • Single transferable vote
   • Proportional representation
   • First-past-the-post
   • Alternative vote

2. Which system elects the US president?

   • Primary runoff
   • Congressional ballot
   • The Electoral College
   • National popular vote

3. What term describes the shift in the UK party system away from two-party dominance?

   • Two-party system
   • One-party state
   • Single-member system
   • Multi-party system

4. What financial support do UK opposition parties receive in Parliament?

   • Super PAC funds
   • Candidacy subsidies
   • Matching grants
   • Short money

5. How are major US congressional candidates typically chosen?

   • Random selection
   • Hereditary succession
   • Primary elections
   • Party leader appointment

6. Why might a party with dispersed UK votes win fewer seats than expected?

   • Finishing second everywhere
   • Proportional penalties
   • Electoral fraud
   • Voter suppression

7. What is a UK parliament with no single party holding an overall majority called?

   • A hung parliament
   • A minority regime
   • A dissolved parliament
   • A prorogued parliament

8. What do US federal campaign finance rules primarily limit?

   • Direct contributions
   • Speech duration
   • Voter turnout
   • Independent spending

9. What method do UK parties use to enforce legislative voting discipline?

   • Filibustering
   • Whipping
   • Impeachment
   • Primaries

10. Which system makes third-party success harder?

    • Party list proportional
    • Additional member system
    • First-past-the-post
    • Single transferable vote

11. Can independent candidates win seats in UK general elections?

    • Yes, but rarely
    • Yes, very easily
    • No, legally banned
    • Only in Scotland

12. Which electoral feature primarily helps maintain the two-party system in the US?

    • Additional member system
    • Proportional representation
    • Party list voting
    • Plurality voting

13. What is the main criticism of campaign finance limits in the UK and US?

    • Increasing voter turnout
    • Abolishing political parties
    • Restricting free speech
    • Ensuring equal donations

14. Which legislative dynamic is typical of the US political system compared to the UK?

    • Guaranteed majorities
    • Automatic whipping
    • Monarchical assent
    • Cross-party coalitions

15. What is the key advantage of a proportional electoral system?

    • Safe single seats
    • Eliminating manifestos
    • Seat-vote alignment
    • Clear majority rule

16. Which factor has most contributed to the decline of two-party dominance in the UK?

    • Mandatory voting
    • Banned third parties
    • Regional nationalism
    • Absolute monarchy

17. What is the primary benefit for a US candidate seeking a major party nomination?

    • Exemption from taxes
    • Guaranteed election victory
    • Absolute party discipline
    • Built-in ballot access

18. According to Duverger's law, what do plurality electoral systems tend to create?

    • One-party dictatorships
    • Extreme multi-partyism
    • Two-party systems
    • Direct democracies

19. What best describes the status of two-party politics in the contemporary UK?

    • Complete extinction
    • Contested seat dominance
    • Formal legal ban
    • Unchallenged hegemony

20. What is a major structural barrier for independent US federal candidates?

    • Proportional refunds
    • Strict ballot access
    • Mandatory media time
    • State-funded campaigns

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