APCGP Case A: United Kingdom

Who replaced Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of the Labour Party when she resigned in 1989?

• David Cameron

• John Major

• Nigel Farage

• Nick Clegg

Answer explanation

Tony Blair replaced Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of the Labour Party when she resigned in 1979.

What does the term "Brexit" refer to?

• The agreement between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland

• The period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic

• The potential, hypothetical, or actual departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union

• The cross-party British support for the welfare state in the 1970s

Answer explanation

Brexit refers to the potential, hypothetical, or actual departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

What is the "Cabinet" in the context of the UK government?

• The main counterweight to the TUC

• The top advisers to the Prime Minister

• The component of the House of Lords that are members of the aristocracy

• The period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic

Answer explanation

The Cabinet in the context of the UK government refers to the top advisers to the Prime Minister, making this the correct choice.

Which regions are referred to as the "Celtic fringe"?

• Regions that were unconquered by the Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Danes, and Normans for 1,500 years

• The areas where the English Civil War was fought

• The territories represented by the House of Commons

• The areas known as Tories, the major political parties that ruled England

Answer explanation

Regions that were unconquered by the Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Danes, and Normans for 1,500 years

What is the principle of "collective responsibility" within the UK cabinet?

• When the cabinet must appear unified and take responsibility for the policy, even if one individual cabinet minister opposes a given policy

• The consensus across political parties to support the welfare state

• The agreement between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland

• The system based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal code

Answer explanation

The principle of 'collective responsibility' within the UK cabinet means that the cabinet must appear unified and take responsibility for the policy, even if one individual cabinet minister opposes a given policy.

What is "Common law"?

• A system based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal code

• The period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic

• The top advisers to the Prime Minister

• The component of the House of Lords that are members of the aristocracy

Answer explanation

Common law is a system based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal code, making it the correct choice.

What was the "Commonwealth" in the context of British history?

• The agreement between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland

• The period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic following the execution of Charles I

• The main counterweight to the TUC

• The component of the House of Lords that are members of the aristocracy

Answer explanation

The correct choice is the period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic following the execution of Charles I.

Who are "Hereditary peers" in the context of the UK's House of Lords?

• The top advisers to the Prime Minister

• The main counterweight to the TUC

• Component of the House of Lords that are members of the aristocracy who until recently had been able to bequeath their seats to their offspring

• The representatives of the lower nobility and the merchant class in Parliament

Answer explanation

The correct choice refers to hereditary peers as members of the House of Lords who are part of the aristocracy and were able to pass on their seats to their descendants.

What does the "House of Commons" represent in the UK Parliament?

• The interests of the lower nobility and the merchant class

• The top advisers to the Prime Minister

• The period from 1649 onwards when England was ruled as a republic

• The component of the House of Lords that are members of the aristocracy

Answer explanation

The House of Commons represents the interests of the lower nobility and the merchant class in the UK Parliament.

What does the House of Lords represent in the Parliament of the United Kingdom?

• The common people

• The elected officials

• The aristocracy

• The clergy

Answer explanation

The House of Lords represents the aristocracy in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.