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Students Zone - Self test questions
Use these questions both to test your detailed knowledge of each chapter. Make a note of your answers and then consult the answers page on this website. If you score less than 12 correct answers for any chapter, you probably need to spend more time re-reading and revising its contents.
CHAPTER 18: How Leaders Are Elected
1. Patronage:
a) Was once important as a route to the top but has now disappeared
b) Is the dominant form of leadership selection in Britain
c) Is one important form of leadership selection in Britain
2. Tony Blair was educated at:
a) A comprehensive school in England
b) An English public school
c) A Scottish public school
3. To be elected to a Parliament in the United Kingdom it is:
a) Helpful to belong to a political party
b) Almost essential to belong to a political party
c) Irrelevant whether or not one belongs to a political party
4. To serve as Prime Minister in the UK today it is:
a) Helpful to belong to the Westminster House of Commons
b) Essential to belong to the Westminster House of Commons
c) Irrelevant whether or not one belongs to the Westminster House of Commons
5. In selecting Parliamentary candidates in the leading political parties:
a) Party activists play a very important role
b) Party activists play a minor role
c) Party activists are prohibited from playing any role
6. Legislation allowing the imposition of women only short lists in selecting Parliamentary candidates:
a) Was passed in 2002
b) Was proposed but defeated in 2002
c) Was repealed in 2002
7. A Prime Minister usually has to fill the following number of ministerial posts in a government:
a) Around 20
b) Around 50
c) Around 100
8. Cabinet Ministers are usually chosen:
a) On merit alone
b) From the Prime Minister's close allies alone
c) On a wide range of criteria
9. Prime Ministers since 1945 have:
a) Always become Prime Minister by winning a General Election
b) Never become Prime Minister as a result of winning a General Election
c) Become Prime Minister in some but not all cases by winning a General Election
10. Routes to the top in British politics are:
a) Becoming narrower and fewer
b) Are not changing over time
c) Are becoming more diverse
11. Selection to the 'fast track' route to the top of the civil service is done by:
a) Competitive examination
b) A mixture of tests and interviews
c) Patronage
12. The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments:
a) Makes all public appointments in the United Kingdom
b) Regulates the process of making all public appointments
c) Regulates the process of making some public appointments
13. Over the last century:
a) Aristocratic birth has become much less important in selecting leaders
b) Has become more important in selecting leaders
c) Has remained unchanged in its importance
14. 'Professionalisation' of political leadership refers to:
a) The introduction of payment for political leaders
b) The introduction of specialised professional examinations for political leaders
c) The increasing specialisation of politicians on their political careers
15. Meritocratic selection has:
a) Made leadership selection more socially diverse
b) Made no difference to social diversity
c) Increased some forms of diversity and diminished other forms
