What is the most common voting system used for general elections in the UK?
a) Proportional Representation (PR)
b) First Past the Post (FPTP)
c) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
d) Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)
Answer: b) First Past the Post (FPTP)
In the FPTP system, how is the winner determined in each constituency?
a) By a second-round runoff
b) By the candidate with the most first-preference votes
c) By proportional allocation of seats
d) By an appointed commission
Answer: b) By the candidate with the most first-preference votes
What is the primary disadvantage of the FPTP system?
a) It is too complicated for voters to understand
b) It leads to coalition governments
c) It can produce disproportionate results
d) It discourages voter turnout
Answer: c) It can produce disproportionate results
In the UK, which body is responsible for overseeing electoral boundaries and constituency sizes?
a) Parliament
b) Monarch
c) Electoral Commission
d) Prime Minister’s Office
Answer: c) Electoral Commission
What is the term used to describe a general election where the party with the most seats doesn’t have an overall majority?
a) Majority election
b) Supermajority election
c) Hung Parliament
d) Coalition Parliament
Answer: c) Hung Parliament
Which part of the UK uses the Additional Member System (AMS) for its devolved parliament/assembly elections?
a) Scotland
b) Wales
c) Northern Ireland
d) London
Answer: a) Scotland
In the AMS, how are the additional members selected?
a) Through first-past-the-post voting
b) Through proportional representation
c) Through a national lottery
d) By appointment by the Prime Minister
Answer: b) Through proportional representation
What is the main advantage of the AMS over the FPTP system?
a) It is simpler to understand for voters
b) It ensures majority governments
c) It provides a closer correlation between votes and seats
d) It promotes regional representation
Answer: c) It provides a closer correlation between votes and seats
Which UK election uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system?
a) General elections
b) Devolved parliament/assembly elections
c) Local government elections
d) European Parliament elections
Answer: c) Local government elections
How does the STV system work?
a) Voters rank candidates in order of preference
b) Voters cast a single vote for one candidate
c) Voters choose multiple candidates without ranking them
d) Voters cast votes for parties, not candidates
Answer: a) Voters rank candidates in order of preference
Which voting system aims to allocate seats in proportion to the share of the popular vote a party receives?
a) First Past the Post (FPTP)
b) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
c) Proportional Representation (PR)
d) Alternative Vote (AV)
Answer: c) Proportional Representation (PR)
What is the main advantage of proportional representation systems?
a) They promote majority governments
b) They are simple to understand
c) They ensure every vote counts
d) They discourage voter turnout
Answer: c) They ensure every vote counts
What is the “first-past-the-post” method in the Alternative Vote (AV) system?
a) The first candidate to reach 50% of the vote wins
b) The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed
c) Candidates are ranked in order of preference
d) Voters cast a single vote for their top choice
Answer: d) Voters cast a single vote for their top choice
In the Alternative Vote (AV) system, how is a winner determined if no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-preference votes?
a) The candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated
b) A second-round runoff between the top two candidates is held
c) Second-preference votes are redistributed until a candidate reaches 50%
d) The candidate with the most second-preference votes wins
Answer: c) Second-preference votes are redistributed until a candidate reaches 50%
Which UK elections are held using the “closed party list” method?
a) General elections
b) Devolved parliament/assembly elections
c) Local government elections
d) European Parliament elections
Answer: d) European Parliament elections
What does the “closed party list” method involve?
a) Voters rank candidates in order of preference
b) Voters cast a single vote for one candidate
c) Voters choose multiple candidates without ranking them
d) Voters cast a vote for a political party, not a candidate
Answer: d) Voters cast a vote for a political party, not a candidate
In the UK’s devolved elections, which term refers to the process of redistributing seats to ensure proportional representation?
a) Redistricting
b) Boundary review
c) Reapportionment
d) Gerrymandering
Answer: c) Reapportionment
What is the term used to describe the practice of drawing electoral boundaries to favor one political party or group?
a) Proportional representation
b) Redistricting
c) Gerrymandering
d) Boundary review
Answer: c) Gerrymandering
Which type of voter might be more disadvantaged by the FPTP system?
a) Supporters of smaller parties
b) Supporters of the winning party
c) Supporters of the main opposition party
d) Swing voters
Answer: a) Supporters of smaller parties
In the UK, who has the legal responsibility for ensuring that voter registration is accurate and up-to-date?
a) Electoral Commission
b) Monarch
c) Prime Minister
d) Local authorities
Answer: a) Electoral Commission
What is the term for a practice where people intentionally register to vote in an area where they do not actually live?
a) Voter suppression
b) Voter fraud
c) Gerrymandering
d) Tactical voting
Answer: b) Voter fraud
What is the “voter turnout”?
a) The number of people who are eligible to vote
b) The number of people who are registered to vote
c) The number of people who actually vote in an election
d) The number of people who vote for a particular party
Answer: c) The number of people who actually vote in an election
What is “tactical voting”?
a) Voting for a candidate based on personal beliefs
b) Voting for a candidate with the intention of blocking another candidate
c) Voting for the candidate of a major party
d) Voting for the incumbent candidate
Answer: b) Voting for a candidate with the intention of blocking another candidate
What is the term used for the process of removing a public official from office before their term is over?
a) Recall
b) Impeachment
c) Ousting
d) Dissolution
Answer: b) Impeachment
How often are general elections usually held in the UK?
a) Every 2 years
b) Every 3 years
c) Every 5 years
d) Every 7 years
Answer: c) Every 5 years
Which term refers to the practice of redistributing seats in a parliament or legislature to ensure that they reflect the distribution of the population?
a) Proportional representation
b) Redistricting
c) Gerrymandering
d) Reapportionment
Answer: d) Reapportionment
Which type of electoral system is known for having a high degree of proportionality and encourages the representation of smaller parties?
a) First Past the Post (FPTP)
b) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
c) Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)
d) Alternative Vote (AV)
Answer: c) Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP)
What is the term used for an election in which voters choose candidates to fill public office positions?
a) Primary election
b) General election
c) Special election
d) Referendum
Answer: b) General election
What is the purpose of the “Spoil ballot” option on a ballot paper?
a) To express support for a specific candidate
b) To indicate that the voter is undecided
c) To cast a protest vote
d) To indicate that the voter wants to spoil their ballot
Answer: c) To cast a protest vote
Which body is responsible for overseeing and regulating political donations and campaign spending in the UK?
a) Electoral Commission
b) Parliament
c) Monarch
d) Prime Minister’s Office
Answer: a) Electoral Commission
Which term refers to the practice of drawing electoral boundaries in a way that benefits a specific political party?
a) Redistricting
b) Boundary adjustment
c) Gerrymandering
d) Constituency manipulation
Answer: c) Gerrymandering
What is the term used for the process of recalling an elected official before their term expires?
a) Impeachment
b) Resignation
c) Referendum
d) Recall
Answer: d) Recall
Which term describes an election that is held in response to a political crisis or specific issue?
a) By-election
b) Snap election
c) Referendum
d) Special election
Answer: b) Snap election
What is the term used for an election where voters are asked to approve or reject a specific proposal or issue?
a) General election
b) Primary election
c) Referendum
d) By-election
Answer: c) Referendum
Which term refers to the practice of assigning government contracts, jobs, or favors to supporters or members of the same political party?
a) Patronage
b) Nepotism
c) Quota system
d) Primogeniture
Answer: a) Patronage
What is the term used for an election in which voters from various parties vote for their preferred candidate within a party, and the candidate with the most votes becomes the party’s nominee?
a) Primary election
b) General election
c) Runoff election
d) Referendum
Answer: a) Primary election
Which term refers to the practice of distributing seats in a legislative body according to the percentage of the total vote a party receives?
a) First Past the Post (FPTP)
b) Proportional Representation (PR)
c) Redistricting
d) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Answer: b) Proportional Representation (PR)
What is the term for a person who stands as a candidate for election to a political office?
a) Delegate
b) Nominee
c) Campaigner
d) Candidate
Answer: d) Candidate
Which term describes a political strategy in which voters cast their votes based on the past performance of a candidate or party?
a) Tactical voting
b) Swing voting
c) Negative voting
d) Retrospective voting
Answer: d) Retrospective voting
What is the term for the practice of encouraging certain groups of people to vote in order to achieve a specific electoral outcome?
a) Voter suppression
b) Voter mobilization
c) Electoral manipulation
d) Electoral tampering
Answer: b) Voter mobilization
What is the term used for a person who officially represents a political party and seeks election to a political office?
a) Campaigner
b) Advocate
c) Agent
d) Party candidate
Answer: d) Party candidate
Which term refers to the act of voting for candidates from more than one political party in an election?
a) Strategic voting
b) Tactical voting
c) Cross-party voting
d) Split-ticket voting
Answer: d) Split-ticket voting
What is the term for the phenomenon where the winner of an election disproportionately receives a higher percentage of seats than their share of the popular vote?
a) Gerrymandering
b) Proportional bias
c) Majority distortion
d) Electoral imbalance
Answer: b) Proportional bias
Which term refers to a group of people who work together to influence government policies and decisions?
a) Political party
b) Lobbying group
c) Advocacy organization
d) Think tank
Answer: a) Political party
What is the term for the geographic area or district represented by a Member of Parliament (MP) in the UK?
a) Borough
b) County
c) Constituency
d) Parish
Answer: c) Constituency
Which term refers to a group of people who have a common interest or goal and seek to influence public policy?
a) Caucus
b) Coalition
c) Lobby
d) Interest group
Answer: d) Interest group
What is the term for a practice where voters cast their ballots for candidates from different political parties in different elections?
a) Consistent voting
b) Swing voting
c) Retrospective voting
d) Split-ticket voting
Answer: d) Split-ticket voting
Which term describes the process of dividing a geographic area into smaller sections for the purpose of elections?
a) Reapportionment
b) Redistricting
c) Gerrymandering
d) Boundary adjustment
Answer: b) Redistricting
What is the term for a type of election where voters can propose and enact new laws through direct popular vote?
a) Referendum
b) Initiative
c) Plebiscite
d) Recall election
Answer: b) Initiative
Which term describes a system where voters rank candidates in order of preference, and candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed until a candidate wins with a majority?
a) Proportional Representation (PR)
b) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
c) Alternative Vote (AV)
d) Closed party list system
Answer: b) Single Transferable Vote (STV)
