Comparative Political Systems: UK, USA and France MCQs 2026

The United Kingdom is best classified as a

1. Aconstitutional monarchy with parliamentary government✓
2. Bpresidential republic✓
3. Cpure direct democracy✓
4. Done-party socialist state✓

The Westminster model emphasizes

1. Aparliamentary sovereignty and responsible cabinet government✓
2. Ba directly elected president as sole executive✓
3. Cjudicial supremacy over Parliament always✓
4. Dsingle-party rule by law✓

In the UK, the head of government is the

1. Amonarch in ordinary times✓
2. BPrime Minister✓
3. CSpeaker of the House of Lords✓
4. DLord Chancellor only✓

The lower house of the UK Parliament is the

1. AHouse of Lords✓
2. BScottish Parliament only✓
3. CSupreme Court✓
4. DHouse of Commons✓

The UK House of Lords today is mainly composed of

1. Aonly hereditary peers with no reform✓
2. Blife peers appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958✓
3. Cdirectly elected senators for fixed terms✓
4. Dprovincial governors✓

The UK constitution is often described as

1. Alargely unwritten and based on statutes, conventions and common law✓
2. Ba single codified document adopted in 1787✓
3. Centirely contained in one EU treaty✓
4. Dfrozen since Magna Carta without change✓

The Electoral College selects the US President by

1. Adirect nationwide popular vote alone by law always✓
2. Bthe House on every occasion✓
3. Cstate-based electors largely pledged to candidates✓
4. Dthe Senate alone without states✓

Parliamentary sovereignty in the UK means

1. Athe monarch legislates alone✓
2. BParliament can make or unmake any law and no body can override its Acts✓
3. Cinternational courts always void Acts automatically✓
4. Dregional parliaments are supreme over Westminster✓

UK general elections predominantly use the

1. Afirst-past-the-post single-member constituency system✓
2. Bparty-list proportional representation nationwide✓
3. Cranked-choice instant runoff in all seats✓
4. Dindirect electoral college✓

Devolution in the UK granted significant self-government to

1. AScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland✓
2. Bonly the City of London corporation✓
3. Cthe European Parliament✓
4. Dthe House of Lords exclusively✓

Collective cabinet responsibility in the UK requires ministers to

1. Avote independently against the PM without consequence✓
2. Bsupport cabinet decisions publicly or resign✓
3. Cignore Parliament entirely✓
4. Dserve for life regardless of confidence✓

The UK Supreme Court (established 2009) primarily

1. Aappoints the Prime Minister✓
2. Bwrites primary legislation✓
3. Ccommands the armed forces✓
4. Dadjudicates legal disputes and interprets law, including on devolution✓

Magna Carta (1215) is historically significant for

1. Acreating the US Electoral College✓
2. Bestablishing the French Fifth Republic✓
3. Climiting arbitrary royal power and affirming rule of law ideas✓
4. Dabolishing Parliament✓

The Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to

1. Aremain impartial and regulate debate✓
2. Blead the governing party's election campaign✓
3. Cappoint all cabinet ministers✓
4. Dserve as head of state✓

A vote of no confidence in the Commons against the government typically forces

1. Aautomatic dissolution of the monarchy✓
2. Bthe government to resign or seek a general election✓
3. CSupreme Court takeover of executive power✓
4. Dpermanent rule by the Lords✓

The UK monarch's formal role today is largely

1. Ato veto every bill routinely✓
2. Bceremonial with powers exercised on ministerial advice✓
3. Cto command daily cabinet meetings✓
4. Dto elect the Speaker✓

Common law in the UK means that

1. Ajudicial precedents bind lower courts unless overturned✓
2. Bonly statutes may create legal rules✓
3. CParliament never legislates✓
4. DEU law always prevails domestically✓

The shadow cabinet in the UK consists of

1. Alife peers who review legislation only✓
2. Bjudges on the Supreme Court✓
3. Csenior opposition MPs who mirror government departments✓
4. Dcivil servants in Whitehall✓

Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (now repealed) aimed to

1. Aabolish the House of Lords immediately✓
2. Bmake the monarch elect MPs✓
3. Ctransfer sovereignty to Scotland only✓
4. Dset five-year election intervals unless early elections were triggered✓

The UK uses a unitary state structure with

1. Afederal constitutional division like the USA✓
2. Bconfederal treaty among kingdoms only✓
3. CParliament supreme and devolution granted by statute✓
4. Dno national legislature✓

Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) illustrates

1. Ajudicial review of statutes✓
2. Bpresidential veto power✓
3. Creferendum lawmaking only✓
4. Ddirect executive accountability to the elected chamber✓

The United States is a

1. Afederal presidential constitutional republic✓
2. Bunitary parliamentary monarchy✓
3. Ctheocratic republic without elections✓
4. Dconfederation without a written constitution✓

Separation of powers in the US divides authority among

1. Amonarch, nobility and clergy only✓
2. BParliament and Crown only✓
3. Clegislative, executive and judicial branches✓
4. Dmilitary and party exclusively✓

The US President is elected for a term of

1. Alife with no elections✓
2. Bsix years renewable without limit✓
3. Ctwo years like the House✓
4. Dfour years, eligible for two terms under the 22nd Amendment✓

The US Congress is

1. Aunicameral like the Commons alone✓
2. Ban appointed judiciary✓
3. Ca council of state governors only✓
4. Dbicameral, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives✓

The US Senate has

1. A435 members apportioned by population✓
2. Bmembers chosen by the Supreme Court✓
3. C100 members, two from each state regardless of population✓
4. Dno role in treaties✓

The US House of Representatives has

1. A100 members with equal state seats✓
2. Bmembers appointed by the President✓
3. C435 voting members apportioned by population among states✓
4. Dno power over taxation✓

Judicial review in the US was famously articulated in

1. ABrown v. Board alone without prior cases✓
2. BMarbury v. Madison (1803)✓
3. Cthe Magna Carta of 1215✓
4. DTreaty of Rome 1957✓

US federalism means that

1. Astates have no lawmaking power✓
2. Bnational and state governments each have enumerated and reserved powers✓
3. Conly cities may legislate✓
4. Dthe federal government controls all police powers always✓

The Bill of Rights refers to the first

1. Aseven articles of the original text only✓
2. Btwenty-seven amendments in total always as a set name✓
3. Cstate constitutions collectively✓
4. Dten amendments to the US Constitution✓

Impeachment in the US is primarily the power of

1. Athe House to impeach and the Senate to try and convict✓
2. Bthe Supreme Court alone✓
3. Cstate legislatures exclusively✓
4. Dthe President's cabinet✓

A presidential veto can be overridden by

1. Asimple majority in the House only✓
2. Bthe Supreme Court by certiorari✓
3. Cstate governors unanimously✓
4. Da two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress✓

The First Amendment protects freedoms including

1. Areligion, speech, press, assembly and petition✓
2. Bonly the right to bear arms✓
3. Cunlimited taxation without representation✓
4. Dappointment of federal judges by states✓

Checks and balances in the US include

1. Afusion of executive and legislature like Westminster✓
2. Bmonarchical reserve powers✓
3. Csingle seven-year presidential term only✓
4. Dveto, appointment confirmation, and impeachment among branches✓

US cabinet secretaries are appointed by the President with

1. AHouse of Lords approval✓
2. Bunanimous state referendum✓
3. Cno legislative role✓
4. DSenate confirmation for most positions✓

The US Constitution was drafted in

1. A1215 at Runnymede✓
2. B1958 in Paris✓
3. C1787 at the Philadelphia Convention✓
4. D1947 in San Francisco only for the UN✓

Filibuster practices most prominently affect

1. ASenate deliberation by allowing extended debate to delay votes✓
2. BHouse electoral apportionment✓
3. Cstate gubernatorial terms✓
4. DSupreme Court size only✓

The Vice President of the United States presides over the

1. AHouse of Representatives daily✓
2. BSenate and votes to break ties✓
3. CElectoral College permanently✓
4. DSupreme Court✓

State governors in the US

1. Ahead state executives and implement state law✓
2. Bappoint US Senators permanently without elections✓
3. Ccommand the US nuclear arsenal✓
4. Dreplace the federal judiciary✓

The French Fifth Republic was established under

1. ANapoleon Bonaparte in 1799 only✓
2. BCharles de Gaulle with the 1958 Constitution✓
3. Cthe Fourth Republic without change in 1946✓
4. Dthe EU Treaty of Maastricht alone✓

France's political system is commonly termed

1. Apure Westminster parliamentary✓
2. Bsemi-presidential✓
3. Cabsolute monarchy✓
4. Dconfederal✓

The President of France is elected by

1. Adirect universal suffrage (since 1962 for the presidency)✓
2. Bthe monarch alone✓
3. Conly the Senate indirectly without citizens✓
4. Dthe European Commission✓

The French Prime Minister is accountable to

1. Athe National Assembly and appointed by the President✓
2. Bthe UK House of Commons✓
3. Cthe US Electoral College✓
4. Dthe Guardian Council of Iran✓

The lower house of the French Parliament is the

1. ASenate only without a lower house✓
2. BNational Assembly (Assemblée nationale)✓
3. CHouse of Lords✓
4. DBundestag✓

The French Senate is

1. Adirectly elected like the National Assembly in identical manner✓
2. Bappointed by the monarch✓
3. Cthe supreme judicial court✓
4. Dindirectly elected and represents territorial collectivities✓

Cohabitation in France occurs when

1. Athe monarch dissolves the EU✓
2. Bthe Senate replaces the President✓
3. Cregions secede legally✓
4. Dthe President and Prime Minister belong to opposing political majorities✓

Laïcité in French republican tradition emphasizes

1. Aestablishing an official state church✓
2. Bstate secularism and neutrality in public institutions✓
3. Cbanning all private religious expression everywhere✓
4. Dtheocracy led by clergy✓

The French Constitutional Council primarily

1. Acommands the military like a president✓
2. Blegislates financial bills alone✓
3. Creviews the constitutionality of laws and oversees referendums and elections✓
4. Dappoints all EU commissioners✓

French presidential elections typically use

1. Afirst-past-the-post in single-member districts only for president✓
2. Ba two-round system if no candidate wins a majority in round one✓
3. CElectoral College by departments without runoff✓
4. Dlife appointment by Senate✓

The 1958 Constitution of France strengthened

1. Aonly regional councils without a president✓
2. Bhereditary monarchy✓
3. Cunicameral Soviet-style rule✓
4. Dexecutive authority, especially the presidency✓

France is administratively divided into regions and

1. AUS-style states with full sovereignty✓
2. Bonly tribal councils without law✓
3. Cdépartements among other local units✓
4. Dprovinces under a governor-general of the UK✓

The Élysée Palace is the official residence of

1. Athe Prime Minister only always✓
2. Bthe European Parliament President ex officio✓
3. Cthe President of France✓
4. Dthe UK monarch✓

The Conseil d'État in France functions mainly as

1. Athe supreme administrative court and advisory body on public law✓
2. Bthe lower elected chamber✓
3. Cthe upper house of US Congress✓
4. DIran's Guardian Council✓

The French legal tradition is primarily

1. Apure common law without codes like England✓
2. BSharia as the only source with no codes✓
3. Csocialist law without courts✓
4. Dcivil law codified in comprehensive codes✓

The Fourth French Republic (1946–1958) was criticized for

1. Aexcessive presidential power like the Fifth✓
2. Babsence of any parliament✓
3. Ccabinet instability and weak executive leadership✓
4. Ddirect military rule by the US✓

Major French party families have included

1. Aonly two fixed parties identical to US Democrats and Republicans since 1789✓
2. Bno parties because parties are banned✓
3. CGaullists, Socialists, Communists and later Macronist centrist coalitions✓
4. D solely the Muslim Brotherhood✓

Under the Fifth Republic, the President may dissolve

1. Athe US Senate✓
2. Bthe UK House of Lords permanently✓
3. Cthe Chinese NPC without limit always✓
4. Dthe National Assembly in certain political circumstances✓

French local communes are governed by

1. Adirect appointment by the President only✓
2. Bthe European Court of Justice✓
3. Can elected municipal council and mayor✓
4. Dhereditary dukes exclusively✓

The UK and USA differ chiefly in that the UK fuses executive and legislature while the USA

1. Ahas no parliament✓
2. Bseparates powers and uses a written federal constitution✓
3. Celects a monarch✓
4. D bans political parties✓

Compared to the UK, France's Fifth Republic gives

1. Aall power to the House of Lords✓
2. Bno role to any legislature✓
3. Cstronger formal powers to a directly elected president✓
4. Didentical Westminster fusion without a president✓