Government & Law questions
Use these examples to check whether the topic has stuck. Review why each answer is right or wrong, then start the drill when you are ready to answer without hints.
False
True
Correct answer
Explanation
True. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. Since 1958, the PM has had the power to nominate peers for their own lifetime only.
AMs
AMs — Assembly Members — is an outdated Welsh term; Welsh representatives are now called Members of the Senedd (MSs).
Peers
Peers are members of the House of Lords — they are appointed, not elected.
MEPs
MEPs were Members of the European Parliament — the UK no longer has MEPs following Brexit.
MPs
MPs — Members of Parliament — are the elected representatives who together form the House of Commons.
Correct answer
Explanation
All of the elected MPs form the House of Commons.
Only overrule the Lords with the monarch's approval
No approval from the monarch is needed; the Commons' powers come from its democratic mandate.
Overrule the Lords, although these powers are not used often
The Commons has powers to overrule the House of Lords, but it rarely uses them.
Correct answer
Never overrule the Lords
The Commons can and does have the legal power to overrule the Lords; this option is wrong.
Explanation
The House of Commons is the more important chamber because its members are democratically elected. It has powers to overrule the House of Lords, but these are not used often.
Members of the Scottish Parliament
MSPs are elected to the Scottish Parliament; they are not peers.
Local councillors
Councillors are elected to local authorities; they are not peers.
Members of the House of Lords
All members of the House of Lords are collectively called peers, whether hereditary, life or spiritual.
Correct answer
Members of the House of Commons
Members of the House of Commons are MPs, not peers — peers sit in the upper chamber.
Explanation
Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected by the people and do not represent a constituency.
Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister
The monarch formally appoints life peers, but on the Prime Minister's recommendation
Correct answer
Life peers are appointed by the Prime Minister on the advice of the monarch
The order is reversed; the PM advises the monarch, not the other way around
Explanation
Since 1958, the Prime Minister has had the power to nominate peers just for their own lifetime. These are called life peers. They have usually had an important career in politics, business, law or another profession. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
False
Correct answer
True
Explanation
The House of Commons is the more important chamber because its members are democratically elected. The House of Commons has powers to overrule the House of Lords.
Peers
Members of the House of Lords are called peers — they are not elected and do not represent a constituency.
Correct answer
Housesteads
Housesteads is a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall — entirely unrelated to Parliament.
Cavaliers
Cavaliers were Royalist soldiers in the English Civil War, not a parliamentary title.
Cabinet
The cabinet is a committee of senior government ministers — not members of the House of Lords.
Explanation
Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are not elected by the people and do not represent a constituency.
The Shadow Minister
Shadow ministers are opposition MPs who challenge government policy; they do not chair debates.
The Judge
Judges preside over courts, not parliamentary debates.
The Prime Minister
The PM participates in debates but does not chair them.
The Speaker
The Speaker chairs Commons debates, keeps order and ensures rules are followed, while remaining politically neutral.
Correct answer
Explanation
Debates in the House of Commons are chaired by the Speaker. This person is the chief Officer of the House of Commons. The Speaker is neutral and does not represent a political party, even though he or she is an MP, represents a constituency and deals with constituents’ problems like any other MP. The Speaker is chosen by other MPs in a secret ballot.
The Prime Minister
The PM nominates life peers but does not formally appoint them.
The Speaker of the House of Commons
The Speaker chairs Commons debates — no role in Lords appointments.
The Chief Whip
The Chief Whip manages party discipline, not Lords appointments.
The monarch
Life peers are formally appointed by the monarch on the PM's advice.
Correct answer
Explanation
The Prime Minister has the power to nominate peers for their own lifetime, but they are appointed by the monarch.
The Speaker
The Speaker ensures the opposition has guaranteed time to debate issues of its choosing during political debates.
Correct answer
The King
The King has no direct role in managing parliamentary debate time.
Nobody
Parliamentary debate time is actively managed — the Speaker specifically protects opposition time.
The shadow cabinet
The shadow cabinet challenges government policy but does not control debate time — the Speaker does.
Explanation
The Speaker keeps order during political debates to make sure the rules are followed. This includes making sure the opposition has a guaranteed amount of time to debate issues which it chooses.
True
Correct answer
False
Explanation
Each of the UK's parliamentary constituencies elects one MP in a General Election. Every MP represents their own constituency.
1999
Since 1999 hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend the Lords; they now elect a few representatives.
Correct answer
1979
Nineteen seventy-nine saw Margaret Thatcher become PM; it did not change House of Lords membership.
1969
In 1969 the voting age was reduced to 18; it was not the year of Lords reform.
1989
Nineteen eighty-nine saw no major House of Lords reform.
Explanation
Since 1999, hereditary peers have lost the automatic right to attend the House of Lords. They now elect a few of their number to represent them in the House of Lords.
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