Comparative Theories and the Uk-Us Comparison | Edexcel A-Level Politics (9PL0)

Comparative Theories and the Uk-Us Comparison

174 questions
11 subtopics
Component 3 Route B: the USA, one route of two
Component 3

Covers the systematic comparison of British and American politics: legislatures, executives, courts and rights, parties and pressure groups, each read through the rational, cultural and structural approaches..

It covers comparing the UK and US legislatures: structure and powers, comparing the UK and US legislatures: strengths and approaches, comparing the executives: powers and selection, comparing the executives: accountability and approaches, comparing the Supreme Courts: powers and appointments, comparing rights protection and interest group litigation, comparing party systems and party ideas, comparing campaign finance and pressure groups, applying the three approaches to democracy and participation, comparative theories: rational, cultural and structural and comparing the UK and US constitutions.

Sample questions from Comparative Theories and the Uk-Us Comparison

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Comparing the UK and US legislatures: structure and powers

How does each legislature's role in treaty-making differ?

Show the answer
A US treaty takes effect only if two-thirds of the Senate consents, which has blocked treaties a President signed. In the UK treaties are made under prerogative power, and Parliament's role is limited to a period in which it may object and to passing any implementing legislation.
Comparing the UK and US legislatures: strengths and approaches

What is the filibuster rule in the US Senate and how many votes are needed for cloture?

Show the answer
The filibuster allows senators to extend debate indefinitely; 60 votes are required for cloture to end debate and proceed to a vote.
Comparing the executives: powers and selection

What formal power does the US President have over legislation that the UK Prime Minister lacks?

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The US President has the constitutional power to veto legislation passed by Congress, whereas the UK Prime Minister has no formal veto power over Parliament.
Comparing the executives: accountability and approaches

What happens if a UK Prime Minister loses a vote of no confidence?

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They are expected to resign or call a general election, as they can no longer command the confidence of the House of Commons.
Comparing the Supreme Courts: powers and appointments

How does parliamentary sovereignty limit the UK Supreme Court's power compared to its US counterpart?

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It prevents the UK Supreme Court from invalidating primary legislation, whereas the US Supreme Court can strike down laws as unconstitutional.
Comparing rights protection and interest group litigation

What litigation strategy do US interest groups use to influence Supreme Court decisions on civil rights?

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Filing amicus curiae briefs.
Comparing party systems and party ideas

Why is internal party unity generally higher in UK parties than in US parties?

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The whip system, collective ministerial responsibility, and the threat of deselection encourage MPs to vote with their party, though rebellions have increased in recent decades.
Comparing campaign finance and pressure groups

Through what methods do pressure groups wield influence in the United States?

Show the answer
Lobbying, litigation, campaign contributions via PACs, and grassroots mobilisation, with access points across federal and state levels.

The 11 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
Comparing the UK and US legislatures: structure and powers	Recall questions on the exclusive powers of each chamber, the Parliament Acts, and why the Lords is weaker than the Senate.	11
Comparing the UK and US legislatures: strengths and approaches	Recall questions on the strengths and weaknesses of each legislature, the filibuster, and how the three approaches explain the differences.	12
Comparing the executives: powers and selection	Recall questions on how each head of government is chosen and removed, and on the veto, executive orders, prerogative powers and treaty-making.	16
Comparing the executives: accountability and approaches	Recall questions on impeachment, oversight hearings, question time and confidence votes, and on how the three approaches read the difference.	19
Comparing the Supreme Courts: powers and appointments	Recall questions on where each court's powers come from, judicial review against declarations of incompatibility, and the two appointment processes.	20
Comparing rights protection and interest group litigation	Recall questions on the Bill of Rights against the Human Rights Act, how effective each is, and how interest groups use the courts in each country.	19
Comparing party systems and party ideas	Recall questions on two-party against multi-party politics, internal party unity, and what each of the four main parties stands for.	17
Comparing campaign finance and pressure groups	Recall questions on how campaigns are funded and regulated in each country and on the access points open to pressure groups.	12
Applying the three approaches to democracy and participation	Recall questions on how the rational, cultural and structural approaches each explain differences in participation, funding and party systems.	18
Comparative theories: rational, cultural and structural	Recall questions on what each of the three approaches focuses on and how each explains party systems and political behaviour.	15
Comparing the UK and US constitutions	The nature and sources of the UK and US constitutions, amendment, sovereignty, checks and balances, US federalism against UK devolution and its asymmetry, the protection of states and devolved bodies, convergence between the systems, and the structural, cultural and rational explanations.	15

Comparative Theories and the Uk-Us Comparison is 174 of the 2,101 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £8

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.