The Executive Exam Questions Ch5

CHAPTER 5

The Executive

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Canada, the formal executive consists of:
   1. senior bureaucrats and policy advisors
   2. the first minister and the cabinet
   3. the first minister and deputy minister
   4. the monarch and their representatives
2. In Canada, which branch of government includes the public service bureaucracy?
   1. the judicial branch
   2. the legislative branch
   3. the executive branch
   4. None of the above
3. What is the highest-ranking figure in a sovereign state, serving as its foremost ceremonial representative, known as?
   1. the head of delegation
   2. the head of government
   3. the head of state
   4. the head of federation
4. Who is Canada’s current head of state?
   1. the monarch
   2. the prime minister
   3. the longest-serving premier
   4. the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
5. Which of the following is true of the governors general in Canada?
   1. They are selected by the monarch on the advice of the Canadian prime minister.
   2. They are the monarch’s representative at the federal and provincial levels in Canada.
   3. They are elected by the members of the House of Commons.
   4. They are the head of government at the federal level.
6. Which of the following are examples of the duties of the governor general?
   1. granting royal assent by the symbolic signing of bills into laws
   2. reading the Speech from the Throne
   3. proclaiming that writs of election be issued
   4. All of the above
7. Each of the three territories has a ________ who serves as a representative of the ________.
   1. commissioner; monarch
   2. lieutenant governor; monarch
   3. commissioner; federal government
   4. councillor; hereditary chief
8. What is a republic?
   1. A system of government in which sovereignty is vested in the people, not the Crown.
   2. A system of government in which sovereignty is vested in the Crown, rather than the people.
   3. A system of government that was once very popular in Western nations but is now outdated.
   4. A system of government in which sovereignty is vested in an unelected, autocratic leader.
9. Support for Canada moving to a republican system of government is most pronounced in which province or territory?
   1. Quebec
   2. Alberta
   3. Newfoundland and Labrador
   4. Ontario
10. In Canada, what is the name of the highest-ranking official appointed by the Crown to lead the political executive at the federal level?
    1. head of government
    2. first minister
    3. prime minister
    4. All of the above
11. What is the executive body of prominent federal politicians and officials that typically advise the governor general?
    1. The Council of Lieutenant Governors
    2. The Privy Council
    3. The Governor General’s Council
    4. The Queens’ Counsel
12. In Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, the head of government is the ________ who is selected by ________.
    1. premier; the members of the legislature
    2. premier; the electorate
    3. commissioner; the governor general
    4. commissioner; premier
13. Since the 1950s, appointments to the position of governor general have alternated between:
    1. men and women
    2. different provinces
    3. different regions
    4. anglophones and francophones

1. Which of the following is not one of the many duties of the head of government in Canada?
   1. Reading the Speech from the Throne
   2. Fielding inquiries during Question Period
   3. Meeting with international and domestic counterparts in private and during summits
   4. Publicly explaining the government’s decisions and positions on issues

1. The influence of the Prime Minister’s Office and premiers’ offices over members of the governing caucus, including ministers, has been:
   1. decreasing slightly
   2. virtually non-existent
   3. relatively stable
   4. increasing
2. The cabinet is typically made up of ________ who are appointed by ________ on the advice of ________.
   1. members of the legislature; the monarch’s representative; the first minister
   2. members of the legislature; the first minister; the monarch’s representative
   3. members of the PMO; the first minister; the monarch’s representative
   4. members of the civil service; the monarch’s representative; the first minister
3. What is the political head of a government ministry, responsible for directing and overseeing the activities of its departments and agencies, boards, and commissions?
   1. director
   2. commissioner
   3. governor
   4. minister
4. A minister’s portfolio refers to which of the following?
   1. their areas of responsibility
   2. their collection of news stories
   3. their record of service or accomplishments in government
   4. None of the above
5. Which of the following is true of regional ministers?
   1. They are appointed by provincial governments to serve in the federal cabinet.
   2. They serve as the prime minister’s chief liaison with premiers and other regional actors.
   3. They are backbenchers who can use the opportunity to increase their political profile.
   4. They are unelected political staff who do not sit in cabinet
6. In addition to full ministers of the Crown, the political executive often features a pair of junior positions that exist outside the formal cabinet. These roles are:
   1. regional ministers and local ministers
   2. ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries
   3. backbenchers and legislative advisors
   4. legislative assistants and constituency assistants

1. What is the name of a rank-and-file member of the legislative assembly without cabinet responsibilities or other special legislative titles or duties?
   1. Backroomer
   2. Backscratcher
   3. Backrower
   4. Backbencher
2. What is a group of opposition party members responsible for holding ministers of the Crown to account for their actions?
   1. a shadow cabinet
   2. an understudy cabinet
   3. a kitchen cabinet
   4. an inner cabinet

1. What is a subgroup of cabinet members assigned to scrutinize a particular set of executive actions known as?
   1. cabinet committee
   2. inner cabinet
   3. shadow cabinet
   4. None of the above

1. What is the term used to describe the most powerful members of cabinet?
   1. shadow cabinet
   2. outer cabinet
   3. inner cabinet
   4. high cabinet
2. Which of the following tends to be true of Canadian cabinets compared to those in other countries?
   1. They are unusually large for the size of the legislature
   2. They almost always consist of members from a single political party
   3. They exercise greater authority over the legislative branch
   4. All of the above
3. Who is the highest-ranking public servant in the federal bureaucracy?
   1. CEO of the Prime Minister’s Office
   2. Chair of the Priorities and Planning Committee
   3. Clerk of the Privy Council
   4. President of the Treasury Board

1. Line departments:
   1. provide programs and services at an arm’s length from government.
   2. deliver policy, programs, and services under a particular portfolio.
   3. are overseen by elected trustees.
   4. None of the above
2. Deputy ministers are:
   1. junior members of cabinet
   2. senior officials in charge of government departments
   3. backbench members of the governing caucus
   4. members of the Official Opposition

1. The ________ ensures that all major cabinet decisions receive the support of at least half of those legislators present to vote.
   1. principle of cabinet solidarity
   2. principle of ministerial responsibility
   3. practice of first minister diplomacy
   4. confidence convention
2. Which of the following groups meets least frequently?
   1. the federal cabinet
   2. the Nova Scotia cabinet
   3. the full Privy Council
   4. the governor general and prime minister
3. Ministers are held accountable for the performance of their portfolios by:
   1. regular meetings with the governor general or lieutenant governor
   2. fielding questions in the legislature
   3. routine hearings before the Supreme Court of Canada
   4. All of the above
4. Which title is used to denote members of the Privy Council?
   1. Sir or Madam
   2. Sir or Lady
   3. Honourable
   4. Right Honourable
5. Which of the following is not one of the key powers or assets of first ministers in Canada?
   1. control over the political and legislative agenda
   2. command of the media’s attention
   3. control over patronage appointments
   4. the ability to name which party forms the official opposition
6. Which of the following is a symptom of the centralization of power in Canadian politics?
   1. the prime minister’s office steers the affairs of ministers’ offices
   2. the Clerk of the Privy Council steers the affairs of deputy ministers
   3. central agencies steer the affairs of line departments
   4. All of the above
7. Which of the following statements is false?
   1. A premier must resign if their party fails to capture the most seats in a general election.
   2. Governments must be replaced if their budgets are defeated in the House of Commons.
   3. Lieutenant governors have the authority to reject the advice of premiers.
   4. None of the above – a, b, and c are all true.
8. In Canada, the power of the executive is:
   1. not enumerated in the written constitution.
   2. concentrated in Britain.
   3. divided among hereditary, elected, and appointed leaders.
   4. subject to the approval of Indigenous leaders.
9. Which of the following is not a responsibility of the governor general?
   1. selecting a prime minister
   2. appointing all premiers
   3. reading the Speech from the Throne
   4. signing legislation into law
10. In Canada, _________ tend to support the continued role of the monarchy in Canadian democracy, while _________ tend to oppose it.
    1. progressives; conservatives
    2. Conservatives; Quebeckers
    3. New Democrats; tories
    4. republicans; Liberals
11. Which of the following offices is not occupied by the same person?
    1. the United Kingdom’s monarch
    2. Canada’s head of state
    3. Canada’s head of government
    4. Quebec’s head of state
12. Which of the following is not true of the Privy Council in Canada?
    1. The full Privy Council seldom meets.
    2. Privy Councillors are appointed for life.
    3. The federal cabinet is part of the Privy Council.
    4. The Privy Council was created to guide the decisions of the prime minister.
13. When it comes to forming a cabinet, premiers have the authority to:
    1. assign ministers to different portfolios
    2. appoint and swear-in each minister
    3. shuffle ministers into the shadow cabinet
    4. All of the above
14. Which of the following represents a recent trend in Canadian executives?
    1. there has been a steady and uninterrupted increase in the number of female premiers
    2. governors general have ceased making all public appearances
    3. cabinets in several jurisdictions have been more evenly balanced in terms of gender
    4. first ministers have begun deferring to governors general on policy matters
15. Which of the following cabinet committees is the most powerful at the federal level?
    1. Environmental Affairs and Climate Change
    2. Indigenous Relations
    3. Economic Policy
    4. Agenda, Results, and Communications
16. Under Canada’s system of responsible government, which of the following would result in the immediate fall of the government?
    1. The government’s budget fails to receive majority support in the House of Commons.
    2. The government’s motion to declare war is defeated in the Senate.
    3. The prime minister is found guilty of ethics violations.
    4. All of the above
17. Which of the following statements is correct?
    1. The governor general selects the head of government on the advice of the prime minister.
    2. The prime minister appoints the governor general on the advice of cabinet.
    3. The governor general appoints the lieutenant governor on the advice of the premier.
    4. All of the above
18. Which of the following is not a core element of responsible government in Canada?
    1. Ministers must never disagree publicly with a cabinet decision.
    2. Ministers must be elected members of the legislature.
    3. Ministers are responsible to the legislature for any misconduct that occurred within their departments prior to their appointment.
    4. Ministers may not publicly discuss debates within cabinet, even after they leave office.
19. Which of the following is a core function of the Privy Council Office?
    1. provide non-partisan advice to the prime minister and cabinet
    2. coordinate cabinet business
    3. ensure senior public servants understand the government’s directives

All of the above

1. Which of the following is a core function of the Treasury Board Secretariat?
   1. overseeing economic policy
   2. coordinate government spending
   3. regulate Canadian stock markets
   4. All of the above

1. Which of the following is a core function of the Department of Finance?
   1. articulating tax policy
   2. administering fiscal transfers to provinces
   3. regulating the banking industry
   4. All of the above
2. In Canada, central agencies:
   1. are run entirely by partisan staff
   2. report to the Minister of Justice
   3. coordinate with line ministries to deliver on the government’s agenda
   4. All of the above

True or False Questions

1. In Canada, the executive branch consists solely of the prime minister and cabinet.

1. In Canada, the head of state is accountable to the legislature.

1. Canada’s head of state is the king or queen holding the hereditary position of monarch.
2. Canada shares its head of government with over a dozen other countries.
3. Lieutenant governors are the monarch’s representatives in each province.
4. Premiers appoint lieutenant governors on the advice of the governor general.
5. The governor general can never refuse a prime minister’s advice.
6. Premiers have the appointment power to advise the monarch’s representative who should be appointed to the Senate.

1. In Canada, women tend to be appointed as ministers for social matters such as health and education.
2. First ministers may assign themselves portfolios within cabinet, including intergovernmental affairs or youth.
3. Governors general serve lifetime appointments in Canada.
4. There is no variation in the structure of provincial cabinet committees; they all must conform to the same model.
5. In Canada, most governments fall of their own volition, typically by asking the governor general or lieutenant general to dissolve the legislature and call an election.
6. Of the main central agencies in the federal government, only the PMO employs exclusively political staff; the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Department of Finance are staffed by non-partisan public servants.
7. A central agency is a coordinating body that steers government business across all departments.
8. The governor general appoints thirteen (13) lieutenant governors who serve as their most trusted policy advisors.
9. In Canada, prime ministers appoint governors general based primarily on partisan considerations.
10. Central agencies exist at the provincial and territorial level but not the federal level.

1. The governor general has the ability to replace a prime minister without calling a general election.

1. The term “premier” is not written in the Canadian constitution.
2. All matters requiring the signature of the governor general or lieutenant governor must be vetted by the full cabinet.
3. In Canada, a politician must have a seat in the legislature before they are eligible to become a minister.
4. All public servants in the Privy Council Office are highly partisan.
5. Deputy ministers must be elected before assuming their position.
6. By convention, ministers must resign their cabinet positions in the event of controversy.
7. Since the Letters Patent passed in 1947, governors general must always follow the advice of prime ministers, without exception.
8. Members of the Conservative Party tend to defend the monarchy’s role in Canadian democracy.
9. Ministers rely heavily on members of the non-partisan political service to handle affairs with citizens in their home constituencies.
10. In practice, there is no hierarchy around most cabinet tables in Canada; all ministers are endowed with the same amount of influence, including the first minister, who is simply primus inter pares (Latin for “first among equals”).
11. Regardless of the outcome of a general election, a prime minister remains head of government until the governor general appoints a replacement.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the historical role of the Privy Council and how does it function in practice today?
2. How does a politician become prime minister in Canada?

1. Identify the key aspects of the chief of staff’s position in the PMO.
2. Why have there been concerns raised recently over the influence of the Prime Minister’s Office and the premiers’ offices?
3. What are the five Ps of power exercised by first ministers in Canada?
4. Identify and contrast the roles of minister of state and the parliamentary secretary.
5. Why are cabinet shuffles a regular occurrence in Canadian politics?
6. Define and briefly outline the purpose of the confidence convention.
7. As it applies to responsible government in Canada, identify examples of matters of confidence.
8. Compare the roles of government departments and government agencies/boards/commissions.
9. Describe and state the significance of the King-Byng affair.
10. “In practice, Canada’s monarch reigns but does not rule, while first ministers rule but do not reign.” What is meant by this statement?
11. What are the main functions exercised by the political executive?

1. Define and contrast cabinet solidarity and ministerial responsibility.
2. What are the central functions of the Privy Council Office?
3. What are some of the major factors that go into deciding who is appointed to cabinet?
4. Why are some members of the legislature assigned to junior minister roles outside of cabinet?
5. Under Canada’s system of responsible government, describe the public’s role in holding political executives to account.
6. Describe the role of the Crown in responsible government.
7. What are central agencies, and what role do they play in Canadian government?

Essay Questions

1. What is meant by the presidentialization of Canadian politics? Is this something Canadians should be concerned about, on a federal and/or provincial level?

1. Explain the consequences of cabinet solidarity and ministerial responsibility for the quality of Canadian democracy.
2. Describe how Canada’s adoption of a republican system of government would alter the role and function of the executive.
3. To what extent are there effective checks on the political executive in Canada today?
4. What are the risks of assigning individual ministers too much authority within cabinet?