A multiple choice exercise

 

Choose the correct answer for each question based on a comparison of the British and Italian systems of government.

1. Who is the Head of State in the United Kingdom?

• a) The Prime Minister

• b) The President

• c) The Monarch

• d) The Speaker of the House of Commons

2. Who is the Head of State in Italy?

• a) The Prime Minister

• b) The President

• c) The King

• d) The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies

3. Which of the following best describes the UK’s form of government?

• a) Parliamentary Republic

• b) Presidential Republic

• c) Constitutional Monarchy

• d) Direct Democracy

4. Which of the following best describes Italy's form of government?

• a) Parliamentary Monarchy

• b) Parliamentary Republic

• c) Absolute Monarchy

• d) Federal Republic

5. How is the UK Parliament structured?

• a) One house, the House of Lords

• b) One house, the House of Commons

• c) Two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords

• d) Two houses: the House of Deputies and the Senate

6. How is the Italian Parliament structured?

• a) One house, the House of Commons

• b) Two houses: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

• c) One house, the Senate

• d) One house, the Chamber of Deputies

7. How are members of the UK House of Commons elected?

• a) By a proportional representation system

• b) By a single transferable vote

• c) By a first-past-the-post system in individual constituencies

• d) By a regional list system

8. How are members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies elected?

• a) By a first-past-the-post system

• b) By a proportional representation system with a mixed-member system

• c) By a single transferable vote

• d) By regional elections

9. What is the role of the Prime Minister in the UK?

• a) The head of the government, with executive powers

• b) The ceremonial leader with no real political power

• c) The head of the state

• d) The leader of the opposition party

10. What is the role of the Prime Minister in Italy?

• a) The head of the state

• b) The head of the government, but with less power than in the UK

• c) The ceremonial leader with no real political power

• d) The leader of the opposition party

11. Which country has a written constitution?

• a) The United Kingdom

• b) Italy

• c) Both the United Kingdom and Italy

• d) Neither the United Kingdom nor Italy

12. How is the judiciary in the UK structured?

• a) A strong, independent judiciary with no interference from the government

• b) Part of the executive branch of government

• c) The judiciary is subordinate to the monarch

• d) The judiciary is part of the legislative branch

13. How is the judiciary in Italy structured?

• a) A strong, independent judiciary with no interference from the government

• b) The judiciary is appointed by the Prime Minister

• c) The judiciary is subordinate to the President

• d) The judiciary is part of the legislative branch

14. Which of the following is true about the UK’s relationship with the European Union?

• a) The UK has never been a member of the European Union

• b) The UK left the European Union in 2020, following the Brexit referendum

• c) The UK has been part of the EU since 1957

• d) The UK is currently in a customs union with the EU

15. Which of the following is true about Italy’s relationship with the European Union?

• a) Italy is not a member of the European Union

• b) Italy was a founding member of the European Union

• c) Italy left the European Union in 2020, following the Brexit referendum

• d) Italy is in a customs union with the UK

---

Answer Key:

1. c) The Monarch

2. b) The President

3. c) Constitutional Monarchy

4. b) Parliamentary Republic

5. c) Two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords

6. b) Two houses: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

7. c) By a first-past-the-post system in individual constituencies

8. b) By a proportional representation system with a mixed-member system

9. a) The head of the government, with executive powers

10. b) The head of the government, but with less power than in the UK

11. b) Italy

12. a) A strong, independent judiciary with no interference from the government

13. a) A strong, independent judiciary with no interference from the government

14. b) The UK left the European Union in 2020, following the Brexit referendum

15. b) Italy was a founding member of the European Union

 

Schema Elizabeth I

 

Summary of the extract Rochester proposes to Jane

 

Summary of the extract- Big Brother is watching you

 

British system of government vs Italian system of government

 

Here’s a scheme outlining the key differences between the British and Italian systems of government:

Aspect	British System	Italian System
Type of Government	Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.	Parliamentary republic.
Head of State	Monarch  ( King Charles III)	President of the Republic (elected by Parliament, currently Sergio Mattarella)
Head of Government	Prime Minister (leader of the largest party in the House of Commons)	Prime Minister (appointed by the President of the Republic)
Executive Power	Exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Monarch's role is mostly ceremonial.	Executive power rests with the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The President of the Republic has a more ceremonial role.
Parliament	Bicameral: House of Commons and House of Lords.	Bicameral: Chamber of Deputies and Senate.
Upper House	House of Lords (members are appointed, hereditary, or bishops of the Church of England)	Senate (members are elected, some are appointed for life)
Lower House	House of Commons (members are elected by the public)	Chamber of Deputies (members are elected by the public)
Electoral System	First-past-the-post (FPTP) in general elections for the House of Commons.	Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system for both houses.
Duration of Terms	Fixed 5-year term for the House of Commons, but the Prime Minister can call elections earlier.	5-year term for the Chamber of Deputies, Senators serve 6 years (with half elected every 3 years).
Formation of Government	The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister.	The President appoints the Prime Minister based on parliamentary support.
Political Parties	Dominated by two main parties: Conservative Party and Labour Party.	Multi-party system with a range of parties (e.g., Partito Democratico, Lega, Forza Italia).
Judiciary	Independent, but no constitutional court; laws are interpreted by regular courts.	Independent judiciary with a Constitutional Court to interpret the constitution.
Constitution	Unwritten, based on statutes, conventions, and judicial decisions.	Written Constitution (Constitution of the Italian Republic, 1948)

Key Differences:

• Monarchy vs. Republic: The UK has a hereditary monarchy (symbolic head of state), whereas Italy has a republic with an elected president.
• Parliamentary vs. Presidential Role: The UK's monarchy plays a ceremonial role, while in Italy, the president holds more ceremonial powers, and the real executive power is in the hands of the prime minister and the cabinet.
• Electoral Systems: The UK uses a first-past-the-post system, while Italy uses a mixed system that combines proportional representation and majoritarian elements.
• Parliamentary Structure: Both countries have bicameral legislatures, but the UK’s upper house is unelected and hereditary (House of Lords), while Italy's Senate is elected.

Similarities
Both are parliamentary systems.
Both have ceremonial roles with limited executive powers.
Both have a Prime Minister as the head of government.
Both countries have a bicameral legislature.
Both countries have two legislative chambers.
Both hold regular elections for legislative bodies.
Different legal foundations, but both systems uphold rule of law.
Both have executives formed from the legislative body.
Both have foundational documents defining governance, though one is unwritten.
Both have independent judiciaries.
Both countries have multi-party systems with various coalitions.
Both countries have devolution of powers to regional governments.
Both have official websites for public information.
Both have embraced digital platforms for governance transparency.

 

Scheme: Similarities

Aspect	British System (UK)	Italian System (Italy)	Similarities
Form of Government	Parliamentary Monarchy	Parliamentary Republic	Both are parliamentary systems.
Head of State	Monarch (currently King Charles III)	President of the Republic (currently Sergio Mattarella)	Both have ceremonial roles with limited executive powers.
Head of Government	Prime Minister	Prime Minister	Both have a Prime Minister as the head of government.
Type of Parliament	Bicameral (House of Commons, House of Lords)	Bicameral (Chamber of Deputies, Senate)	Both countries have a bicameral legislature.
Main Legislative Bodies	House of Commons (elected) and House of Lords (appointed/hereditary)	Chamber of Deputies (elected) and Senate (elected, but senators can also be appointed)	Both countries have two legislative chambers.
Elections	Members of the House of Commons are elected (First-Past-The-Post)	Members of both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate are elected (Proportional Representation)	Both hold regular elections for legislative bodies.
Legal System	Common Law	Civil Law	Different legal foundations, but both systems uphold rule of law.
Executive Power	Held by the Prime Minister and Cabinet (members of Parliament)	Held by the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (appointed by the President)	Both have executives formed from the legislative body.
Constitution	No single written constitution (but key documents like the Magna Carta, Acts of Union, etc.)	Written Constitution (Constitution of 1948)	Both have foundational documents defining governance, though one is unwritten.
Judiciary	Independent judiciary, Supreme Court of the UK	Independent judiciary, Constitutional Court	Both have independent judiciaries.
Role of Political Parties	Major parties: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats	Major parties: Partito Democratico, Lega, Movimento 5 Stelle	Both countries have multi-party systems with various coalitions.
Devolution	Devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland	Regional governments (21 regions with varying degrees of autonomy)	Both countries have devolution of powers to regional governments.
Key Government Websites	gov.uk	gov.it	Both have official websites for public information.
Use of Technology	Parliamentary proceedings streamed, government services digitalized	Parliament sessions and services online	Both have embraced digital platforms for governance transparency.