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Difficulty: HardParliamentary Democracy

In the United Kingdom's system of parliamentary democracy, a government can only remain in office if it retains the 'confidence' of the House of Commons. What is the expected constitutional outcome if the government is defeated on a major issue or loses a formal vote of no confidence?

  1. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are expected to resign or request a general election, as they no longer have a democratic mandate.Answer
  2. B
    The Monarch assumes direct political control of the country and issues emergency decrees until the next scheduled election.
  3. C
    The House of Lords takes over the administration of the government and appoints its own members to the Cabinet.
  4. D
    The Official Opposition automatically becomes the government without the need for a general election or a formal appointment process.

Answer

The correct answer is that the Prime Minister and Cabinet are expected to resign or request a general election, as they no longer have a democratic mandate.
In a parliamentary democracy, the executive (the Government) is drawn from and accountable to the legislature (Parliament). If the House of Commons—the elected chamber—formally withdraws its support through a vote of no confidence or by defeating a major government policy, the government loses its legitimate authority to rule. Consequently, the Prime Minister usually resigns or seeks a new mandate by calling a general election.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core requirement for a government to stay in power in the UK.
The government must have the support of a majority of members in the House of Commons.
This is the fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy where the executive is accountable to the elected legislature.
2
Evaluate the result of a loss of that support (a 'no confidence' scenario).
The constitutional convention dictates that the government can no longer function without the support of the Commons.
Without a majority, the government cannot pass its budget or legislation, making it impossible to govern effectively.
3
Select the appropriate constitutional remedy.
The Prime Minister must either resign to allow someone else to try and form a government or ask the Monarch to dissolve Parliament for an election.
Both paths ensure that the principle of democratic consent is restored.

Key Concept

Parliamentary Confidence and Executive Accountability
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Parliamentary Democracy

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