QUESTION 1 / 20 · POLITICAL SYSTEMSEasy
In a parliamentary system, who usually leads the government?
SYSTEMS EXPLORER
Five ways to run a country
The same job titles can mean very different things. Pick a system to see who actually leads, how they get the job, and how they can lose it.
HEAD OF STATEA president: both head of state and head of government
WHO LEADS THE GOVERNMENTElected separately from the legislature, usually by popular vote
HOW THEY CAN BE REMOVEDFixed term; removed early only by impeachment
KEY FEATUREStrong separation between president and legislature
EXAMPLESTHE TRADE-OFFStable fixed terms and a clear leader, but deadlock is common when president and legislature disagree.
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What this politics and government quiz covers, in short
Twenty multiple-choice questions on how governments work, four in each of five areas: political systems, elections and voting, institutions, rights and political ideas, and international organisations. It's about structures and history, not parties or current politicians.
Counts like EU membership are as of October 2026. The quiz is our own and not normed, so treat your score as a snapshot.
By What's Your IQ · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026- Format
- 20 multiple-choice questions, 4 options each
- Topics
- Systems, elections, institutions, rights, international bodies
- Bonus
- Compare 5 systems of government
- Stance
- Non-partisan: no questions on current parties or politicians
1893New Zealand became the first self-governing country where women could vote in national electionsA petition signed by nearly a quarter of the country's adult women helped win it. Women couldn't stand for parliament there until 1919.
1215Magna Carta.The idea that even a king is bound by law.
1748The Spirit of the Laws.Montesquieu argued liberty needs power split between separate branches.
1789The US Constitution.Put separation of powers and checks and balances into a written national framework.
1948Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The first global statement of rights every person holds, regardless of government.
- Montesquieu. (1748). De l'esprit des lois [The spirit of the laws]. Geneva.
- Lijphart, A. (2012). Patterns of democracy: Government forms and performance in thirty-six countries (2nd ed.). Yale University Press.