AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies Paper 1, June 2025: Question 4

7 marks · Medium difficulty · Short Answer

Identify who appoints the UK Prime Minister, name the two parliamentary chambers, and compare the roles of the UK and French Prime Ministers using Source C.

Practise this question

Question

The image shows three question parts: Question 04.1 asks which one of four options (Parliament, The Cabinet, The electorate, The monarch) appoints the UK Prime Minister (1 mark). Question 04.2 asks students to name the two chambers in the UK Parliament (2 marks). Question 04.3 provides Source C describing the semi-presidential system in France and four key bullet points regarding the French Prime Minister, and asks students to discuss two ways the UK Prime Minister's role is different (4 marks).
Question text

04.1 Which one of the following appoints the UK Prime Minister?

[1 mark]

Shade in the one correct answer.

A Parliament

B The Cabinet

C The electorate

D The monarch

04.2 Name the two chambers in the UK Parliament.

[2 marks]

04.3 Source C

The Prime Minister of France

France has a semi-presidential system which means it has a President and a

Prime Minister (PM).

The French PM:

• is appointed and dismissed by the President

• holds the second-highest position in the French government

• recommends cabinet ministers for appointment by the President

• runs the day-to-day domestic affairs of the government, whilst the President

is in charge of national security and foreign policy.

Using Source C, discuss two ways the UK Prime Minister’s role is different to the role

of the French Prime Minister.

[4 marks]

Extra space

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme The mark scheme provides answers for questions 04.1, 04.2, and 04.3. For 04.1: Correct answer is D The monarch (1 mark, AO1). For 04.2: Award 1 mark each for The House of Commons and The House of Lords (2 marks, AO1). For 04.3: 4 marks total (AO2), awarding 1 mark for identification of a difference and 1 mark for development (x2), with a comparison table contrasting the French PM's appointment, hierarchy, cabinet role, and scope of power against the UK Prime Minister.

Total

Qu Part Marking guidance

marks

04 1 Which one of the following appoints the UK Prime Minister? 1

Correct answer: D The monarch

AO1 = 1

Total

Qu Part Marking guidance

marks

04 2 Name the two chambers in the UK Parliament. 2

Award 1 mark for each correct answer (x2).

The House of Commons and The House of Lords – (accept ‘The

Commons’ and ‘The Lords’ as correct answers).

– – – JUNE 2025

AO1 = 2

Total

Qu Part Marking guidance

marks

04 3 Using Source C, discuss two ways the UK Prime Minister’s role is 4

different to the role of the French Prime Minister.

Indicative content

The candidate answer requires the application of knowledge regarding

the role of the Prime Minister in the UK to Source C. The Source

describes the role of the Prime Minister of France in relation to the

President of France. The candidate’s answer may therefore include the

following points.

How the UK Prime Minister’s role is

Source C different to the role of the French

Prime Minister

• The PM is appointed and • The leader of the party that wins

dismissed by the President. majority in a general election is

appointed as PM by the monarch.

If a PM resigns as leader of the

party, or is forced out through a

confidence vote or leadership

challenge, then a leadership

election is held by the members of

the party to select a new leader

who becomes the new PM.

• The PM holds the • The PM holds the highest office in

second-highest position in the UK. The PM is the principal

the French government. government figure in the House of

Commons.

• The PM recommends • The PM appoints their own

cabinet ministers for ministers which is a Cabinet of

14 appointment by the approximately 20 most senior

President. ministers in the Government who

lead on specific policy areas. The

PM chairs the Cabinet meetings

and the role of the PM within the

Cabinet gives them particular

powers over the decisions made by

the Cabinet.

• The PM runs the day-to-day • The PM is ‘first among equals’,

domestic affairs of the however, the PM can make all

government, whilst the major decisions and influences all

President is in charge of policy areas.

national security and foreign

policy.

Award marks for any other relevant answers.

Award 1 mark for identification of a difference– and 1 mark for – – JUNE 2025

development of each difference identified (x2).

Answers that simply reverse the statements should not gain marks unless 15

some explanation is offered.

AO2 = 4

How to answer it

UK Parliament & the Executive: Comparing Powers

WHAT THIS QUESTION TESTS

This set of questions assesses core knowledge of the UK constitution under the Politics and Participation unit:

  • AO1 (Recall): Constitutional role of the monarch in appointing the Prime Minister, and the structure of the UK's bicameral Parliament.
  • AO2 (Application & Comparison): Comparing executive powers between the UK parliamentary system and a foreign system (France's semi-presidential model) using a source text.
QUESTION 04.1 • 1 MARK

Appointment of the UK Prime Minister

Multiple-choice recall question (AO1)

✅ Correct Answer

D — The monarch

By constitutional convention, the King/Queen formally invites the leader of the political party that commands a majority in the House of Commons to form a government.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • The UK is a constitutional monarchy.
  • Although the monarch acts strictly on advice and has no political decision-making power, the formal authority to appoint the Prime Minister belongs to the Crown (Royal Prerogative).

❌ Common Error

Selecting "C The electorate": The British public does not vote directly for a Prime Minister. Voters vote for individual candidates to represent their local constituency as Members of Parliament (MPs).

Mark Scheme: Award 1 mark for shading option D. Any other option receives 0 marks.
QUESTION 04.2 • 2 MARKS

Chambers of the UK Parliament

Direct factual recall (AO1)

✅ Correct Answer

  1. House of Commons (or "The Commons")
  2. House of Lords (or "The Lords")

💡 Key Knowledge

  • The UK Parliament is bicameral (two-chamber system).
  • House of Commons: 650 elected MPs who debate bills, vote on taxation, and hold ministers accountable.
  • House of Lords: Unelected peers (life peers, hereditary peers, bishops) who scrutinise and revise legislation.

❌ Common Errors

  • Confusing Parliament with Government by writing "The Cabinet" or "Downing Street".
  • Writing "The Monarchy" — the monarch is part of Parliament formally as the Crown, but is not a chamber.
Mark Scheme: Award 1 mark for each correctly identified chamber up to a maximum of 2 marks.
QUESTION 04.3 • 4 MARKS

Comparing the UK Prime Minister and French Prime Minister

Source-based comparative analysis (AO2)

🧠 Exam Technique: How to Score 4/4

This is marked as (1 mark for identification + 1 mark for development) × 2.

  • Step 1: Identify a feature of the French PM's role directly from Source C.
  • Step 2: Explain clearly how the UK Prime Minister's role is different using your own knowledge of UK politics.
  • Crucial Warning: Simply stating the opposite (e.g. "The French PM is dismissed by the President, but the UK PM is not") scores 0 marks for development. You must explain how the UK system actually operates!
French PM (From Source C) UK PM (Your Developed Knowledge)
Rank / Status:
Holds the second-highest position in government under the President.		 Difference (Highest Office):
The UK PM holds the highest political executive office in the country and is the head of the UK Government.
Appointing Ministers:
Only recommends cabinet ministers, who are formally appointed by the President.		 Difference (Full Patronage):
The UK PM directly chooses and appoints all Cabinet ministers (around 20 senior ministers) and chairs Cabinet meetings.
Policy Scope:
Runs day-to-day domestic affairs, while the President leads foreign and security policy.		 Difference (All Policy Areas):
The UK PM directs both domestic and foreign policy, represents the UK abroad, and authorizes military action.
Appointment & Dismissal:
Is appointed and can be dismissed at will by the President.		 Difference (Electoral / Party Mandate):
The UK PM is the leader of the governing party; they are removed via general election loss, internal party leadership challenge, or a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

✅ Model Answer: Difference 1 (2 Marks)

Point (1 mark): Source C states that the French PM holds the second-highest position in government behind the President.

Development (1 mark): In contrast, the UK Prime Minister holds the single highest executive office in the UK government and is the principal political leader in the House of Commons.

✅ Model Answer: Difference 2 (2 Marks)

Point (1 mark): Source C mentions that the French PM only recommends cabinet ministers for appointment by the President.

Development (1 mark): In the UK, the Prime Minister has direct patronage powers to personally appoint and dismiss all Cabinet ministers who lead government departments.

❌ Examiner Trap

Candidates often lose marks by copying all 4 bullet points from the source without adding any accurate UK knowledge. You will only get credit if you show both sides of the contrast.

Mark Scheme: 1 mark for identification of a difference + 1 mark for development of that difference (×2). Total = 4 marks (AO2).

Topics

3.4 Politics and participation · 3.4.1 Where does political power reside in the UK and how is it controlled? · 3.4.3 Where does political power reside: with the citizen, parliament or government?

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies examination, Paper 1, June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.