What does responsible government mean?

• A. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are accountable to Parliament and must maintain the confidence of the House.
• B. The Parliament has no oversight of government actions.
• C. The Judiciary appoints the Prime Minister.
• D. The Prime Minister cannot be removed by Parliament.

Answer: (A)

Responsible government means the Prime Minister and Cabinet are drawn from Parliament and must govern with the consent of Parliament, especially the House of Representatives. They are answerable to Parliament for their actions and policies, and they can be removed if the House loses confidence in them, typically through a vote of no confidence or after an election. This setup keeps those who govern linked to elected representatives and allows Parliament to hold the government to account. The other ideas don’t fit because Parliament does have oversight, the judiciary does not appoint the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister can be removed by Parliament if confidence is lost.