VCE VCE Humanities and Social Sciences 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In VCE Geography, which term refers to the total goods and services produced within a country in a year, used to measure economic development?
- HDI
- GDP (Correct answer)
- CPI
- PPP
Correct answer: GDP
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the total monetary value of goods and services produced within a country in a given year, serving as a key economic indicator.
Question 2: In VCE Legal Studies, which term describes the legal principle where courts are bound by decisions of higher courts in the same hierarchy?
- Ratio decidendi
- Stare decisis (Correct answer)
- Obiter dictum
- Per incuriam
Correct answer: Stare decisis
Stare decisis (Latin: 'to stand by things decided') is the doctrine of precedent that requires lower courts to follow the legal principles established by higher courts.
Question 3: In VCE History: Revolutions, Lenin's 'April Theses' (1917) called primarily for:
- Support of the Provisional Government
- Immediate peace, land redistribution, and Soviet power (Correct answer)
- A constitutional monarchy for Russia
- Joining the Allied powers in World War I
Correct answer: Immediate peace, land redistribution, and Soviet power
Lenin's April Theses demanded immediate withdrawal from WWI, redistribution of land to peasants, and transfer of power to the Soviets, opposing the Provisional Government.
Question 4: In VCE Politics, which house of the Australian Parliament is known as the 'house of review'?
- The House of Representatives
- The Senate (Correct answer)
- The Joint Standing Committee
- The Legislative Assembly
Correct answer: The Senate
The Senate is called the 'house of review' because it scrutinises legislation passed by the House of Representatives and can propose amendments or block bills.
Question 5: In VCE Geography, what is the term for the process by which desert areas expand due to climate change and human activities?
- Salinisation
- Deforestation
- Desertification (Correct answer)
- Erosion
Correct answer: Desertification
Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
Question 6: In VCE History: 20th Century History, the Marshall Plan (1948) was primarily aimed at:
- Rebuilding war-torn European economies (Correct answer)
- Establishing NATO
- Containing Soviet expansion into Asia
- Providing military aid to Japan
Correct answer: Rebuilding war-torn European economies
The Marshall Plan was a US economic assistance programme designed to help rebuild Western European economies devastated by World War II, also aimed at preventing the spread of communism.
Question 7: In VCE Legal Studies, which type of law is created by the parliament and takes precedence over common law?
- Equity law
- Statute law (Correct answer)
- Case law
- Customary law
Correct answer: Statute law
Statute law (legislation) is enacted by Parliament and takes precedence over common law made by courts, as Parliament is the supreme law-making body.
VCE VCE Humanities and Social Sciences 2
In VCE Geography, which term refers to the total goods and services produced within a country in a year, used to measure economic development?