NOTE: The Prime Minister of the U.K. is appointed based on the fact that his/her party won the majority of seats in Parliament. In this month's election, the Conservative party won the most seats, but did not have a majority, therefore they formed a coalition with one of the other two main parties, the Liberal Democrat Party.

1. Who is the new prime minister of England (the United Kingdom)?

2. What is significant about the following information having to do with the U.K. election:
a) the coalition government
b) the new prime minister's age
c) the date of the next election
d) the hung Parliament (NOTE: a hung parliament is a parliament in which no party has won enough seats to control the parliament which would enable it to form the government)

3. a) Define coalition.
b) Why did the new prime minister (of the right-wing Conservative Party) form a coalition government with the left-wing Liberal Democrat party?

4. What actions does the coalition agreement commit the new government to take?

5. a) What Liberal Democrat policies does the agreement allow Conservatives to reject?
b) what Conservative policies does the agreement allow them to move forward on?