Deck 12: Political Parties

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the responsible party model?

A) Each party should present a coherent set of programs to the voters, consistent with its ideology and clearly different from those of the other party.
B) The candidates for each party should pledge to support their party's platform and to implement their party's program if elected.
C) Voters should make their choices based on which party's program most closely reflects their own ideas and hold the parties responsible for unkept promises by voting their members out of office.
D) While governing, each party should exercise control over its elected officials to ensure that party officials are promoting and voting for its programs, thereby providing accountability to the voters.
E) Each party should act in a polarized fashion to such an extent that their behavior impedes government functions.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Parties help to overcome the problem of ______ created by the Constitution.

A) the threat of tyranny
B) an overly powerful national government
C) overly powerful state governments
D) a weak national government
E) fragmented government

Answer 2

E

Question 3

All of the following statements concerning party identification in the electorate are true EXCEPT this one:

A) Most people who are registered members of a party work actively for their party organization.
B) Most voters who identify with a party identify with the same party as their parents.
C) The percentage of the electorate identifying themselves as independents grew substantially in the 1970s and 1980s.
D) Most people who identify with a party regularly vote for that party in elections.
E) The percentage of voters identifying with the Democratic Party has dropped significantly from its high in the 1950s.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to James Madison,political parties were ______.

A) the organizations that would link citizens to government
B) a dangerous version of factions
C) not likely to become influential until after the writers of the Constitution died
D) the organizations that would potentially develop policy agendas for the new American democracy
E) unlikely to become influential in American politics

Question 5

Political gridlock occurs when ______.

A) too many individuals from opposing political parties agree on an issue, thereby doing away with political diversity
B) rival parties stubbornly refuse to budge from their positions to achieve a compromise in the public interest
C) too many bills are waiting to be passed because Congress is not in session
D) incumbents keep getting reelected
E) no incumbents get reelected

Question 6

The statement that third parties are irrelevant in modern-day politics is ______.

A) truer than ever in today's political landscape
B) less accurate than in the past due to the Tea Party victories of the 2010 midterm elections
C) false and has always been false
D) has only ever applied to Europe
E) none of the above

Question 7

Primary voters,party activists,and big-money donors ______.

A) tend to push for more moderate candidates in primaries so that they will have a better chance of winning the general election
B) make up the party organization
C) tend to be more ideological and issue oriented than the voters in the general election
D) are less likely than independent voters to vote
E) work for party bosses

Question 8

Which of the following questions is NOT one that needs to be asked by a critical reader of party platforms?

A) Whose platform is it, and what do you know about that party's basic political positions?
B) Do public opinions polls show this party's platform was the one supported by the voters at the time it was written?
C) Who is the audience?
D) What statements reflect values, and which are statements of fact?
E) What is your reaction to the platform?

Question 9

Party activists are important to the parties for all of the following reasons EXCEPT this one:

A) They provide the base of votes from which candidates build majorities to win elections.
B) They are able to exert power over the nomination of candidates.
C) They force potential candidates to take issue positions consistent with their beliefs.
D) They are the source of the drive to capture moderate voters and win elections.
E) They put pressure on members of the party in Congress to vote on the basis of the party's ideology.

Question 10

The rank-and-file members who carry out the party's electioneering efforts are the ______.

A) party activists
B) party-in-the-electorate
C) party delegates
D) party bosses
E) party radicals

Question 11

The party that usually gets the most votes is the party that ______.

A) best appeals to moderate voters
B) best appeals to its base
C) has the most innovative program
D) appeals to a mix of conservative and liberal voters
E) mobilizes the most conservative voters

Question 12

Why would the two American parties feel the need to take more extreme issue positions?

A) because more extreme positions on issues will be more likely to receive press coverage
B) because most general election voters hold extreme positions on issues
C) to usurp support for third parties
D) to satisfy the party activists
E) so that they don't appear to flip-flop on issues

Question 13

The argument for the responsible party model is that democracy is strengthened when ______.

A) voters are given clear alternatives and hold parties responsible for their promises
B) politicians have the flexibility to take individual positions on issues, regardless of their party
C) voters vote for the candidate, not the party
D) there are only two parties
E) the character of the candidates is more important than their policy positions

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT true regarding issue positions of the major parties?

A) Democrats want "more services" over "cutting government spending."
B) Democrats are more likely than Republicans to advocate for gun control and reasonable regulation
C) Republicans are more likely than Democrats to oppose abortion.
D) Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that defense spending should be increased.
E) Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that government should let each person get ahead on his or her own rather than guaranteeing jobs and standards of living.

Question 15

The major source of money for party fundraisers comes from ______.

A) individual donors
B) economic interest groups
C) individual donors and party officials
D) public interest groups
E) foreign donors and public interest groups

Question 16

The responsible party model ______.

A) weakens the link between voters and officials
B) makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions
C) causes campaigns to be less negative
D) makes legislatures less divisive
E) decreases political efficacy

Question 17

Since the 1960s,______.

A) Republicans and Democrats have become more consistent with respect to their ideologies
B) both Republicans and Democrats have become more conservative
C) southern Democrats have grown in number, making the Democratic Party more liberal
D) both Republicans and Democrats have leaned liberal
E) the Republican Party has been much less consistent than the Democratic Party with respect to ideology

Question 18

The Democratic Party has become more liberal and the Republican Party more conservative because of the ______.

A) movement of conservative New Englanders and New Yorkers into the Republican Party
B) growing influence of the Republican Party in the industrial Midwest
C) growth of Democratic influence with liberals of the Rocky Mountain area
D) movement of conservative, southern Democrats to the Republican Party
E) growing influence of the Democratic Party in the West

Question 19

Parties appeal to moderate voters by doing all of the following EXCEPT this:

A) publicly denouncing the more extreme wing of their own party
B) not publicly endorsing positions they may like but know that moderates reject
C) emphasizing issues they know are popular with moderates
D) reframing issues in ways that are more palatable to voters
E) changing positions that have been rejected by moderates

Question 20

The party ______ are the members of a political party who consistently vote for that party's candidates.

A) base
B) organization
C) core
D) factions
E) platform

Question 21

Patronage was once important to political parties because ______.

A) it created a more disciplined party-in-government
B) it ensured an army of supporters and workers for elections
C) it created a stronger party organization
D) it simplified the issue of hiring people after an election
E) members of the other party would be unemployed

Question 22

In a(n)_______,registered party members,rather than party bosses,nominate party candidates.

A) straw poll
B) referendum
C) party primary
D) general party election
E) initiative

Question 23

Partisan eras are characterized by ______.

A) short bursts of partisan activity that create gridlock in Congress
B) a reduction in partisan bickering in government
C) stability in the issues that are important and in the divisions in the public between the parties
D) party machines becoming dominant in politics
E) the reduction of partisan identification among the electorate

Question 24

The two functions of parties are ______.

A) lobbying and fundraising
B) electioneering and lobbying
C) fundraising and governing
D) electioneering and governing
E) lobbying and governing

Question 25

An election signaling a significant change in popular allegiance from one party to another is a ______ election.

A) party era
B) critical
C) dealignment
D) realignment
E) transformational

Question 26

A critical election leads to a(n)______.

A) realignment
B) increase in political efficacy
C) dealignment
D) party machine's demise
E) responsible party system

Question 27

The current state of American political parties can be described as ______.

A) being in a period of incremental realignment
B) being in a period of dealignment only
C) being in a period of realignment only
D) fitting no descriptors mentioned in the chapter
E) being in a period of dealignment only in local elections

Question 28

Which of the following statement is NOT true regarding party machines?

A) Party machines were strongest in rural areas.
B) Party machines guaranteed people's support through patronage.
C) Party machines came under attack from reformers in the early 1900s.
D) Party bosses had complete control over the nomination process.
E) Party machines originated with the Jacksonian Democrats.

Question 29

Which of the following regions is NOT a stronghold of the Republican Party today?

A) the West
B) the Northeast
C) the Midwest
D) the mountain states
E) the South

Question 30

The election of 1828 was significant to the development of electoral politics because ______.

A) it was the first election in which mass participation occurred
B) it was the first election in which parties used primaries to nominate their candidates
C) it solidified the power of those who supported a strong national government over those who supported a strong state government
D) it brought to an end the First Party Era
E) a candidate won the popular vote but not the electoral vote

Question 31

The current party era is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT this:

A) the massive migration of white southerners to the Republican Party
B) a weakening in party identification among voters
C) a shift among African Americans from limited support of the Democratic Party to overwhelming support of that party
D) the emergence of third parties, such as the Tea Party movement and FreedomWorks
E) the emergence of the South as the most reliably Republican region of the country

Question 32

The two main advantages of incumbents in elections are that they have name recognition and ______.

A) are more likely to have the president's support
B) have the time to start a campaign early
C) have previously assembled a winning coalition in their district
D) are less likely than challengers to have scandals covered in the media
E) usually have a closer relationship with the media than their challengers

Question 33

All of the following statements concerning party machines are true EXCEPT this one:

A) Their goal was to take advantage of the expansion of voting rights to all white men in the early nineteenth century.
B) Their activities had the consequence of integrating masses of new immigrants into the political process.
C) They were characterized by central control by a party leader or boss.
D) They dominated party primary elections.
E) They were exceptionally strong in urban areas.

Question 34

Party organizations engage in recruiting candidates ______.

A) for all races
B) for high-profile seats, such as U.S. Senate seats or governorships
C) for races they probably cannot win
D) for races they think they can win but that are not attractive to ambitious politicians
E) for all seats not held by their party

Question 35

Electioneering refers to ______.

A) the use of the courts to decide a close election
B) the process of a president campaigning for members of his political party
C) the false counting of votes conducted by many party machines in the Third Party Era
D) groups providing financial support to candidates they favor
E) the process of getting a person elected to public office

Question 36

The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is called ______.

A) the civil service system
B) patronage
C) the party machine
D) electioneering
E) party benefits

Question 37

All of the following statements are true of party eras EXCEPT this one:

A) The periods of stability that mark party eras have lasted around twenty-five to forty years.
B) Throughout American history, the balance of parties has usually resulted in different parties controlling the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.
C) Changes from one era to another are often marked by a critical election.
D) Realignments have been precipitated by major events such as the Civil War and the Great Depression.
E) The changes from one era to another are marked by a shift in party dominance called a realignment.

Question 38

Realignment refers to a ______.

A) substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy direction
B) period of time when party activists become less ideological
C) trend among voters to identify themselves as third-party members rather than as members of a major party
D) period of time when party members become more loyal to their political party
E) trend among voters to identify themselves as independents rather than as members of a major party

Question 39

Party officials complain about the open primary because ______.

A) too many voters are likely to participate
B) too many candidates can get their names on the ballot
C) party members who haven't paid their dues can still vote
D) there are too many write-in votes
E) members of the other party can get involved in the nomination process

Question 40

Realignments are significant because they ______.

A) show the strength of third parties, given that third parties often are the reason behind the realignments
B) are a sign that people are happy with the status quo
C) usually result in a change in policy direction
D) usually benefit the Republican Party
E) are an indication that partisanship is weakening

Question 41

The rank-and-file members who carry out the party's electioneering efforts are the party affiliates.

Question 42

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the American party system?

A) American parties are more ideologically extreme than many of their European counterparts.
B) American parties have recently increased their party discipline.
C) American party organizations are decentralized.
D) The lack of success of third parties in the United States is the result of election rules.
E) Third parties occasionally have had a dramatic impact on presidential election outcomes.

Question 43

All of the following statements concerning parties in American democracy are true EXCEPT this one:

A) They help provide a linkage between voters and elected officials.
B) They help to unify a fragmented government.
C) They provide a voice for the opposition to official government policy.
D) They have become an impediment to the operation of modern democracy.
E) They differ from interest groups in that they seek to nominate and elect officials to public office.

Question 44

The central actors in the party-in-government comprise the president,the ______,the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate,party whips in Congress,and state governors.

A) Secretary of State
B) citizen activist groups
C) Vice President
D) Speaker of the House

Question 45

The responsible party model makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions.

Question 46

The party base are the members of a political party who consistently vote for that party's candidates.

Question 47

Since party activists tend to be more extreme in their ideologies,they pull party policy agendas ______.

A) back to their extremes
B) toward a much more moderate stance
C) to a point where they appeal to the moderates
D) none of the above
E) all of the above

Question 48

American political parties are decentralized for all of the following reasons EXCEPT this one:

A) The nature of the federal electoral structure leads to decentralization.
B) Americans resist efforts of the parties to become more centralized.
C) Federalism leads to decentralization.
D) U.S. party organizations do not control the nomination process.
E) States write the laws that dictate party structure.

Question 49

Media coverage of the general election process has ______.

A) led to citizens being less informed
B) made campaigns more candidate centered
C) made campaigns more interest group centered
D) had little impact other than to increase the costs of elections
E) made campaigns more party centered

Question 50

The third party mentioned in the text that had a significant impact on the 2010 midterm elections is the ______.

A) Green Party
B) Tea Party
C) Rainbow Party
D) World Socialist Party
E) American Workers

Question 51

The party organization is essential because it ______.

A) increases party discipline
B) provides a solid base of support for party candidates
C) helps party candidates win elections
D) prevents strong third parties from emerging
E) translates the wishes of voters into policy

Question 52

Parties take part in selecting candidates to run for office by engaging in all of the following EXCEPT this:

A) providing the bulk of the money candidates use to run for office
B) recruiting candidates to be nominees
C) taking part in primary elections
D) holding conventions
E) defining the party policy agenda

Question 53

According to the textbook,the relationship between citizens and parties today is best reflected by ______.

A) citizens' growing dissatisfaction with parties because moderates find themselves poorly represented and frustrated at the emergence of hyperpartisanship
B) party allegiance strengthening
C) a majority of young people registering as Republicans
D) citizen ambivalence about the relevance of major parties
E) citizens rejecting the moderate positions of the two major parties

Question 54

The party activity of governing involves ______ and ______.

A) partisan bickering; serving the self-interest of politicians
B) controlling government; enacting the party's policy agenda
C) avoiding tough decisions; taking popular stands on issues
D) attracting donations for the next election; recruiting candidates
E) campaigning; legislating

Question 55

In contrast to the ideas of James Madison,political observers today argue that political parties ______.

A) are a danger to the smooth functioning of democracy
B) are essential to the maintenance of democracy
C) are no longer necessary
D) should regulate democracy in place of the government
E) should be strongest at the local level

Question 56

One impact of televising the national conventions is that ______.

A) national conventions are more ideological to appeal to more factions of the public
B) national conventions have become the showcases of advertisers
C) national conventions run longer only to take advantage of the television coverage
D) political parties choreograph events during prime time
E) citizen interest in the presidential nominating process has increased

Question 57

Parties help to overcome the problem of ______ created by the Constitution.

A) fragmented government
B) representation
C) redistricting
D) the two-party system

Question 58

The positive aspect of partisanship is that it ______.

A) promotes cooperation among politicians
B) allows candidates to spend less time fundraising and more time passing legislation
C) prevents either party from becoming too strong and dominant
D) keeps politicians honest and allows the best political ideas and policies to emerge
E) keeps political gridlock from occurring

Question 59

Loyalty to a political cause or party is known as ______.

A) fealty
B) allegiance
C) partisanship
D) devotion

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT a reason the United States has a two-party system?

A) The American public strongly supports a two-party system.
B) The United States has experienced few serious political splits stemming from divisive issues such as religion or social conflict.
C) The United States does not allocate its legislative seats proportionally.
D) U.S. laws make it difficult for third parties to get placed on the ballot.
E) The United States has rules that often keep third-party candidates out of debates.

Question 61

Why can party organizations be described as fragmented?

Question 62

The party activity of governing involves ______ and enacting the party's policy agenda.

Question 63

What three reasons do scholars give to explain how parties help maintain democracy?

Question 64

Do political parties in the United States live up to the responsible party model? Why or why not?

Question 65

The party organization consists of ______ who govern the party; the party-in-government consists of ______ who are members of the party; and the party-in-the-electorate consists of ______ who identify with the party.

Question 66

What are the philosophies,generally speaking,of the Democratic and Republican Parties today?

Question 67

What factors have led to (and helped maintain)the U.S.two-party system? Is this system preferable,or should America have a multiparty system?

Question 68

The ability of party leaders to bring party members in the legislature into line with the party program is known as ______.

Question 69

What are the four conditions of a responsible party?

Question 70

Trace the history of the American political parties.Discuss the key events that took place during each party era,which parties were involved,and what led to a new party era.Finally,discuss the controversy over whether the United States has entered a Sixth Party Era.

Question 71

In a(n)______,registered party members rather than party bosses nominate party candidates.

Question 72

A(n)______ is a substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups,usually resulting in a change in policy direction.

Question 73

According to ______,political parties are a dangerous version of factions.

Question 74

What are the elements of the responsible party model? How well does the American party system meet this model? To the degree that the American system does not meet the model,why is this true? Would our political system be better or worse if the American party system met the standards of the responsible party model?

Question 75

Political parties generally have two roles: electioneering and governing.Explain how the parties perform each of these roles.

Question 76

What are the two main activities of party organizations?

Question 77

An election signaling a significant change in popular allegiance from one party to another is a(n)______ election.

Question 78

Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a divided government and a unified government.

Question 79

Candidates for elective office in the United States are most often chosen in ______.

Question 80

The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is called ______.