Deck 5: Political Parties: Texas in Blue and Red

Question 1

Recruiting candidates to run for office is typically done by

A) the local media.
B) the state government.
C) party officials.
D) the national government.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is not a basic function of political parties?

A) Assisting voters
B) Facilitating party goals
C) Organizing government by structuring and controlling government
D) Ensuring legislation passes

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A political philosophy that believes in limited government, free markets, and individual entrepreneurship is

A) conservatism.
B) liberalism.
C) socialism.
D) communism.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Voters, especially less politically involved ones, often use _______ to determine how to vote.

A) party labels
B) the New York Times
C) free resources
D) educational seminars

Question 5

A political philosophy that emphasizes social equality and a large role for government to protect liberties and alleviate social problems is

A) conservatism.
B) liberalism.
C) socialism.
D) communism.

Question 6

Since the 1980s, _______ has become a stronger predictor of party identification.

A) ideology
B) occupation
C) hair color
D) right- or left-handedness

Question 7

During elections, political parties fire up their turnout machines to get loyal voters to the polls to support party-endorsed candidates. This is because _______ is critical to electoral victory.

A) radio time
B) turnout
C) political sophistication
D) leadership

Question 8

Strongly committed members of a party are called

A) jingoists.
B) staff members.
C) partisans.
D) loyalists.

Question 9

Which type of voter tends to volunteer more of their time and money and is more likely to turn out to vote in party primaries and other elections?

A) Partisans
B) Liberal-democrats
C) Moderates
D) Party voters

Question 10

The distribution of authority between national, state, and local party organizations so that each level exercises a degree of independent authority is referred to as

A) layer-cake distribution.
B) centralization.
C) localized power.
D) decentralization.

Question 11

Every two years, each political party sets its agenda at the

A) party convention.
B) party conference.
C) party retreat.
D) regular session of the state legislature.

Question 12

A list of values, beliefs, and policy issues that are endorsed and supported by a political party is known as a

A) party platform.
B) party convention.
C) party plank.
D) word cloud.

Question 13

_______ are elected in the party's primary and serve two years. They recruit volunteers, coordinate campaign workers during elections, and participate in get-out-the-vote and voter registration drives at the local level.

A) Party chairs
B) County chairs
C) Precinct chairs
D) State party chairs

Question 14

_______ recruit candidates to run for local or regional offices, act as a spokesperson for local issues, manage the funds of the local party, and serve with precinct chairs on the county executive committee.

A) Party chairs
B) County chairs
C) Precinct chairs
D) State party chairs

Question 15

The _______ develops and communicates the party's brand to the voters, and raises and manages political funds for the party for the entire state.

A) party chair
B) county chair
C) precinct chair
D) state party chair

Question 16

Every two years, the party hosts _______ to decide how the party functions and to set the political agenda.

A) platforms
B) conventions
C) fundraisers
D) state dinners

Question 17

The most local level of a political party is the

A) state chair.
B) county chair.
C) precinct chair.
D) state party convention.

Question 18

Over the past 40 years, Democrats have _______ power in the South.

A) gained
B) lost
C) barely held on to
D) consolidated

Question 19

What was one of the original goals of the Tea Party?

A) Relief from taxation
B) Bringing troops home from abroad
C) Upholding traditional marriage
D) Reducing violent crime in inner cities

Question 20

Which political party controlled the legislature in Texas throughout the 1990s?

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) Tea Party members
D) Libertarians

Question 21

A political party recruits new members and places them in leadership positions. This is called

A) developing party blood.
B) expanding the party vision.
C) the spoils system.
D) staying relevant.

Question 22

Compared to the nation writ large, support for the Tea Party in Texas is

A) non-existent.
B) about the same.
C) lower.
D) higher.

Question 23

Which party dominated Texas for more than 130 years after the Civil War?

A) The Whigs
B) Republicans
C) Democrats
D) Federalists

Question 24

A federal economic recovery program in response to the Great Depression that stabilized the banking industry, created jobs, promoted fair labor standards, and created a social welfare network was known as

A) the New Deal.
B) the Great Society.
C) the Obama Bailout.
D) the Bush Stimulus.

Question 25

In the 21^st century, which party largely dominates statewide elected offices and the state legislature?

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) Libertarians
D) Greens

Question 26

The sorting of the parties by ideology drove conservative Texans toward the _______ in recent years.

A) Democratic Party
B) Republican Party
C) Tea Party
D) None of the above

Question 27

The most recent rise of the Tea Party demonstrates that

A) fissures have developed within the Republican Party.
B) Republicans are generally ideologically united.
C) Democrats are generally ideologically united.
D) fissures have developed within the Democratic Party.

Question 28

How did Republicans take over state politics?

A) Running in local races in the 1960s
B) Investing heavily in statewide races in the 1960s
C) Convincing Democrats to join their party
D) Recruiting Republicans to move to Texas

Question 29

The redrawing of legislative districts to meet federal and state requirements is called

A) reapportionment.
B) redistricting.
C) legislating equality.
D) party centralization.

Question 30

The group of officials who draw the district lines if it were the case that the legislature was not able to agree is referred to as

A) The Legislative Redistricting Board
B) The Cincinnati Commission
C) The Texas Supreme Court
D) None of the above

Question 31

A process of manipulating district boundaries to benefit a single group is referred to as

A) redistricting.
B) reapportionment.
C) gerrymandering.
D) legislative redistricting.

Question 32

A legislative district is drawn such that a given population is drawn into one district so that it doesn't influence surrounding districts. This is an example of

A) packing.
B) hijacking.
C) reapportioning.
D) cracking.

Question 33

A legislative district is drawn such that two incumbents must face each other in the upcoming election. This is an example of

A) packing.
B) hijacking.
C) reapportioning.
D) cracking.

Question 34

Given Texas's growing population, one possible outcome of the census is that Texas will

A) not have to reapportion.
B) gain additional congressional seats.
C) gain a new seat on the Texas Supreme Court.
D) lose congressional seats.

Question 35

Reapportionment is based on numbers gathered from

A) presidential election turnout.
B) the census.
C) municipal utility bills.
D) cell phone data.

Question 36

An elected official who changes parties during his or her time in office has engaged in

A) gerrymandering.
B) party switching.
C) dishonest campaigning.
D) voter deception.

Question 37

What kind of changes pushed conservative Democrats out of the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party?

A) Demographic changes
B) Financial changes
C) Ideological changes
D) Campaign law changes

Question 38

Most elected officials who switch parties are

A) Black.
B) Hispanic.
C) white men.
D) white women.

Question 39

As a result of gerrymandering, Texas's congressional delegation is now

A) mostly Libertarian.
B) evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
C) majority Republican.
D) majority Democratic.

Question 40

Electoral conflict that signals how successful one party is over another is referred to as

A) electoral success factors.
B) party competition.
C) state competition.
D) party conflicts.

Question 41

What do political scientists use to measure party competition?

A) The Ranney Index
B) The Duverger scale
C) Fundraising totals
D) DW Nominate Scores

Question 42

Redistribution of representation based on a counting of residents every 10 years is called

A) reapportionment.
B) local control.
C) the census.
D) party accounting.

Question 43

A legislative district is drawn such that a given population is spread over several districts to reduce its influence. This is an example of

A) packing.
B) hijacking.
C) reapportioning.
D) cracking.

Question 44

Third parties often have the most success in _______ elections.

A) congressional
B) national
C) local
D) statewide

Question 45

Third parties often

A) become major parties.
B) expose corruption.
C) have their ideas incorporated into the major parties.
D) elect a handful of members to the state legislature.

Question 46

A system in which whatever candidate wins the most votes wins the seat is referred to as

A) winner-take-all.
B) proportional representation.
C) libertarian.
D) Duverger's law.

Question 47

The rule that says "a winner-take-all electoral system generally leads to a two-party system" is referred to as

A) winner-take-all election.
B) proportional representation.
C) plurality rule.
D) Duverger's law.

Question 48

Which third party gained momentum in Texas in the 1970s, attracting voters usually tied to the Democratic Party?

A) The Libertarian Party
B) The Communist Party USA
C) The Green Party
D) La Raza Unida

Question 49

Which third party in Texas emphasizes free market economic principles and sometimes peels off votes from the Republican Party?

A) The Libertarian Party
B) The Communist Party USA
C) The Green Party
D) La Raza Unida

Question 50

Which third party emphasizes local control of communities, nonviolent resolution of disputes, and social justice?

A) The Libertarian Party
B) The Communist Party USA
C) The Green Party
D) La Raza Unida

Question 51

Explain "conservative" ideology.

Question 52

Explain "liberal" ideology.

Question 53

Explain "decentralization" in the context of political parties.

Question 54

Which party dominated Texas Politics for 130 years following the Civil War?

Question 55

What was the New Deal?

Question 56

What is party competition?

Question 57

What is redistricting?

Question 58

Explain the function of political parties.

Question 59

Describe how political parties are organized in Texas.

Question 60

What are some of the differences between the Republican and Democratic Parties in Texas?

Question 61

Describe the shift in power from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in Texas.

Question 62

How competitive are political parties in Texas? What contributes to this?