Deck 9: Political Parties

Question 1

The movement of parties away from each other and toward more extreme issue positions is called

A) party caucusing.
B) partisan polarization.
C) partisan realignment.
D) party identification.
E) party politics.

Answer 1

partisan polarization.

Question 2

Nearly all members of Congress and all presidents (except George Washington) have won their offices

A) as Democrats.
B) as Independents.
C) as Republicans.
D) under a party label.
E) without a party label.

Answer 2

under a party label.

Question 3

Political parties differ from interest groups in that they

A) do not back specific policy positions.
B) do not try to expand their membership.
C) do not try to influence what the government does.
D) focus on elections and getting their own members elected to office.
E) often seek to expand their membership.

Answer 3

focus on elections and getting their own members elected to office.

Question 4

The three levels of political parties are the

A) party in the people, the party in structure, and the party in power.
B) party in the electorate, the party in organization, and the party in government.
C) party of the people, the party in organization, and the party in government.
D) party in the electorate, the party in structure, and the party in government.
E) party in the electorate, the party in organization, and the party in power.

Question 5

The chairpersons of the Republican and Democratic National Committees are part of the party

A) affiliation.
B) in Congress.
C) in government.
D) in the electorate.
E) organization.

Question 6

The voters who support a particular political party make up the party

A) affiliation.
B) in Congress.
C) in government.
D) in the electorate.
E) organization.

Question 7

The president and the Speaker of the House are a part of the party

A) affiliation.
B) in Congress.
C) in government.
D) in the electorate.
E) organization.

Question 8

What was the general attitude toward political parties at the time the Constitution was written?

A) Many framers of the Constitution believed parties would only serve narrow interests rather than the public good.
B) Most people felt that political parties would soothe animosities between factions.
C) Most people trusted party organizations.
D) The framers of the Constitution were generally in favor of political parties.
E) The framers of the Constitution insisted that the people organize parties.

Question 9

The Democratic-Republicans were organized by

A) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
B) Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
C) George Washington.
D) Benjamin Franklin.
E) Alexander Hamilton.

Question 10

Which early American political party typically favored strong state governments, a farm economy, and good relations with France?

A) American Party
B) Democrat-Republicans
C) Federalists
D) Progressives
E) Whigs

Question 11

Which early American political party typically favored a stronger federal government, an industrial economy, and good relations with Britain?

A) American Party
B) Democrat-Republicans
C) Federalists
D) Progressives
E) Whigs

Question 12

Partisan alignment is the pattern in which

A) regions, interests, or social groups tend to line up with one party or the other.
B) elected officials are seated in Congress.
C) officials are nominated by the party chairman.
D) the Supreme Court tends to favor one party or the other.
E) people tend to change their party affiliation with major events.

Question 13

Sudden partisan realignments have occurred with

A) Reconstruction and the Vietnam War.
B) the Civil War and the Depression.
C) the Civil War and the Vietnam War.
D) the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
E) World War I and the Depression.

Question 14

Throughout American politics, third parties have

A) been a major force in government.
B) dominated campaign debates.
C) been banned in most states.
D) never sustained a challenge to the two-party system.
E) made up a significant portion of congressional and presidential candidates.

Question 15

The greatest weakness of the Federalists as a party was that they

A) did not utilize newspapers in order to get their message out.
B) had far less money than the Democrat-Republicans.
C) had little foreign support.
D) had virtually no public support.
E) were not as adept at voter mobilization as the Democratic-Republicans.

Question 16

The _____________ caused many Americans to turn against the Federalists.

A) Embargo Act
B) Fugitive Slave Law
C) Sedition Act
D) Naturalization Act
E) Militia Act

Question 17

The presidential race in which Jefferson defeated Adams was the world's first

A) breakdown of government.
B) defeat of an incumbent.
C) democratically conducted national election.
D) political coup.
E) peaceful transfer of power as a result of a national election.

Question 18

The Democrat-Republicans were the only true national party during the

A) Era of Good Feeling.
B) Civil War.
C) Confederacy.
D) Great Depression.
E) Civil Rights Movement.

Question 19

During the "Era of Good Feeling," presidents were effectively chosen by

A) Congressional caucus.
B) state legislatures.
C) the electorate.
D) the House of Representatives.
E) the sitting president.

Question 20

When no candidate won a majority in the electoral college in 1824, the Twelfth Amendment stipulated that the president be selected by

A) Congressional caucus.
B) state legislatures.
C) the electorate.
D) the House of Representatives.
E) the sitting president.

Question 21

The granting of government jobs and favors to supporters is called

A) partisan alignment.
B) partisan polarization.
C) bribery.
D) political machines.
E) political patronage.

Question 22

Despite being based on selfish motives, political patronage under President Jackson had the positive impact of

A) creating a more extensive network for deliberation.
B) creating an army of workers who engaged their fellow citizens in public life.
C) giving more people a voice in choosing a presidential nominee.
D) isolating political deliberation to those who best understood the issues.
E) keeping the public from having to take time away from their own work to engage in public life.

Question 23

During which presidential administration did the development of national party conventions occur?

A) Adams
B) Jackson
C) Madison
D) Monroe
E) Van Buren

Question 24

Which party of the mid-nineteenth century called for internal improvements such as the federal financing of canals?

A) Democratic-Republicans
B) Federalists
C) Know-Nothings
D) Progressives
E) Whigs

Question 25

By the 1840s, the _______ dominated the two-party system.

A) Democratic-Republicans and Federalists
B) Democratic-Republicans and Progressives
C) Democrats and Republicans
D) Whigs and Democratic-Republicans
E) Whigs and Federalists

Question 26

The Democratic-Republicans came to prefer which name for their party?

A) Democrats
B) Federalists
C) Progressives
D) Republicans
E) Whigs

Question 27

The __________ split from the Whigs when some leaders fought the growing anti-immigration sentiment.

A) American Party
B) Democrats
C) Masons
D) Progressives
E) Republicans

Question 28

The American Party is also known as the

A) Progressives.
B) Know-Nothings.
C) Republicans.
D) Whigs.
E) Democrats.

Question 29

What party arose in 1854 with an anti-slavery platform?

A) Democrats
B) Know-Nothings
C) Progressives
D) Republicans
E) Whigs

Question 30

Because of different positions on the issue of slavery, in the 1860 election the Democratic Party

A) almost unanimously selected Stephen Douglas as their candidate.
B) chose to support Abraham Lincoln as their candidate.
C) dissolved.
D) joined forces with the Whigs.
E) split into three factions.

Question 31

Despite the tendency of newly-enfranchised black voters in the South to support Republican candidates in the years following the Civil War, why did the South become a Democratic stronghold?

A) Most of these new black voters moved to northern states.
B) Most Southern blacks did not have the time to devote to political participation.
C) Southern Democrats tended to align more with Republicans than with the rest of the Democratic Party.
D) Southern white Democrats found ways to keep blacks from voting.
E) There were just too few blacks in the South.

Question 32

Political power in the years following the Civil War was

A) dominated by various third parties.
B) fairly evenly divided between the parties.
C) of little importance in the government.
D) tipped toward the Democrats.
E) tipped toward the Republicans.

Question 33

Political machines most often took hold in

A) big cities.
B) rural areas.
C) the South.
D) the North.
E) coastal regions.

Question 34

The Populist Party was formed by

A) farmers who believed that both major parties were ignoring them.
B) former members of the Know-Nothings.
C) industrial workers who were tired of political machines.
D) southern white Democrats.
E) wealthy businessmen from the Northeast.

Question 35

Populists favored inflation of the currency because it would

A) artificially raise their income and make it easier to pay their debts.
B) decrease the prices factories could charge for their goods.
C) eliminate their debts.
D) force the railroads to lower their prices.
E) not affect industrial workers.

Question 36

The defeat of William Jennings Bryan, who ran on a pro-inflation platform, helped tip the party balance toward which party?

A) Whig
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Populist
E) Progressive

Question 37

Which former president ran as the Progressive Party's candidate in 1912?

A) Herbert Hoover
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Warren G. Harding
D) William Howard Taft
E) Woodrow Wilson

Question 38

Despite the Progressives' failure to gain strength as a major party, they did succeed in the adoption of

A) annual inflation of currency.
B) Congressional caucuses.
C) laws against soft money.
D) party ballots.
E) primary elections.

Question 39

The Australian ballot system used

A) government printed ballots listing all candidates.
B) open voting booths so each voter's choices were public.
C) party ballots listing only the candidates from one party.
D) political machines to get voters to the polls.
E) voter intimidation to ensure the "right" ballots were cast.

Question 40

The support base of the Democratic Party that took shape under Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration is called the

A) Democratic alliance.
B) Democratic initiative.
C) Democratic National Convention.
D) King Caucus.
E) New Deal coalition.

Question 41

Why did African Americans, who had typically voted Republican since the Civil War, switch to the Democratic Party in the twentieth century?

A) Many black voters were alienated by the Republican New Deal program.
B) Many were poor and attracted to the New Deal's economic programs.
C) Republicans turned away from their initial support of the civil rights movement.
D) Southern Democrats promised to do away with poll taxes and literacy tests in return for the loyalty of black voters.
E) The Republican administrations since the end of Reconstruction had steadily increased taxes on African Americans.

Question 42

What event marked the beginning of the end of the New Deal coalition?

A) Lyndon Johnson's landslide victory of 1964
B) Herbert Hoover's decisive victory of 1928
C) The beginning of World War II
D) Sudden successes in the civil rights movement
E) Franklin Roosevelt's death in 1945

Question 43

In the 1980s, the Republicans held the White House while the Democrats held control of the House of Representatives. This is an example of a

A) caucus.
B) divided government.
C) party realignment.
D) split ticket.
E) spoiler effect.

Question 44

One major reason for changes in the makeup of the parties is

A) changes in electoral procedures.
B) increases in inflation.
C) increases in the expenses of campaigns.
D) an evolving makeup of the citizenry.
E) the nomination of new candidates by Congressional caucuses.

Question 45

A voter in Arizona participates in the Democratic primary. His formal affiliation with the Democratic Party that allows him to participate in this closed primary is called his party

A) alignment.
B) ballot.
C) identification.
D) poll.
E) registration.

Question 46

Suppose a voter whose registration card is marked Republican, feels a stronger attachment to the Democratic platform and tends to favor Democratic candidates. This leaning toward the Democratic Party is his party

A) alignment.
B) ballot.
C) identification.
D) poll.
E) registration.

Question 47

Pollsters have generally found that the more money people make, the more they tend to

A) identify themselves as Democrats.
B) identify themselves as Independents.
C) identify themselves as Republicans.
D) move away from political participation.
E) vote for third party candidates.

Question 48

Polls find that people with postgraduate education are less likely to _________ than those with bachelor's degrees.

A) identify themselves as Democrats
B) identify themselves as Independents
C) identify themselves as Republicans
D) move away from political participation
E) vote for third party candidates

Question 49

The percentage of black voters who identify themselves as Democrats shot upward when

A) the Civil War broke out.
B) Reconstruction ended.
C) Woodrow Wilson defeated Taft and Roosevelt in 1912.
D) Lyndon Johnson backed civil rights legislation.
E) the Twenty-fourth Amendment eliminated poll taxes.

Question 50

Because many support more generous social programs, Hispanic voters tend to

A) identify with the Democrats.
B) identify with the Republicans.
C) identify themselves as Independents.
D) support the Libertarian platform.
E) abstain from voting.

Question 51

Cuban Americanstend to vote Republican because they

A) favor the Republicans' generous social programs.
B) favor more relaxed immigration laws.
C) support more government intervention in economic matters.
D) support the Castro regime and believe Democrats take too hard of a line on Communism.
E) oppose the Castro regime and believe Republicans take a harder line on Communism.

Question 52

Since the last decades of the twentieth century, Republicans have drawn large numbers of

A) Hispanic Catholic voters.
B) Jewish voters.
C) very religious white voters.
D) non-religious white voters.
E) non-religious minority voters.

Question 53

A major drawback of the trend toward more landslide counties since 1976 is that it

A) creates artificial pockets of partisan polarization.
B) does not foster grassroots deliberation.
C) encourages more people to take part in the political process.
D) gives elected officials the impression that the electorate is more polarized than it actually is.
E) suppresses voter turnout.

Question 54

In a(n) _______ primary, only voters who register with the political party may vote in its primary.

A) top-two
B) closed
C) illegal
D) open
E) semi-closed

Question 55

In a(n) __________ primary, party members can only vote in their own primary, but unaffiliated voters may vote in either party's primary.

A) top-two
B) closed
C) illegal
D) open
E) semi-closed

Question 56

A primary in which candidates' names from all parties appear on the ballot is called a(n) _______ primary.

A) top-two
B) closed
C) illegal
D) open
E) semi-closed

Question 57

Which of the following is not a part of the party organization?

A) State party committees
B) National Democratic Committee
C) National Republican Committee
D) National Republican Congressional Committee
E) Democratic senators

Question 58

The main function of state party committees is to

A) choose their party's candidates.
B) provide assistance to campaigns.
C) fill civil service positions.
D) prevent election fraud.
E) man the polls on election day.

Question 59

State parties are permitted to spend unlimited amounts of money in federal races, provided they

A) limit their campaigns to television commercials.
B) obtain prior permission from the courts.
C) raise the money only through online donations.
D) publicly report their expenditures.
E) do not coordinate that spending with the candidates.

Question 60

By tradition, the chair of the national committee whose party holds the White House is

A) held by the Speaker of the House.
B) elected by the committee members.
C) recommended by the president.
D) elected by the Senate.
E) appointed by the Supreme Court.

Question 61

In direct contributions, national party committees give campaign funds to

A) candidates for federal office.
B) interest groups.
C) local voters.
D) political machines.
E) state parties.

Question 62

Which of the following is an example of a coordinated expenditure?

A) A local party organization conducts a poll for a particular candidate.
B) A local party presents a candidate with $5,000 before the primary election.
C) A state party buys ad space in several major newspapers.
D) A state party holds a fundraiser to support its campaign ads.
E) A state party independently launches a campaign advertisement for a candidate.

Question 63

One purpose of national conventions is to

A) choose delegates.
B) design campaign strategies.
C) elect the president.
D) nominate candidates for president and vice-president.
E) raise money for presidential campaigns.

Question 64

_______ are two methods of delegate selection used in modern elections.

A) Caucuses and congressional appointments
B) Caucuses and conventions
C) Primary elections and caucuses
D) Primary elections and congressional appointments
E) Primary elections and conventions

Question 65

Democrats created superdelegates for the presidential selection process in order to

A) restore an element of deliberation to the conventions.
B) ensure the popular vote did not conflict with the choice of party leaders.
C) outnumber Republican delegates.
D) ensure that each convention would be brokered.
E) establish the party platform.

Question 66

To what extent are members of the party in government bound by the party platform?

A) All members of the party in government sign the platform in acknowledgement of its planks, but they are not required to follow it.
B) Certain planks of the platform require an oath of loyalty from members of the party in government.
C) In order to retain the party label, all members of the party in government are bound to the entirety of the platform.
D) No member of the party in government must follow the platform.
E) The highest ranking members of the party in government are bound by the platform, but lower members are given more leeway.

Question 67

Why is it often counterproductive for party leaders in American politics to discipline members of their party in government for not voting with their party?

A) A politician who wields enough power to impose discipline on another member of Congress raises suspicions and jealousies in both their party and the electorate.
B) Because of the local basis of American elections, officials who vote against their constituents' interests or opinions may be voted out of office.
C) Discipline by party leaders may drive the offending lawmaker to another party, potentially depriving the party of a majority.
D) Disciplining their fellow lawmakers often results in creating factions within the party rather than encouraging party unity.
E) Party leaders who take it upon themselves to force lawmakers to vote a certain way are often voted out of office in the next election.

Question 68

In Congressional voting since the 1970s, party unity has tended to

A) be higher among Democrats than Republicans.
B) be higher among Republicans than Democrats.
C) decrease in recent times.
D) increase in recent times.
E) vary depending on the party in power.

Question 69

What is an important potential drawback of "sunshine in government" reforms?

A) Deliberation is taking longer because more elected officials speak on each issue so as to increase their public profile.
B) Deliberations are more often interrupted by protests in the galleries.
C) Government may be less deliberative because lawmakers are hesitant to voice unpopular opinions.
D) The cost of maintaining the openness is rising and placing a strain on the federal budget.
E) Too many citizens are keeping up with the issues before Congress and are flooding their representatives' offices with letters and demands.

Question 70

In the 2000 election, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader drew votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore. This is an example of

A) divided government.
B) party factions.
C) party unity.
D) political participation.
E) the spoiler effect.

Question 71

No third party has taken hold in American politics because

A) there are many obstacles hindering them.
B) the Constitution established a two party system.
C) most states limit the number of parties on their ballots to the two largest.
D) no state offers official registration in third parties.
E) the Supreme Court has ruled against them.

Question 72

Districts that elect only one member apiece to the legislative body are called _______ districts.

A) semi-closed
B) single-member
C) single-representative
D) unicameral
E) unified

Question 73

A "big tent" party is one that

A) adopts viewpoints from many different political ideologies.
B) appeals to a broad array of voters who do not identify with either of the two major parties.
C) covers a wide range of different and sometimes even conflicting viewpoints.
D) is a political system's largest.
E) keeps its members of the party in government strictly in agreement with its platform.

Question 74

Describe how the three levels of political parties work together to serve the functions of the party as a whole.

Question 75

How were political party organizations weakened by reforms of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

Question 76

What factors contributed to the deterioration of the key elements of Democratic success after Johnson's 1964 victory?

Question 77

What is the function of party organizations today? How has their role changed over time?

Question 78

How does the new system of nominations and elections foster deliberation? In what ways does it detract from deliberation?

Question 79

How has partisan polarization come about? How might this increasing polarization be both detrimental and beneficial to deliberation?

Question 80

What problems have resulted from "sunshine in government" reforms? How do parties in government help to solve these problems?