Deck 12: Political Parties

Question 1

​Which statement correctly describes politics in America when the first party system came to a close around 1828?

A) ​The Federalist Party was thriving in politics.
B) ​The Democratic-Republicans dominated politics.
C) The Federalist Party supported closer political relations with France.
D) The Democratic-Republicans politically opposed a more decentralized government.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The goal of the 1883 Pendleton Act was to

A) ​create a more competent bureaucracy.
B) inject prestige into government employment.
C) ​provide assistance to former government workers.
D) eliminate partisan politics.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which statement about the spoils system is accurate?​

A) ​It was developed for the purpose of rewarding supporters for loyalty, but it led to corruption.
B) ​It was developed for addressing the needs of those who lost elections, but it failed to meet its goals.
C) ​It was developed to appease voters who had supported the losing party, but instead it made them angry.
D) ​It was developed to offer incentives to political candidates, but it ended up providing incentives to their opponents.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

​When James Madison wrote about the "mischiefs of faction" in Federalist No. 10, he was referring to problems with

A) ​monarchial cases.
B) ​founding fathers.
C) ​divided powers.
D) ​political parties.

Question 5

Party registration is a means of​

A) ​working for a political party.
B) ​identifying with a political party.
C) ​voting for members of a political party.
D) ​discussing issues with a political party official.

Question 6

What were political party machines?​

A) A type of entertainment developed to bring potential voters into the fold
B) ​Voting methods designed to garner the greatest number of votes in a specific election
C) Local organizations capable of mobilizing or manufacturing large numbers of votes on behalf of candidates
D) ​Groups of political parties that worked against one another in order to inspire voters to contribute time and money

Question 7

The split in the Democratic-Republicans after the election of 1828 resulted in the emergence of which two political parties?

A) ​The Democratic Party and the National Republicans
B) ​The Whigs and the Anti-Masonic Party
C) ​The Republican-Democrats and the National Republicans
D) ​The Federalists and the Progressives

Question 8

Which statement regarding state political party structure is not accurate?​

A) ​It is responsible for drafting state party policy.
B) ​It is organized in the same way from state to state.
C) ​It is designed to provide for a central state committee.
D) ​It is set up to raise money for candidates across the state.

Question 9

The term platform refers to​

A) ​candidates selected by political parties.
B) ​votes anticipated by political party leaders.
C) ​goals that political parties pledge to fulfill if elected.
D) ​locations where political parties' delegates attend meetings.

Question 10

Which statement accurately describes the Republican Party?​

A) ​During the 1856 election, it was the party in favor of slavery.
B) ​It opposed support for African American political development in the South under Reconstruction.
C) It has a modern-day political base of economic and social conservatives.
D) ​Its primary foundation today consists of millennials, unionized workers, and racial minorities.

Question 11

The secret (Australian) ballot required preparation, printing, and distribution of ballots by a​

A) ​local mayor.
B) ​citizen group.
C) ​political party.
D) ​government agency.

Question 12

In modern times, how often are party conventions held to choose the ticket for the presidential election?

A) ​Every two years
B) ​Every four years
C) Every six years
D) ​Every eight years

Question 13

According to Anthony Downs, a "team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election" is the definition of a​ political

A) campaign structure.
B) convention.
C) ​machine.
D) party.

Question 14

In 1831, which party held the first convention in American political history?​

A) ​The Democratic-Republican Party
B) ​The Anti-Masonic Party
C) ​The Federalist Party
D) ​The Whig Party

Question 15

​Andrew Jackson did not become president as a result of the presidential election of 1824 because he failed to receive the

A) ​majority of popular votes at the polls.
B) ​greatest number of votes in the Electoral College.
C) ​constitutionally required majority of electoral votes.
D) ​politically required division of votes at the polling places.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a legacy of the Progressive era?​

A) Environmental conservation efforts
B) Support for sale and taxation of alcoholic beverages
C) ​Worker protection legislation
D) ​Widespread use of the civil service system at the federal level

Question 17

​What caused the rift between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson during the Washington presidency?

A) ​Jefferson believed the federal government was moving beyond the powers granted to it by the Constitution.
B) ​Adams had a longstanding belief that the Federalist philosophy was seriously flawed.
C) ​Jefferson held the belief that a robust national government would be suspect within the context of representation.
D) ​Adams had believed from its inception that the new Constitution created insurmountable problems for the country.

Question 18

Which of the following was not a focus of Abraham Lincoln's campaign for the 1860 presidential election?​

A) ​Tariffs
B) ​Slavery
C) Internal improvement
D) Corruption in the outgoing administration​

Question 19

Party-in-the-electorate, party-as-organization, and party-in-government can best be described as three​

A) ​key aspects of political parties.
B) ​vital ways to represent political parties.
C) ​principal methods of paying dues to political parties.
D) ​significant ways to conduct elections for political parties.

Question 20

When is the national executive body of a political party generally the most visible?​

A) ​During mayoral elections
B) ​Prior to school board elections
C) During presidential elections
D) ​Prior to gubernatorial elections

Question 21

The formation of parties in the early legislatures of the United States was a necessity for all of the following purposes except

A) ​mobilizing votes for a party.
B) ​developing media coverage for parties.
C) ​enhancing the position of a minority party.
D) ​transforming smaller parties into mass parties.

Question 22

​Most of the influence and initiative in today's election campaigns and other political processes are held by the

A) ​candidate.
B) ​delegate.
C) ​voter.
D) ​party.

Question 23

Fusion balloting is a​

A) ​method for determining the eligibility of voters who are registered with political parties.
B) ​method for determining the eligibility of voters who are not registered with political parties.
C) ​system that allows third parties to cross-endorse major party candidates.
D) ​technique requiring a two-round runoff system in single-member district elections.

Question 24

Which survey question would most likely be asked for the purpose of measuring party identification?​

A) ​Do you think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or what?
B) ​Are you a loyal campaign worker, and do you enjoy working on campaigns for Democrats and Republicans?
C) ​Do you frequently vote in elections, and if so, do you think about the political party and vote for Democrats?
D) ​Are you often willing to discuss your political affiliation with others, and would you discuss affiliation with the Republican Party?

Question 25

What is the largest component of political parties?​

A) Party-in-the-electorate
B) ​Party-as-organization
C) Party-in-government
D) Party-in-the-two-round-runoff

Question 26

Duverger's Law references the tendency of single-member districts with plurality, winner-take-all elections to​

A) ​give rise to coalitions.
B) ​move closer to the middle as time progresses.
C) ​lead to a two-party system.
D) ​provide a voice for multiple political philosophies.

Question 27

In at-large plurality voting,​

A) ​every candidate represents every voter.
B) ​candidates represent a specific area or district.
C) ​candidates with the most votes might still fail to win seats.
D) ​voters have fewer votes than the number of seats to be filled.

Question 28

Partisan dealignment occurs when

A) former partisan supporters no longer automatically vote for their party's candidate.
B) ​most members of a party switch to the opposing party in an election.
C) former party members refuse to support any party candidates.
D) a third party emerges and draws significant political support.

Question 29

What was a disadvantage of the old-style caucuses in selecting candidates?

A) It required elites to choose candidates with popular appeal.
B) ​It prevented average voters from influencing the nominating process.
C) ​It demonstrated concern for the general citizen's desires.
D) ​It encouraged loyalty to the party.

Question 30

What percentage of Americans behave politically as pure independents?

A) ​10%
B) ​20%
C) ​30%
D) ​40%

Question 31

The term superdelegates is defined as "delegates to a convention who​

A) ​have been selected by an overwhelming majority."
B) ​are not bound to vote for any particular candidate."
C) ​have been screened through a rigorous process."
D) ​are not required to follow conventional rules of courtesy."

Question 32

Super PACs are not permitted to​

A) ​raise unlimited sums from corporations.
B) ​contribute directly to parties or candidates.
C) ​acquire funds from nonprofits.
D) ​collect contributions from unions.

Question 33

Which statement about the plurality/majority election system is not accurate?​

A) ​It is a winner-take-all system.
B) ​It is used to elect officials in local, state, and federal government positions.
C) ​It encourages the development of third parties.
D) ​It features districts in which one seat goes to the candidate with the most votes.

Question 34

In 1968, former Alabama governor George Wallace ran as a third-party candidate on

A) ​an economic platform.
B) ​an immigration platform.
C) ​a segregationist platform.
D) ​an environmental platform.

Question 35

Why have candidates in recent years opted to forgo matching funds?​

A) To avoid spending limits
B) To appear generous to voters
C) To make certain ballots will be secret
D) To minimize the importance of conventions

Question 36

Since what event has the term smoke-filled room come to mean "a place behind the scenes where hypothetical cigar-smoking party bosses choose candidates"?​

A) ​The presidential campaign of John Quincy Adams
B) ​The nomination of Warren G. Harding as a presidential candidate
C) ​The concession to opponents of Hubert Humphrey during a presidential election
D) The close primary race between candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama

Question 37

Which of the following most closely shows typical party-in-government activity?​

A) ​People state that they are Democrat or Republican.
B) ​Voters provide a central political reference that easily provides information.
C) ​The leader of the majority party traditionally serves as Speaker of the House.
D) ​Parties support candidates and electoral work through significant infrastructure.

Question 38

What has been described as "the greatest systematic change in presidential nominating procedures in all of American history"?​

A) ​The late 1820s process of jurisdictions sending delegates to a central location
B) The 2012 election in which the spending for federal races exceeded half a billion dollars
C) The early 1900s process of tying candidates closely to existing party leaders through caucuses
D) The 1972 adopted comprehensive set of recommendations that recast the ground rules for delegate selection

Question 39

Party-in-the-electorate is best described as being characterized by​

A) ​feelings of loyalty to the political party.
B) ​national American committees that hold conventions.
C) ​infrastructure developed for the purpose of supporting party candidates.
D) ​cooperative work by congressional members with the same party affiliation.

Question 40

Why was instant runoff voting (IRV) developed?​

A) To provide fairness in local elections, such as those for school boards and city councils
B) To ensure that the winning candidate has the support of the majority of the voters in the district
C) To offer representation for single-issue preferences, as they relate to stringent ideological views
D) To distribute multiple seats fairly in a district to correspond to the proportion of the total votes cast

Question 41

​Based on the theory of responsible party government,

A) ​differences between the parties fail to result in responsible positive action.
B) ​voters are ultimately responsible for ejecting the policymakers they disagree with.
C) ​clearly distinguishable opposing platforms make it difficult for responsible replacement of politicians.
D) ​people should refrain from holding parties electorally accountable for their performance in control of government.

Question 42

How do Americans generally feel today about political polarization?​

A) ​Hopeful
B) ​Dissatisfied
C) ​Pleased
D) Inquisitive

Question 43

In the broadest sense, movement toward the right-hand side of the ideological spectrum means support for​

A) ​free markets.
B) ​policies promoting equality.
C) ​more activist federal government.
D) ​less responsibility allocated to the states.

Question 44

In comparison to caucuses, all of these were accomplishments of nomination through the convention in the late 1820s except

A) ​a greater role for party supporters in choosing candidates.
B) ​strong mass popular influence.
C) ​inclusion of a broader cross-section of voters and party members.
D) ​delegates meeting in a central location.

Question 45

Beliefs in the middle of the ideological continuum are considered to be more​

A) ​liberal.
B) ​moderate.
C) ​conservative.
D) ​independent.

Question 46

Which statement regarding the ideologies of the two major U.S. parties is accurate?​

A) ​The ideologies of both major parties have clearly remained consistent throughout American history.
B) ​Nixon's pursuit of a Southern strategy in 1968 signaled an ideology change as the long-term process of turning the Southern states into a solid Democratic voting bloc began.
C) ​The Democratic South shifted ideology when it realigned to the Republican Party over the issue of race.
D) ​When Barry Goldwater was nominated by Republicans in 1964, it signaled the party's allegiance to the more liberal principles of expansive government.

Question 47

One researcher's sorting theory explains voting behavior by stating that voters​

A) ​will abstain when only two parties offer candidates.
B) are reflecting the ideologies of political elites.
C) ​are expressing deep and genuine preferences.
D) ​dislike both parties equally.

Question 48

Which of the following indicates percentages of Americans who, in a 2013 survey, preferred elected officials who compromise?​

A) ​60% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans
B) ​50% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans
C) ​30% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats
D) ​80% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats

Question 49

​Which time in U.S. history shows an exception to political polarization?

A) The duration of the Great Depression
B) The ​period just prior to World War I
C) ​The years throughout the Vietnam War
D) ​The era immediately following World War II

Question 50

In the United States, the ideological continuum can be best thought of as running from​

A) ​top to bottom.
B) ​left to right.
C) middle to extreme.
D) inside to outside.