Deck 9: Political Parties Political Parties

Question 1

 In his Farewell Address,George Washington took which of the following positions on political parties? 

A) Voters should support his party (the Federalists). 
B) He condemned political parties. 
C) Voters should not support Thomas Jefferson's political party. 
D) He condemned Alexander Hamilton for having helped form the Federalist Party. 
E) He argued for more political parties to compete for voters.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

 The U.S.federal system ensures that the nation's parties are __________ than their European counterparts. 

A) more ideological 
B) less ideological 
C) more aggressive 
D) more centralized 
E) more decentralized

Answer 2

E

Question 3

 Progressives called for electoral reforms,such as the initiative and the referendum,to give 

A) Congress a way of controlling the president. 
B) citizens a direct say in making laws. 
C) courts a system for prosecuting election fraud. 
D) governors more power in relation to legislatures. 
E) party regulars a say in nominating candidates.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

 In Europe,the vast majority of candidates 

A) win by constituency referenda. 
B) are nominated by members of the executive branch. 
C) win in the primary elections. 
D) hire their own campaign organizations. 
E) are nominated by party leaders.

Question 5

 This Founding Father stated that,"We are all Republicans,we are all Federalists." 

A) Washington 
B) Adams 
C) Jefferson 
D) Madison 
E) Hamilton

Question 6

 During the founding period of U.S.history,political parties could best be characterized as 

A) national coalitions in which large, raucous party conventions played a major role. 
B) loose, regional caucuses of political notables. 
C) instruments through which debate over the legitimacy of the new government could take place. 
D) bureaucratized, well organized, and well financed. 
E) national coalitions that were well organized by impersonal bureaucracies.

Question 7

 After appearing to die out for roughly two decades,the party system resurged with the campaign of  

A) Andrew Jackson. 
B) Henry Clay. 
C) Martin Van Buren. 
D) the Anti-Masonic Party. 
E) the Whigs.

Question 8

 The modern Republican Party 

A) was founded by Thomas Jefferson to oppose the policies of Alexander Hamilton. 
B) was originally called the Antifederalist party. 
C) emerged as a major party as a result of the Civil War. 
D) emerged around 1824 with Andrew Jackson's first run for the presidency. 
E) was founded in the South.

Question 9

 In most European countries,the chief executive is selected by 

A) a closed election. 
B) an open election. 
C) the equivalent of a Supreme Court. 
D) the legislature. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 10

 National party conventions were developed to limit the power of  

A) the people. 
B) party bosses. 
C) Congress. 
D) the president. 
E) the Supreme Court.

Question 11

 Scholars have identified __________ realigning periods in American politics. 

A) two 
B) three 
C) four 
D) five 
E) six

Question 12

 Of the following,which is NOT a political party? 

A) Democratic 
B) Republican 
C) Whig 
D) Teamster 
E) Libertarian

Question 13

 The __________,a faction of the Republican Party,were opposed to the patronage system and favored nonpartisan elections at the city level. 

A) stalwarts 
B) Whigs 
C) Old Guards 
D) Jacksonians 
E) progressives

Question 14

 The Founders-and George Washington in particular-thought of political parties as 

A) the primary means of communication between voters and representatives. 
B) "factions" motivated by ambition and self-interest. 
C) a necessary element of the democratic political process. 
D) a useful device for purposes of recruitment. 
E) the logical result of republican principles.

Question 15

 Research on party identification has found that __________ self-identified Independents are truly independent. 

A) nearly all  
B) roughly three quarters of 
C) roughly half of 
D) less than half of 
E) less than a quarter of

Question 16

 The distinctive feature of the Jacksonian era of political parties was 

A) mass political participation. 
B) strict registration laws. 
C) the popularity of the caucus system. 
D) the Australian ballot. 
E) direct election of senators.

Question 17

 The first organized political party in American history was 

A) made up of the followers of Jefferson. 
B) organized by Alexander Hamilton. 
C) organized by the Federalists. 
D) ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. 
E) formed under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 18

 Which of the following is an accurate comparison of today's voters to their late 19th century counterparts? 

A) Voters are just as attached to political parties today as they were in the late 19th century. 
B) Voters are more attached to political parties today than they were in the late 19th century. 
C) Voters are less attached to political parties today than they were in the late 19th century. 
D) Due to scant historical data, it is impossible to tell whether voters today are more or less attached to political parties than they were in the late 19th century. 
E) It is currently unknown whether voters today are more or less attached to political parties than they were in the late 19th century, but improved statistical methods may soon put that knowledge within reach.

Question 19

 The 2016 election resulted in 

A) a unified Republican government. 
B) a unified Democratic government. 
C) a Republican president and a Democratic Congress. 
D) a Democratic president and a Republican Congress. 
E) a Republican president and a split Congress.

Question 20

 In most states,candidates for office are chosen by 

A) open elections. 
B) party leaders. 
C) primary elections. 
D) conventions. 
E) delegations.

Question 21

 The Hatch Act allows federal civil service employees to 

A) serve as party officers. 
B) solicit campaign donations. 
C) make campaign contributions. 
D) serve as a delegate to a party convention. 
E) endorse partisan candidates.

Question 22

 The texts suggests that the decline of political machines was caused in part by 

A) the Supreme Court's interpretation of the commerce clause. 
B) the general decline in voter turnout. 
C) the increasing education and sophistication of voters. 
D) economic depression in major metropolitan areas. 
E) trends in immigration.

Question 23

 The realignment of 1896 occurred because  

A) the views of a third party were so compelling that it ousted one of the existing major parties. 
B) the views of a third party were so compelling that it ousted both existing major parties. 
C) one party lost so badly that it ceased to exist. 
D) voters shifted their support from one major party to the other. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 24

 The first step in electing candidates is 

A) convincing good candidates to run. 
B) deciding which elections to contest. 
C) winning the election. 
D) raising money for the campaign. 
E) consolidating the party leadership.

Question 25

 The classical machine-type party was developed and perfected 

A) in the nineteenth century, before the large-scale Irish and Italian immigrations. 
B) in the nineteenth century, after the large-scale Irish and Italian immigrations. 
C) at the time of the New Deal, when thousands of civil servants were jobless. 
D) after World War II, when thousands of soldiers returned from Europe and the Pacific. 
E) during the implementation of Great Society programs in the Deep South.

Question 26

 One unintended consequence of the convention and primary system was that it  

A) pushed candidates toward the center. 
B) pushed candidates away from the center. 
C) gave more control to party leaders. 
D) discouraged activists from participating in elections. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 27

 Most political candidates run for office because 

A) party leaders asked them to. 
B) common citizens urged them to. 
C) they want to establish a career in politics. 
D) they don't know how else to make a living. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 28

 According to Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski,the training grounds for national political activists today are 

A) state and local parties. 
B) social movements. 
C) sponsored parties. 
D) solidary groups. 
E) fluid interest groups.

Question 29

 The process of attracting key party and interest group figures to a candidate is known as the 

A) open primary. 
B) caucus. 
C) national convention. 
D) invisible primary. 
E) general election.

Question 30

 Current scholars question the realignment theory because 

A) there are too many realignments to use the theory. 
B) the parties are split on many issues and issues change gradually. 
C) there are no issues that divide the parties anymore. 
D) the issue that replaced the New Deal realignment was not important enough. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 31

 The national party conventions meet every __________ years to nominate a presidential candidate. 

A) two 
B) three 
C) four 
D) six 
E) eight

Question 32

 In an open primary 

A) anyone can vote for anyone for office. 
B) only members of a party can vote for a nominee. 
C) any voter may vote for any party, but only one party. 
D) voters meet in person and take several ballots to find a consensus candidate. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 33

 Compared to states with open primaries,states with closed primaries tend to have 

A) more runoff elections before a winner is determined. 
B) more polarized candidates. 
C) more moderate candidates. 
D) weaker parties. 
E) stronger parties.

Question 34

 The primary purpose of the Hatch Act was to 

A) prevent federal civil service employees from voting. 
B) prevent federal civil service employees from making campaign contributions. 
C) improve the efficiency of political machines. 
D) curtail the power of political machines. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 35

 In the primary system, 

A) Democrats give extra delegates to loyal states, while Republicans give extra delegates to large states. 
B) Democrats give extra delegates to large states, while Republicans give extra delegates to loyal states. 
C) Democrats and Republicans both give extra delegates to large states. 
D) Democrats and Republicans both give extra delegates to loyal states. 
E) neither Democrats nor Republicans give any extra delegates to the states.

Question 36

 The __________ manages the day-to-day work of a political party. 

A) precinct captain 
B) national chairman 
C) national selectman 
D) national alderman 
E) organizational deputy

Question 37

 In 1860,the realignment was driven by issues related to 

A) economics. 
B) slavery. 
C) federalism. 
D) civil liberties. 
E) national security.

Question 38

 The term super-delegate refers to 

A) elected officials and party leaders who are not required to pledge themselves in advance to a presidential candidate. 
B) delegates representing special-interest caucuses, such as those organized to represent blacks or homosexuals. 
C) delegates at large who are chosen by a vote of the national party leadership. 
D) delegates chosen by primary elections and grassroots caucuses. 
E) delegates who received more than 80 percent of the vote necessary to achieve their status.

Question 39

 Which of the following statements about the formula by which delegates to the nominating conventions are apportioned is correct? 

A) Both Democrats and Republicans give extra delegates to large states. 
B) Both Democrats and Republicans give extra delegates to loyal states. 
C) The Democrats and Republicans use different formulas. 
D) The formula reflects a movement to the center by both Democrats and Republicans. 
E) Formulas have had no noticeable impact on the selection of delegates to the conventions.

Question 40

 Of the following statements,which is true about party machines? 

A) Party machines are characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity. 
B) Party machines do not use tangible incentives to recruit members. 
C) Party machines help to solve the problem of voting fraud. 
D) Party machines cut down the number of patronage jobs in government. 
E) Party machines enforce electoral reform and encourage competition.

Question 41

 Elections based on a plurality system discourage new parties from forming because 

A) a plurality system discourages patronage and reduces voter interest in joining a party. 
B) a plurality system requires parties to form alliances with other parties to win elections. 
C) under this winner-take-all system, no incentive is given for finishing second (or lower). 
D) a plurality system requires each party to be as narrowly based as possible, leaving little room for new parties. 
E) a plurality system gives an advantage to savvy political unknowns who can grab the media spotlight.

Question 42

 National convention delegates,compared with their respective party members,tend to be 

A) more liberal if they are Democrats and more conservative if they are Republicans. 
B) more liberal regardless of party. 
C) more conservative regardless of party. 
D) more conservative if they are Democrats and more liberal if they are Republicans. 
E) quite similar in most respects, but not so much in terms of occupational prestige.

Question 43

 Super-delegates had a crucial impact on  

A) no Democratic or Republican primaries in recent history. 
B) the Republican primaries of 2000 and 2008. 
C) the Republican primaries of 2008 and 2016. 
D) the Democratic primaries of 2000 and 2008. 
E) the Democratic primaries of 2008 and 2016.

Question 44

 The idea that open or top-two primaries yield more moderate candidates than closed primaries 

A) explains why most states stopped using such primaries in the past decade. 
B) explains why most states prefer such primaries. 
C) has not been supported by research. 
D) explains why party leaders prefer such primaries. 
E) explains why party leaders are hesitant to use such primaries.

Question 45

 George Wallace's American Independent Party was an example of a(n) 

A) ideological party. 
B) single-issue party. 
C) economic protest party. 
D) factional party. 
E) consensual party.

Question 46

 Which of the following statements about the two-party system is correct? 

A) Most European countries have such a system. 
B) The United States is one of the few countries with such a system. 
C) It exists in the United States because of the absence of local party organizations. 
D) It has existed in the United States only since the early 1900s. 
E) It has always been on the verge of collapse.

Question 47

 The Socialist Party in the United States is a(n)__________ party. 

A) single-issue 
B) ideological 
C) economic protest  
D) factional 
E) consensual

Question 48

 A stable,long-term attachment to a political party is a voter's 

A) political ideology. 
B) partisan identification. 
C) impressionable years. 
D) social movement. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 49

 The Populist Party is an example of a(n)__________ party. 

A) ideological  
B) single-issue 
C) economic protest 
D) factional 
E) consensual

Question 50

 The two-party system has worked in the United States,but not in Europe,because 

A) Americans are more aggressive and less deferential. 
B) fewer Americans want to participate in party activities. 
C) Americans agree on enough issues to form broad coalitions. 
D) Americans are more economically conservative than Europeans. 
E) Europeans are less ideological than Americans.

Question 51

 If party elites and voters disagree on the best choice of presidential candidate,  

A) the voters will probably get their way. 
B) the party leaders will probably get their way. 
C) the party leaders will ax the voters' choice before it can come to a vote. 
D) the party leaders will listen to the voters and back down. 
E) the voters will listen to the party leaders and back down.

Question 52

 The plurality electoral system in the United States means that 

A) the party system will be competitive. 
B) every party must be a broad-based coalition. 
C) politics will be more ideological than it would otherwise be. 
D) the risk of electoral corruption is less than in Europe. 
E) smaller parties have a greater chance of winning at least some seats.

Question 53

 Which statement is incorrect? 

A) Typically, a majority of Democrats vote for the Democratic candidate. 
B) Typically, a majority of Republicans vote for the Republican candidate. 
C) Typically, a majority of independents vote for the independent candidate. 
D) Typically, a plurality of independents vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate. 
E) Typically, most independents vote for the two major parties.

Question 54

 The disadvantage of the new primary system that has developed in the United States is that it 

A) increases the role of rank-and-file party members to exert an influence over the party's candidate choice. 
B) increases the chances that the party will nominate a candidate who is unappealing to the average voter. 
C) decreases the opportunity for those with strong policy preferences to play a role in the party. 
D) decreases the likelihood that one party or the other will gain control of the presidency for several terms. 
E) increases the likelihood of interest groups supporting candidates who are appealing to single-issue voters.

Question 55

 Many strong social movements in the United States (for example,the antiwar movement of the late 1960s)never produced a significant third party.One reason is that 

A) most states have laws against the formation of third parties. 
B) dissident elements of major parties were able to influence elections through party primaries and national conventions. 
C) the size of these social movements was never large enough to encourage the formation of parties. 
D) formation of a third party would undermine the goals of these movements. 
E) such movements typically failed to generate significant interest in mainstream politics.

Question 56

 The most recent independent candidate for president who was able to get on the ballot in every state was 

A) Ross Perot. 
B) Gary Johnson. 
C) George Wallace. 
D) Jill Stein. 
E) Ralph Nader.

Question 57

 For the most part,the majority of Americans believe that Republicans are better than Democrats at handling  

A) health care. 
B) the environment. 
C) taxes. 
D) foreign trade. 
E) the economy.

Question 58

 The Bull Moose and La Follette Progressive parties probably encouraged the major parties to pay more attention to 

A) business regulation. 
B) desegregation. 
C) civil service reform. 
D) slavery. 
E) restricting the Supreme Court.

Question 59

 For the most part,the majority of Americans believe that Democrats are better than Republicans at handling 

A) health care. 
B) crime. 
C) national defense. 
D) foreign trade. 
E) the economy.

Question 60

 The purpose of each party's congressional campaign committee is to  

A) nominate a presidential candidate. 
B) manage party affairs between conventions. 
C) manage day-to-day party business. 
D) provide funds to members and would-be members of Congress. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 61

 The earliest method for nominating presidential candidates was the party convention. 

Question 62

 In 2000,Ralph Nader launched the Green party. 

Question 63

 Jefferson viewed his party as a temporary arrangement for the purpose of defeating John Adams. 

Question 64

 The text suggests that the reforms of the Democrats and Republicans may have shifted emphasis from voters to activists. 

Question 65

 The supporters of Thomas Jefferson called themselves Federalists,and the supporters of Alexander Hamilton referred to themselves as Republicans. 

Question 66

 In most states,political parties have strict control over who gets nominated to office. 

Question 67

 The mugwumps were the Progressive faction of the Republican Party around the turn of the twentieth century. 

Question 68

 The administrations of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt are associated with realignments in American politics. 

Question 69

 The referendum,a procedural reform of the Progressives,gives citizens the ability to vote directly on proposed legislation. 

Question 70

 The spread of the direct primary has made it more difficult for parties to control who is nominated for elective office. 

Question 71

 A political party exists on three levels: as a label,as an organization,and as a set of leaders. 

Question 72

 The United States uses a similar electoral system to Europe's parliamentary elections. 

Question 73

 The 1860 split over slavery represents a clear example of realignment. 

Question 74

 The principal criterion by which voters choose among candidates is their party identification or label. 

Question 75

 In recent years,the number of self-described independents has steadily increased. 

Question 76

 Jefferson formed the first political party when he organized opposition against the policies of Hamilton. 

Question 77

 The attachment of voters to political parties is weaker today than it was in the late 19th century. 

Question 78

 About 40 percent of the electorate identifies as independents. 

Question 79

 The New Deal coalition was not preceded by a third-party movement. 

Question 80

 After the 2012 presidential election,the Democrats controlled both the presidency and both houses of Congress.