Deck 9: Parties and Political Campaigns

Question 1

Which of the following statements about the difficulties faced by third parties in the United States is LEAST accurate?

A)Third parties only qualify for government funding if they receive a certain percentage of the vote.
B)Third parties can receive government funding only after an election has ended.
C)Many states make it prohibitively difficult for small parties to get their candidates' names on the ballot.
D)The two major parties are able to write rules that make it hard for third parties and independents to compete.
E)The Constitution places most power for regulating political parties in the hands of Congress, where third party voices are rarely heard.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Generally speaking, the American political system differs from that of most European democracies in that

A)its major parties are more ideologically driven.
B)it makes it easier for minority interests to gain direct representation in government.
C)it discourages cooperation among diverse interests.
D)it leads to more stability in government after the election ends.
E)it allows for more proportionate representation of a wide variety of political views in the halls of government.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

________ is specifically a practice of exchanging votes for jobs.

A)The political machine
B)Civil service
C)Patronage
D)Job sharing
E)Bureaucracy

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following statements about political parties is LEAST accurate?

A)They exist primarily in order to get candidates elected, not to shape policy.
B)They allow voters to assign collective responsibility for government actions.
C)Unlike many political institutions, they can be held accountable in elections.
D)They help voters identify candidates who share their views.
E)Their role and function is clearly delineated in the Constitution.

Question 5

The two men MOST responsible for turning the Democrats into the first mass political party were Martin Van Buren and

A)Thomas Jefferson.
B)Alexander Hamilton.
C)James Madison.
D)Andrew Jackson.
E)Abraham Lincoln.

Question 6

In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama won all of the following groups, EXCEPT

A)voters under 30.
B)women.
C)people without a college education.
D)people with advanced degrees.
E)Hispanics.

Question 7

The ________ is a merit-based system of employment and personnel management that replaced patronage.

A)civil service
B)spoils system
C)political machine
D)job pool
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the third party era is LEAST accurate?

A)Local politics were controlled by political machines, which traded services for voter support.
B)The political violence and corruption of the era were accompanied by extraordinarily high rates of voter turnout.
C)The Democratic Party controlled Congress and the presidency during most of this period.
D)The period was marked by wild economic fluctuations that encouraged widespread popular discontent.
E)Parties used patronage-the promise of employment in return for voting the right way-to bring voters to the polls.

Question 9

One of the two major parties that dominated America's first party era was the Democratic-Republicans, who were led by

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

Question 10

After the Democratic Party lost five six presidential elections between 1968 and 1988, it decided to

A)nominate only southern white males as presidential candidates.
B)move ideologically more toward the center.
C)place greater emphasis on its support for unions.
D)place greater emphasis on promoting equality.
E)attack business and try to shift the country toward a more socialistic economy.

Question 11

In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama

A)won convincingly in both the Electoral College vote and the popular vote.
B)won the Electoral College vote convincingly, but just barely won the popular vote.
C)won the Electoral College vote convincingly, but lost the popular vote.
D)just barely won the Electoral College vote, but convincingly won the popular vote.
E)just barely won both the Electoral College vote and the popular vote.

Question 12

Which of the following factors is LEAST responsible for the predominance of just two parties in the American political system?

A)popular satisfaction with limited electoral choices
B)election rules
C)electoral finances
D)state laws governing elections
E)popular distrust of ideological extremism

Question 13

________ is a strong party organization that maintains control by exchanging votes for favors.

A)A political machine
B)Patronage
C)The civil service
D)A steering committee
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 14

________ are organizations created for the purpose of winning elections and governing once in office.

A)Political movements
B)Special interest groups
C)Political action committees
D)Political parties
E)Lobbyist organizations

Question 15

According to Duverger's law,

A)a winner-takes-all system encourages third-party growth.
B)small parties flourish best in a single-member district system.
C)proportional representation systems lead to two-party systems.
D)single-member districts lead to stable two-party systems.
E)single-member districts lead to instability because political stakes are so high.

Question 16

The fourth party era was marked by the dominance of the

A)Federalist Party.
B)Populist Party.
C)Republican Party.
D)Democratic Party.
E)Whig Party.

Question 17

Which major third party emerged in the 1890s and drew support primarily from southerners and westerners?

A)Populists
B)Bull Moose
C)National Republican
D)States' Rights
E)Federalists

Question 18

The only two states that do not automatically award all of their electoral votes to one presidential candidate are Maine and

A)Florida.
B)Nebraska.
C)Pennsylvania.
D)Ohio.
E)California.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the run-up to the second party era is LEAST accurate?

A)The era witnessed a significant decline in voter turnout.
B)The era witnessed the appearance of the first mass political parties in U.S.history.
C)The era witnessed structural changes such as the popular election of presidential electors.
D)The era witnessed the use of rallies, bonfires, and parades to mobilize popular support.
E)The era was brought to an end largely by the failure to contain the slavery question.

Question 20

Which billionaire defied the two-party system by waging substantial presidential runs in 1992 and 1996 as a third-party candidate?

A)Nelson Rockefeller
B)H.Ross Perot
C)Ralph Nader
D)George Soros
E)Carl Lindner

Question 21

Despite fluctuations in overall levels of party support as a result of short-term events, the major parties have

A)maintained rough parity among voters until very recently.
B)reflected Democratic Party dominance in most elections.
C)reflected Republican Party dominance in most elections.
D)declined in popularity among voters in recent years.
E)witnessed the rise of numerous third parties in recent years.

Question 22

In the pyramid-structure analogy of American political parties, the _______________ are at the base/bottom of the pyramid.

A)national committees
B)precinct committees
C)congressional campaign committees
D)local government committees
E)state committees

Question 23

The orthodoxy in political science holds that realignments are signaled by one or more

A)close elections.
B)critical elections.
C)rebounding elections.
D)major shift elections.
E)periodic elections.

Question 24

Which of the following groups was NOT one of the bases of support contributing to the resurgence of the Republican Party in the late 1960s?

A)blacks
B)southern whites
C)conservatives
D)evangelical Christians
E)upper-income businessmen

Question 25

"________" is characterized by a control of the White House by one party while the opposition party controls one or both houses of Congress.

A)Divided government
B)Split government
C)Minority government
D)Parliamentary government
E)Grand coalition government

Question 26

The duties of national party chairs include all of the following EXCEPT

A)choosing their party's presidential candidate.
B)helping to set their party's agendas and rules.
C)handling conflicts that arise during primaries.
D)monitoring the success of their party's candidates in elections throughout the country.
E)managing the day-to-day affairs of the national headquarters.

Question 27

Realignments are the result of

A)major events that trigger a prolonged change in party control of the institutions of government.
B)long-term changes in the parties' demographic composition.
C)a shift in the ideological orientation of the party.
D)a shift in the agenda and constellation of issues that win voters' support.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 28

The political term "realignment" refers to

A)significant changes in the composition, strength, and direction of parties.
B)the regular transfer of power from one party to another after an election.
C)redrawing the lines of political districts in order to benefit the party in power.
D)how candidates change their political strategies after they've won a primary and can wield the resources of their party.
E)the occasional emergence of a third party that briefly commands limited public attention and then vanishes without having much effect on the political system.

Question 29

The current polarization in American politics is driven primarily by

A)radical decisions by federal judges.
B)the mainstream media.
C)interference by foreign governments.
D)interest-group and party elites.
E)high-ranking government bureaucrats.

Question 30

Which of the following statements about the Republican and Democratic National Committees is LEAST accurate?

A)Both strive to maintain some level of parity between male and female delegates.
B)Both grant seats to delegates from each state in the Union.
C)Both require that the racial and ethnic composition of the delegates roughly matches the racial and ethnic composition of the nation.
D)The DNC is over twice the size of the RNC.
E)Both grant seats to delegates from each American territory.

Question 31

Which of the following statements about "soft money" is LEAST accurate?

A)It generally consists of large contributions.
B)It is currently the primary means by which parties raise money.
C)It generally comes from wealthy donors.
D)It is ostensibly used for voter-registration drives.
E)It is ostensibly used for running issue ads that do not specifically mention any candidate.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is MOST accurate?

A)It increased legal access to soft money.
B)It banned parties from raising hard money.
C)It allowed parties to collect money only for party-building activities, not for funding individual candidates' campaigns.
D)It allowed parties to collect soft money, but only on the condition that they distribute it to candidates rather than spend it directly.
E)It enhanced the parties' role in funding their candidates' national campaigns.

Question 33

What is the defining feature of dealignment?

A)The major parties move toward parity.
B)One party gains long-term dominance over the other.
C)A third party emerges to attract enough attention to force one or both of the major parties to adopt elements of the third party's platform.
D)The two major parties appear to be losing their relevance to the voting population.
E)A group that had long been associated with one party suddenly throws its support to that party's opponent.

Question 34

Which of the following is true about the characteristics of the political parties and voters in recent years?

A)Neither party has been able to dominate the national government for a sustained period of time.
B)Much of the period has been characterized by divided government.
C)Partisan identification has been closely divided.
D)National elections have been extremely competitive.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 35

Which of the following groups was NOT a member of the New Deal Coalition?

A)southern whites
B)northern industrial workers
C)northeastern businessmen
D)Catholics
E)blacks

Question 36

Which of the following statements about the nature of national conventions is LEAST accurate?

A)The national convention is responsible for laying out the party's platform, an explanation of its ideals and agenda.
B)As a result of the need for compromise, party platforms are usually more moderate, and less ideological, than the average party supporter desires.
C)Special interests are well represented among convention delegates.
D)The convention is responsible for nominating the party's presidential nominee.
E)Party candidates sometimes find it expedient to downplay or ignore certain planks of their party's platform.

Question 37

Which of the following accurately describes part of the demographic change that the Democratic Party has undergone in recent years?

A)The party has done better among white Catholics.
B)The party has made inroads into middle-income and blue-collar voters.
C)The party has done better in recent years among professionals with higher incomes and education.
D)The party has made inroads into union members.
E)The party has increased in popularity among housewives.

Question 38

What was the "Southern strategy"?

A)an attempt by Franklin Roosevelt to add the South to his New Deal Coalition
B)an effort by the Republican Party starting in the 1960s to woo the white South away from the Democratic Party
C)an attempt by Democrats in the 1970s to enhance their standing in the South by appealing to black voters
D)the national government's attempt to ensure black citizens' right to vote by allowing federal agents to monitor southern elections
E)an effort by the Republican Party in the late nineteenth century to weaken the Democratic Party's influence in the North by associating Democrats with the secessionist South

Question 39

Of the following generations, which has the highest percentage of political independents?

A)silent generation
B)boomer generation
C)gen X
D)millennials
E)All four generations have roughly the same percentages.

Question 40

In which of the following decades was pragmatism among the two major political parties MOST prominent?

A)1930s
B)1950s
C)1980s
D)1990s
E)2000s

Question 41

Super PACs

A)have had a huge impact in funding elections in recent years.
B)were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2010.
C)can only be formed by independent citizens' groups, not corporations or unions.
D)must officially coordinate their spending with the national political parties.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 42

Which of the following statements about parties' state committees is LEAST accurate?

A)They have become more professionalized in recent years.
B)They employ many of the same sophisticated communications systems used by national parties.
C)Because their expenses have mounted, they currently rely heavily on soft money distributed to them by the national party.
D)They frequently cooperate with the national party to achieve mutual ends.
E)They focus on statewide elections, such as the governorship and membership in the state legislature, rather than on local elections.

Question 43

In its 2014 McCutcheon v.Federal Election Commission ruling, the Supreme Court

A)struck down all limits on campaign contributions, allowing everyone to donate as much as they want to any candidate or group they want.
B)struck down the overall limits on contributions by individuals to candidates and political committees.
C)ended the ability for nonprofit organizations to both make political contributions and receive tax-exempt status.
D)curtailed the ability of super PACs to donate anonymously to presidential candidates.
E)reinstated the main provisions of the McCain-Feingold Act.

Question 44

Which of the following statements about the costs of funding a political campaign is LEAST accurate?

A)In the lead-up to the primaries, most candidates receive strong financial support from the party to which they belong.
B)Candidates running for state office often have to spend large sums of money on mass media advertising.
C)Increasingly, candidates spend money on market research to help them target potential supporters.
D)Candidates have to pay for the printed materials their supporters distribute to the public.
E)Although many candidates rely heavily on unpaid volunteers, they also need the support of a paid staff.

Question 45

This person has run as both a presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party and for the Republican presidential nomination.

A)Pat Buchanan
B)George Wallace
C)Ross Perot
D)Ralph Nader
E)Ron Paul

Question 46

Which of the following statements about primaries is LEAST accurate?

A)Some states used to hold blanket primaries, which allowed voters to cast votes across party lines, but this was ruled unconstitutional.
B)Some states hold closed primaries, which allow only registered party members to participate.
C)Some states hold open primaries, which allow voters to participate in whichever primary they wish.
D)Some states insist that candidates receive a majority of the votes, not just a plurality, and require runoff elections if no one gains a majority.
E)Once candidates have won their party's primary, they lose their independence to the party, which takes over decisions about how to utilize resources.

Question 47

The __________ likely took enough votes from Al Gore in 2000 to tip the presidential election to George W.Bush.

A)Green Party
B)Libertarian Party
C)Reform Party
D)Socialist Party
E)Prohibition Party

Question 48

Which of the following statements about the use of the Internet to solicit political contributions is LEAST accurate?

A)In recent elections, candidates have managed to raise millions of dollars through the Internet.
B)Most people who contribute over the Internet have little understanding of how the Internet actually works.
C)Most people who contribute over the Internet are wealthy.
D)Internet contributors represent less diverse interests than large, traditional cash contributors.
E)The Internet has demonstrated the possibility of raising large sums through small donations.

Question 49

All of the following factors have contributed to the declining power of local party organizations EXCEPT

A)party reform.
B)national parties no longer relying on local organizations to rally voters.
C)the end of patronage.
D)the expansion of government welfare services.
E)the rise of the candidate-centered campaign.

Question 50

groups is LEAST accurate?

A)They are nonprofit advocacy groups.
B)They are often affiliated with major interests such as labor unions and corporations.
C)They are not taxed.
D)They can only advocate issues, and may not make direct contributions to political candidates.
E)To maintain their special status, they must fully disclose the extent and nature of their expenditures to the general public.

Question 51

Contemporary sources of funding for campaigns and candidates (either in direct support or on behalf of candidates and campaigns) include

A)section 501(c) groups.
B)section 527 groups.
C)political action committees.
D)the Internet.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 52

What is the idea behind a closed primary system?

A)Any registered voter should have a say in who will lead both of the major parties in the general election.
B)Voters should be allowed to choose freely from a list of every candidate regardless of party affiliation.
C)Voters should not be forced to make public their choice in the primary election for who will lead them in the general election.
D)Only party members should be able to determine who will lead them in the general election.
E)If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first election, further elections should be run in order for one candidate to gain a majority.

Question 53

The smallest level of political organization is the

A)congressional district.
B)precinct.
C)municipality.
D)township.
E)county.

Question 54

Which of the following is/was not a political party in the conventional sense?

A)Green Party
B)Tea Party
C)Libertarian Party
D)Reform Party
E)Progressive Party

Question 55

Which of the following statements about the political parties' role in campaign funding is LEAST accurate?

A)Both parties have organizations dedicated to getting party members elected to both the House and the Senate.
B)Party members from safe seats often siphon some of their funds into the coffers of colleagues engaged in more competitive races.
C)Although parties can only give $5,000 directly to House candidates, they can give $45,500 to Senate candidates.
D)To maintain party loyalty, all of a party's candidates are guaranteed the same amount of party money to fund their campaigns.
E)Parties not only contribute directly to members' campaign funds, but also distribute money through leadership PACs associated with congressional party leaders.

Question 56

What is earned media?

A)media attention a candidate receives because of a recent action or announcement
B)advertising a candidate pays for out of general party funds
C)free airtime candidates must receive from networks that give airtime to their opponents
D)the right to an exclusive interview, which a candidate provides to a network in return for friendly coverage
E)attack ads launched against an opponent in response to his or her own negative campaign

Question 57

Which of the following statements about third parties in the United States is LEAST accurate?

A)They have been rare throughout most of American history.
B)They sometimes act as spoilers, by drawing voters away from one of the candidates in a tight election.
C)They often arise to give voice to discontent among the electorate.
D)They are often absorbed by one of the larger parties if their ideologies or policy proposals prove popular.
E)They must overcome significant obstacles just to make one credible campaign, let alone maintain a lasting presence in electoral politics.

Question 58

The top expense for both President Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012 was

A)advertising.
B)fundraising.
C)travel.
D)administration.
E)consulting.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about 527 groups is LEAST accurate?

A)They may spend as much as they want on political advertising.
B)They may not instruct the voter to vote for or against a particular candidate.
C)They are generally formed to advance a specific ideology or issue.
D)They can only advocate general issues or positions, and cannot attack an individual candidate.
E)They must disclose the names of individuals who contribute $10,000 or more to their advertising campaigns.

Question 60

The defining characteristic of a splinter party is

A)its small size.
B)that it attracts new citizens who previously had rarely voted.
C)that it breaks away from an existing party.
D)that it forms in response to a crisis.
E)that it forms around a single idea or candidate.

Question 61

Describe the structure of the major parties.What are the functions of national party organizations? How do they decide on candidates and platforms? How closely do they work with state and local organizations? How has the balance of power between national and local party organizations changed in recent decades?

Question 62

Third parties have had major impacts in the United States.Discuss the different types of third parties and why they have not had lasting success since the middle of the nineteenth century.

Question 63

The two major political parties currently exhibit a high degree of polarization.What factors account for this? What changes could bring about a new era of increased bipartisanship?

Question 64

Explain how the American political system has changed over time.What were the defining characteristics of each of the five main party eras? What forces produced the changes that brought one era in and ushered out another? What were the strengths and weaknesses of each era? Despite the changes from era to era, can one nonetheless discern a consistent American political tradition or traditions?

Question 65

Which of the following statements about negative ads is MOST accurate or least controversial?

A)Candidates generally prefer to leave attack ads to their supporters rather than engage in them directly.
B)Negative ads convey no information to voters that is useful in making up their minds.
C)Negative ads clearly depress long-term political participation.
D)The long-term effects of negative ads on political participation are minimal.
E)Negative ads are clearly more likely to attract undecided voters than to discourage their participation.

Question 66

Describe the general characteristics of America's two-party system.How does it differ from the system used in most European democracies? What are the drawbacks and benefits of a system dominated by two main parties? Does the two-party system provide an adequate voice to political minorities? What are the different types of third parties that occasionally emerge in the American political system? What obstacles make it difficult for such parties to compete?

Question 67

Discuss the relationship between candidates and their parties today.How has that relationship changed in recent decades? What roles have candidates assumed for themselves? How do they fund their campaigns? In what ways do they remain dependent on the party structure? How do they win the nomination of their party? How have super PACs and 527 groups and similar organizations affected the way in which campaigns are funded?

Question 68

Discuss the differences between the major parties today.What are the most important constituencies of each party? Are these constituencies currently stable or in flux? Do the parties adequately represent the beliefs and concerns of their average supporters? Do the events of recent years suggest that a realignment is taking place in the American political system, or will dealignment remain the prevailing trend?