Question 1

National party organizations can require a state organization to comply with their requests in order for the state party to keep its affiliation.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 2

While American political parties have brand names that give people easy ways to identify differences between candidates, some candidates and elected officials in the same party will often have different issue positions.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. While political parties in the United States have certain core beliefs and values, individual candidates and elected officials within the same party can have different positions on specific issues. This can make it challenging for voters to determine which candidate best aligns with their preferences.

Question 3

The Speaker of the House, John Boehner, is able to command what Tea Party Caucus members do in Congress because he is the highest-ranking Republican leader.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 4

The party in government comprises:

Accepted Answer

The party in government refers to those politicians who have been elected into office under a party label. This includes the president, members of Congress, governor, and other elected officials who belong to the same political party. Option A is incorrect because the party in power could have the most elected officials in Congress but not necessarily. Option B is incorrect because the heads of the major national party organizations do not necessarily form the government. Option C is incorrect because voters who identify with a party do not necessarily hold government positions. Option E is incorrect because not all elected officials from the party that controls the executive branch would necessarily hold office.

Question 5

The increase in the percentage of self-identified Independents led some scholars to conclude that people regarded parties as irrelevant to their vote decision, which is an example of a realignment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The increase in the percentage of self-identified...

Question 6

What is a party system?

Accepted Answer

A party system refers to the periods in which political parties and their issues remain stable, often characterized by the dominance of certain parties and the political dynamics of the time.

Question 7

The national Democratic Party, under the leadership of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, is credited for creating the spoils system.

Accepted Answer

The national Democratic Party, under the leadership of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, is indeed credited for creating the spoils system.

Question 8

An example of the independence between the party in government and the party organization is that most American politicians go through their entire political careers without holding an official position in their party organization.

Accepted Answer

This is true. While politicians may have affiliations with their party organization, they do not necessarily participate in the day-to-day operations or hold official positions.

Question 9

During the period of the first party system, the two major American political parties operated primarily as parties in government.

Accepted Answer

During the first party system, which lasted from 1792-1824, the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party were primarily parties in government, meaning that they existed to organize and compete for political power within the government. This was in contrast to parties in the second party system, which were also parties in the electorate, appealing directly to voters and seeking to win elections outside of government.

Question 10

Which parties were part of the first party system?

Accepted Answer

The first party system consisted of two major parties: the Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

Question 11

To be a part of the party in the electorate, one must:

Accepted Answer

To be a part of a party in the electorate, one must identify with a political party as a citizen. This does not necessarily require being a dues-paying member or an election volunteer, and one can vote for different parties in different elections or choose not to vote at all. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 12

Civil service legislation, enacted in the 1890s, contributed to the decline of political machines.

Accepted Answer

Civil service legislation, such as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, established a merit-based system for government employment and made it more difficult for political machines to reward their supporters with jobs. This weakened the power of political machines and contributed to their decline.

Question 13

Who is in charge of an American political party?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Who is in charge of an American...

Question 14

The Democratic Party is an example of a 527 organization.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Democratic Party is an example of...

Question 15

The Republican Party is considered a minor political party in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The Republican Party is actually one of the two major political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party.

Question 16

The Democrats and the Whigs competed in which party system?

Accepted Answer

The Democrats and the Whigs competed in the second party system, which lasted from the mid-1830s to the mid-1850s. The first party system was characterized by the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, while the third party system emerged after the Civil War and featured the Republicans and the Democrats. The fourth and fifth party systems refer to the Progressive Era and the New Deal Era respectively.

Question 17

A party's national organization is run by its elected leaders in the House of Representatives.

Accepted Answer

A party's national organization is typically run by a committee or executive board, not by its elected leaders in the House of Representatives. However, the House leadership may play a role in shaping the party's national agenda and strategy.

Question 18

The spoils system allowed local party organizations to operate as machines with considerable power over their members.

Accepted Answer

The spoils system, also known as patronage, allowed political parties to reward their supporters with government jobs and other benefits. This system gave party organizations considerable power and control over their members, as they could provide or withhold these rewards based on their level of loyalty and support to the party. This often led to corruption and abuse of power within the government, but it also helped to build strong party machines that could mobilize voters and win elections.

Question 19

During the third and fourth party systems the Republican Party had significant strength in the _____, while the Democratic Party had significant strength in the _____.

Accepted Answer

During the third and fourth party systems (1850s-1890s), the Republican Party had significant strength in the Northeast, while the Democratic Party had significant strength in the South. The Midwest was a contested region between the two parties.

Question 20

The leaders and workers of a party at the national, state, and local levels are known as:

Accepted Answer

The leaders and workers of a political party at all levels - national, state, and local - make up the party organization. The party caucus is a specific group within a legislative body made up of members of a political party. The party in government refers to the elected officials within a political party who are currently holding office. The party in the electorate refers to the voters who identify with and support a political party. The parties in service is not a recognized term in political science.

Quiz 7: Political Parties