Deck 7: Parties, Elections, and Participation: the Insurgents Versus the Establishment

Question 1

A state effort to set its primary or caucus schedule as early as possible is called ______.

A) jumping ahead
B) front-loading
C) up-scheduling
D) first-past-the-post

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Because of federalism, ______ play a key role in party politics.

A) national committees
B) national leaders
C) local activists
D) state parties

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A ______ is a meeting where delegates officially select their party's nominee for the presidency.

A) primary
B) caucus
C) convention
D) steering committee

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which primary system encourages undecided and independent voters to participate?

A) open primary
B) closed primary
C) open/closed primary (mixed system)
D) caucus

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the phases of a candidate's campaign?

A) party support, candidate vetting, recruitment
B) recruitment, candidate vetting, party support
C) party support, decision to run, nomination process
D) decision to run, party support, nomination process

Question 6

Parties sometimes try to discourage prospective candidates because they fear that these candidates will ______.

A) draw votes away from the party's preferred choice
B) gain undeserved favor with the voting public
C) stray from the party's official policy platform
D) ignore the direct orders of party leadership

Question 7

What is a group of people called who attend a party's convention and select their nominee for president?

A) delegates
B) electoral college members
C) representatives
D) trustees

Question 8

Which state has the first primary election in the nation?

A) Iowa
B) Nevada
C) New Hampshire
D) Florida

Question 9

Because of their complexity, caucuses tend to draw ______.

A) national attention
B) fewer participants
C) more participants
D) party leaders

Question 10

The first party system was between the ______ and the ______.

A) Federalist Party; Democratic Republicans
B) Whigs; Tories
C) Democratic-Republican Party, Bull Moose Party
D) Depression-Era Democrats; Business-Oriented Republicans

Question 11

State parties are governed by a(n) ______ comprised of elected members that govern the operations of the state party.

A) central committee
B) advisory council
C) regulatory commission
D) administrative body

Question 12

During which party system were the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists established as political parties?

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 13

Many state political party organizations are struggling today. What is the most significant explanation for this?

A) Many nonparty groups are able to raise large sums of money for political causes.
B) There is a growing ideological gap between national and state political parties.
C) Many federal laws restrict state parties' activities.
D) Recent Supreme Court decisions have reduced state parties' autonomy.

Question 14

The more-or-less stable eras of political party control are known as ______.

A) critical elections
B) caucuses
C) primaries
D) party systems

Question 15

When a short event or era leads to a new period of relative stability that lead to a realignment of political parties, these events are known as ______.

A) critical elections
B) caucuses
C) primaries
D) party systems

Question 16

Which state has the first caucus in the nation?

A) Iowa
B) Nevada
C) New Hampshire
D) Florida

Question 17

Which of the following statements best describes how politics affects political parties?

A) Political parties try to appeal to as many people as possible regardless of their ideology.
B) The Republican Party tries to distinguish itself from the Democratic Party by offering different issue positions.
C) People generally support a party that is willing to make compromises with another party.
D) Americans prefer a rotation of political parties in the government.

Question 18

Who traditionally chooses the national chair of his or her party?

A) speaker of the house
B) president
C) the exiting chairperson
D) the presumptive nominee

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true regarding the nomination process?

A) Federal law governs the nomination process.
B) Political parties dominate the nomination process.
C) All states have the same nomination process.
D) All political parties have the same nomination process.

Question 20

Which of the following is a true statement regarding American political parties?

A) There are two political parties in America.
B) The number of people who identify as independents has increased recently.
C) Self-identified Republicans outnumber self-identified Democrats.
D) Americans strongly believe that their interests are represented well through the two main political parties.

Question 21

Groups of at least 50 individuals who contribute higher dollar amounts than individuals within federal limits are known as ______.

A) political action committees
B) super PACs
C) finance committees
D) campaign committees

Question 22

What is the least number of Electoral College votes that any state can be allocated?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 23

In the 1976 case of Buckley v. Valeo, the U.S. Supreme Court ______.

A) prohibited outside political contributions to national political campaigns
B) upheld self-funded campaigning for presidential and congressional elections
C) maintained the constitutionality of restrictions on individual campaign contributions
D) declared political action committee contributions as unconstitutional

Question 24

When the Democratic and Republican parties face competition, the candidate usually focuses on a single issue that needs more emphasis than is being provided. This candidate would be considered a member of which party?

A) proportional representation
B) single-member plurality
C) third
D) representative democracy

Question 25

When a voter is able to cast a single vote for one congressional candidate knowing the candidate with the most votes will win, the voter is participating in which type of system?

A) proportional representation
B) single-member plurality
C) third-party candidacy
D) representative democracy

Question 26

By 1824, the Whig Party had been developed when the ______ Party had largely dissolved.

A) Democratic-Republican
B) Federalist
C) Tory
D) Bull Moose

Question 27

The two major political parties in the United States are the ______.

A) Republican Party and the Green Party
B) Republican Party and the Libertarian Party
C) Republican Party and the Democratic Party
D) Democratic Party and the Green Party

Question 28

During which party system did the antislavery Whigs and Democrats form the Republican Party?

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 29

During the Sixth Party Period, Democrats were focused on vigorous ______ government, and Republicans were focused on ______ government.

A) federal; smaller
B) international; federal
C) state; large
D) federal; international

Question 30

The Great Depression ushered in which party system?

A) third
B) fourth
C) fifth
D) sixth

Question 31

When a voter is able to cast a single vote for one candidate knowing the representation in the legislative bodies will be based upon the percentage of votes overall for each party, the voter is participating in which type of system?

A) proportional representation
B) single-member plurality
C) third-party candidacy
D) representative democracy

Question 32

The bureaucratic entity that is charged with overseeing and implementing national campaign finance laws is the ______.

A) Federal Election Commission
B) Presidential Election Committee
C) United States Election Congress
D) National Voting Regulatory Agency

Question 33

In an effort to effectively control the ballooning growth of campaign contributions, Congress passed the ______.

A) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
B) Federal Election Campaign Act
C) Citizens United Campaign Reform Bill
D) Multiparty Campaign Financing Law

Question 34

In the 1970s, following the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the ______.

A) National Voting Law
B) Federal Election Campaign Act
C) United States Election Bill
D) Presidential Campaign Act

Question 35

Since the mid-1800s, control of government has been ______.

A) under the leadership of the Republican Party and the Tea Party
B) dominated by the Democratic Party and its leaders
C) in the hands of political independents and political third parties
D) shifting back and forth between the Democratic and Republican parties

Question 36

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, ______ are allowed to spend unlimited amounts during a political campaign as long as the spending is not coordinated with that campaign.

A) individual citizens
B) super PACs
C) finance committees
D) campaign managers

Question 37

First and foremost, money buys ______ in a candidate's campaign.

A) media time
B) organizers
C) event space
D) posters and flyers

Question 38

When outside spending on other national elections was added to that of the presidential election of 2016, the total spent was about ______.

A) $1 billion
B) $3 billion
C) $5 billion
D) $6.8 billion

Question 39

During which party system saw the dissolution of the Democratic-Republican Party with many members forming the Whig Party?

A) first
B) second
C) third
D) fourth

Question 40

A critical point in which public support shifts substantially from one party to another is known as ______.

A) polarization
B) realignment
C) periodization
D) partisanship

Question 41

As observed by Donald Trump, one important political trend, made evident early in the 2016 campaign season, was the ______.

A) approval of Republican insiders
B) attraction of new potential voters
C) shared fear of terrorism and immigration
D) degree of Republican party infighting

Question 42

Having a sizable ______, especially early in a campaign, may discourage potential challengers from entering a political race.

A) advertising budget
B) group of supporters
C) set of advisors
D) war chest

Question 43

Which two candidates found themselves unexpectedly winning primaries as political outsiders during the 2016 campaign season?

A) Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump
B) Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
C) Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz
D) Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush

Question 44

The formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office is called ______.

A) vetting
B) recruitment
C) nomination
D) orientation

Question 45

To take advantage of the benefits of holding an early primary or caucus, many states try to engage in a process known as ______.

A) rear-ending
B) caucus stacking
C) bulldozing
D) front-loading

Question 46

The Sanders campaign message that seemed to resonate most with voters who supported him was that the playing field is ______.

A) necessarily tilted in order to keep American businesses from failing
B) unacceptably tilted toward the top one percent of Americans
C) artificially benefiting the poor to the harm of the rich
D) in need of redefining in order to assist corporate enterprise

Question 47

When Sam goes to cast his vote for the open House of Representative seat in his district, he keeps in mind all of the hard work the current representative has done and the improvements that have come to the district. Same is participating in ______ voting.

A) representative
B) plurality
C) retrospective
D) proportional

Question 48

A win in an early primary/caucus state benefits a candidate by establishing ______.

A) candidate momentum
B) voting patterns
C) delegate selection
D) electoral votes

Question 49

The GOP or "Grand Old Party" refers to the ______ Party.

A) Democratic
B) Republican
C) Tea
D) Green

Question 50

The time, place, and manner of state elections are decided upon by ______.

A) the Constitution
B) Congress
C) the state legislatures
D) the Supreme Court

Question 51

Which of the following describes a Senator that just won reelection for a fifth term?

A) The Senator was the incumbent for the election.
B) The Senator was the challenger for the election.
C) The Senator was a third-party candidate for the election.
D) He or she won because of proportional representation.

Question 52

Antiestablishment campaigns that focus on candidates as "outsiders" with criticism of party elites are generally referred to as ______.

A) patriotism
B) conservatism
C) populism
D) centrism

Question 53

Political parties provide which of the following for potential voters?

A) candidate labeling
B) grassroots support
C) political influence
D) financial and physical resources

Question 54

Many Republicans challenged Donald Trump's promises to cut deals in order to benefit the U.S. economy as contradicting their philosophy of ______.

A) conservatism
B) elitist leadership
C) constitutionalism
D) limited government

Question 55

Efforts to mobilize voters or potential voters are given the acronym ______.

A) MYTV
B) NYTV
C) GOTV
D) YUTV

Question 56

Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders failed to concentrate their campaigns on the so-called ______ and actually gained favor among voters for it.

A) party establishment
B) grassroots movement
C) uninformed voters
D) party outsiders

Question 57

How were senators originally chosen to serve in the legislature, before the Constitution had been created and ratified?

A) elected by popular vote by the citizens
B) chosen by state legislatures
C) chosen by the president
D) appointed by local judges

Question 58

Which of the following is meant to attack an opponent and try to raise doubts in voters' minds about them?

A) media coverage
B) soft news
C) fake news
D) negative campaign advertisements

Question 59

Traditionally, most of the drama in an American presidential election is between ______ or ______.

A) parties; candidates
B) lobbyists; voters
C) candidates; lobbyists
D) parties; voters

Question 60

The majority of Trump supporters state that they support him because he has tapped into their ______.

A) deep frustration with politics and political parties
B) hidden fears and biases
C) feelings of patriotism and isolationism
D) concerns for the security of the United States

Question 61

On what basis did Anthony Downs consider the decision not to vote a "rational one"?

A) financial cost and physical effort
B) time commitment and intellectual effort
C) intellectual effort and financial cost
D) physical effort and time commitment

Question 62

Besides ethnicity, differences in voter turnout in recent elections between men and women are also connected with ______.

A) wealth
B) age
C) marital status
D) political efficacy

Question 63

The final phase of the nomination process takes place at the ______ convention.

A) precinct
B) county
C) state
D) national

Question 64

According to political scientist John Aldrich, things get really interesting when ______.

A) party leadership exerts control over the candidates
B) candidates no longer feel that the party leadership is serving their own goals
C) candidates seek outside financing and support and forego party resources
D) party leadership fails to control a renegade candidate and loses party unity

Question 65

The most effective way to increase the turnout rate in a particular election is to ______.

A) invest more in education to increase the educational level of Americans
B) nominate highly accomplished candidates
C) implement economic reforms to more equally distribute national wealth
D) promote active mobilization efforts like GOTV

Question 66

Political mobilization efforts are divided into which of the following two categories?

A) direct and indirect
B) local and national
C) individual and group
D) active and neutral

Question 67

Which of the following groups would most likely be considered voting eligible?

A) those who have not established residency
B) undocumented Americans
C) those convicted of serious felonies
D) U.S. residents 18 years or older

Question 68

In addition to the time and effort involved, what other factor is cited by many experts when arguing for the rationality of not voting?

A) the small chance any one person's vote will be decisive in any election
B) the divisiveness of many political campaigns today
C) the level of "noise" in the message of politicians who seek office
D) the overall level of distrust and the potential for abusing the public interest

Question 69

In recent decades, the Democratic Party has been connected with policies of ______, and Republicans have been connected with policies of ______.

A) liberalism; conservatism
B) conservatism; liberalism
C) democracy; republicanism
D) federalism; constitutionalism

Question 70

Which of the following best defines suffrage?

A) the right to vote
B) the requirement to register
C) partisan political activity
D) nonpartisan political action

Question 71

An individual is prohibited from registering to vote because he or she was convicted of a serious crime. This is an example of ______.

A) suffrage requirements
B) illegal disenfranchisement
C) potential voter fraud
D) felon disenfranchisement

Question 72

The measure that captures an individual's wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment is best defined as ______.

A) sociopathic tendency
B) socioeconomic status
C) sociopolitical determination
D) socioethnic affiliation

Question 73

Which of the following would be considered political mobilization?

A) conducting a "get out the vote" campaign in order to increase voter turnout
B) contacting candidates in order to gain support for a desired law
C) creating a student organization to protest sexual violence on campus
D) organizing a midnight vigil and campus march to protest date rape

Question 74

The turnout rate for voting-age Americans is highly correlated with which of the following?

A) degree of political interest
B) racial and ethnic identity
C) degree of political controversy
D) effectiveness of political campaigns

Question 75

Institutional factors to voting are ______.

A) shaped by laws and procedures surrounding the election process
B) dependent upon the particulars of a specific election
C) centered upon the characteristics of potential voters
D) aimed at holding political candidates accountable for their actions

Question 76

Which of the following is a clear and consistent pattern in electoral participation?

A) Little correlation exists between socioeconomic status and electoral behavior.
B) No correlation exists between socioeconomic status and electoral behavior.
C) A high degree of correlation exists between socioeconomic status and electoral behavior.
D) Socioeconomic status and electoral behavior are negatively correlated.

Question 77

The largest percentage of difference between the voting patterns of men and women are seen in which of the following ethnicities?

A) white American
B) African American
C) Latina/Latino
D) Asian American

Question 78

Which of the following best describes the relationship between candidates and their party?

A) Party leaders seek to win elections by depending upon incumbent candidates with a winning record.
B) Candidates need to win and depend more on the support of the voters than the party itself.
C) Party leaders seek to impact the political process by relying on candidates who have the best chance to win an election.
D) Politicians rely on their party to help them get elected but in doing so grant power to party leaders.

Question 79

The consistent set of stances on major issues shaped by an underlying philosophy about the proper role of government in society and communicated to voters is called a party ______.

A) identity
B) ideology
C) platform
D) partisanship

Question 80

Voting actually involves which of the following two actions?

A) actual attendance and voter participation
B) political decision and specific voter action
C) voter registration and casting the ballot
D) partisan choice and voter participation