Deck 5: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Question 1

Groups that try to influence policy primarily by getting their members elected or appointed to government office are known as

A)focus groups.
B)special interest groups.
C)interest groups.
D)pressure groups.
E)political parties.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Minor or third parties in the American political system

A)generally persist and become institutionalized forces.
B)usually disappear soon after contesting one or two national elections.
C)are never permitted on state ballots.
D)develop into major parties soon after their establishment.
E)are highly competitive with the two major parties in local elections.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which one of the following is true of third political parties in the United States?

A)They tend to be competitive with the two major parties.
B)They always form around a specific issue.
C)They may organize or form around a specific ideology or a specific issue.
D)They are usually spoiler parties that influence the outcomes of elections.
E)They are highly successful at raising money and winning local elections.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the most salient characteristic of the American political party system?

A)Coalition governments
B)Strong ideological diversity
C)The two-party system
D)Decentralization of power
E)Lack of ideological diversity

Question 5

In 1919,the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified-a victory for the Prohibition Party.This illustrates the influence of

A)alcohol vendors.
B)churches.
C)minor parties.
D)women.
E)courts.

Question 6

Trade unions,labor unions,and corporations generally contribute to political campaigns through

A)lobbyists.
B)political action committees.
C)single-issue interest groups.
D)nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
E)foreign governments.

Question 7

A major characteristic of America's two major parties is that they

A)are highly centralized,with strong national organs exercising heavy influence over weaker state party organizations.
B)tend to be single-interest parties that avoid becoming multiinterest coalitions.
C)are coalitions,gaining support from varied segments of the population.
D)avoid taking moderate political positions in order to attract voters.
E)are always more powerful at the local level than at the national level.

Question 8

Which one of the following is true of the Whig Party shortly before the Civil War?

A)It was replaced by the Populist Party.
B)It remained competitive in presidential elections well into the twentieth century.
C)It was replaced by the Democratic Party.
D)It was replaced by the Republican Party.
E)It was replaced by the Socialist Workers' Party.

Question 9

The institutional theory for explaining the persistence of the two-party system in America takes into account

A)the fact that the two parties have each become societal landmarks.
B)the limited ability of voters to focus on more than two parties.
C)the American media's focus on only the two dominant parties.
D)America's heavy reliance on single-member districts for elections.
E)that the two major parties are established by the Constitution.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the outcome of the 2010 congressional elections?

A)Democrats controlled the House and Senate.
B)Republicans controlled the House and Senate.
C)Democrats controlled the Senate and Republicans controlled the House.
D)Democrats controlled the House and Republicans controlled the Senate.
E)Democrats and Republicans each controlled about 50 percent of the House and Senate.

Question 11

Groups that primarily try to influence government indirectly by shaping public opinion,supporting or opposing candidates,and influencing the decisions of government officials are known as

A)focus groups.
B)political action committees.
C)interest groups.
D)political parties.
E)political candidates.

Question 12

What is the most widely accepted theory for the existence of the American two-party system?

A)Cultural
B)Historical
C)Social consensus
D)Institutional
E)Pluralistic

Question 13

The party machines of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century

A)provided services to citizens in exchange for party loyalty and votes.
B)were not as strong as political parties are today.
C)diffused power in urban areas among a slew of local officials.
D)were mostly found in rural areas.
E)were anemic.

Question 14

The most important local party organization in most states is

A)the county committee.
B)the city committee.
C)the precinct committee.
D)the national convention.
E)the national committee.

Question 15

Examining and criticizing the policies and proposals of the majority party is a function of

A)the majority party.
B)foreign governments.
C)the minority party.
D)government bureaucrats.
E)the judicial branch.

Question 16

Which one of the following is true of a party's national convention?

A)It has a broad range of powers.
B)It has a voice in the selection of candidates for congressional,state,and local offices.
C)It can force candidates to support its platform.
D)It meets every year to nominate candidates.
E)It nominates presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Question 17

In theory,the political party's top national authority is the

A)national convention.
B)national committee.
C)state convention.
D)state committee.
E)county committee.

Question 18

The first political issue faced by the nation was ratification of the Constitution.This was a yes/no issue that divided Americans into two groups: one supporting agricultural interests and the other supporting financial and mercantile interests.This pattern has persisted ever since.This explanation of the development of the American two-party system can be described as

A)tribal.
B)social consensus.
C)historical.
D)institutional.
E)factional.

Question 19

Which one of the following scenarios most accurately predicts political party success?

A)The party that adheres most rigidly to its ideology will win the most elections.
B)The party that seeks to encompass a wide range of views will win the most elections.
C)The party that takes the most extreme or dogmatic position will win the most elections.
D)The party that avoids the moderate majority will win the most elections.
E)The party that sets its positions forth in very clear and specific terms will win the most elections.

Question 20

Which one of the following is true of congressional elections?

A)House elections tend to be more competitive than Senate elections.
B)Senate reelection rates are higher than those in the House.
C)In general,few members of either the Senate or the House are reelected.
D)House and Senate elections are equally competitive.
E)Senate races tend to be more competitive than House races.

Question 21

Which one of the following is true of party identification in the American electorate since the 1930s?

A)There have been more Republicans than Democrats.
B)There have been more Democrats than Republicans.
C)The proportion of Republicans has been declining.
D)The proportion of Independents has been declining.
E)The proportion of Republicans has been approximately equal to the proportion of Democrats.

Question 22

The chair of a party's national committee generally

A)has mostly ceremonial duties.
B)is the presidential nominee for the party.
C)becomes the leader of the party.
D)dominates the national committee.
E)dominates state and local parties.

Question 23

At the start of each Congress,the majority party elects

A)the Speaker of the House and the president pro tem of the Senate.
B)the president of the United States.
C)the chief justice of the United States.
D)the membership of the House and Senate.
E)the justices of the Supreme Court.

Question 24

Imagine that the Sierra Club wants the U.S.president to introduce a bill in Congress that would protect a section of old-growth forest in Washington from clear cutting.They create a written statement and present it to the secretary of the interior.Which method of lobbying has the Sierra Club employed?

A)Evasive threat
B)Personal visits
C)Indirect lobbying
D)Direct lobbying
E)Amicus curiae briefs

Question 25

Which organization began the court case that became known as Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka and represented Brown before the U.S.Supreme Court?

A)Urban League
B)American Jewish Congress
C)Southern Christian Leadership Conference
D)NAACP
E)American Civil Liberties Union

Question 26

Divided government has been common in the United States in recent decades.

Question 27

At the national level,the party system has been marked by long stretches of single-party dominance.

Question 28

The Tea Party is best described as a(n)

A)interest group.
B)focus group.
C)grassroots movement.
D)political action committee (PAC).
E)political party.

Question 29

Which of the following is a lobbyist most likely permitted to do?

A)Host a breakfast
B)Wine and dine a member of Congress
C)Take members of Congress on a golf vacation
D)Sponsor a buffet dinner
E)Give members of Congress tickets to sporting events

Question 30

The Republican Party was probably the most successful third party.

Question 31

In 2007 and 2008,which of the following types of PACs spent the most money to influence election outcomes?

A)Local governments
B)Labor organizations
C)Corporate and trade associations
D)Wholesaler organizations
E)Independent groups

Question 32

By far,the largest number of political action committees (PACs)are those created by

A)corporations and trade associations.
B)independent organizations.
C)ideological organizations.
D)labor unions.
E)agricultural interests.

Question 33

Federalism and the separation of powers

A)make the activities of interest groups more difficult.
B)encourage interest group activity.
C)have no impact on interest groups.
D)discourage interest group activity.
E)only promote interest group activity at the state level.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT an organization that primarily serves the interests of farmers?

A)National Grange
B)American Farm Bureau Federation
C)Common Cause
D)National Farmers' Union
E)National Apple Institute

Question 35

Two-party systems are found in almost every democracy.

Question 36

The national chair often emerges as a strong leader of the party.

Question 37

Dealignment theory stresses that

A)political parties are in a state of disintegration.
B)partisan loyalty is transferring from one political party to another.
C)each major political party is splitting into conservative and liberal wings.
D)the Democratic Party has an advantage over the Republican Party in national elections.
E)national party organizations are becoming more powerful.

Question 38

Which of the following has NOT been a factor in the growth of interest groups?

A)Economic specialization
B)An aging population
C)The success of established interest groups
D)Federalism
E)Separation of powers

Question 39

Recent party unity scores suggest that a majority of one party votes against a majority of the opposing party about __________ percent of the time.

A)10
B)28
C)50
D)85
E)99

Question 40

The National Right to Life Committee is an example of a(n)

A)trade association.
B)single-issue group.
C)economic interest group.
D)professional association.
E)political party.

Question 41

Independent voters split their ticket more often than do those who identify with one of the major political parties.

Question 42

Grassroots lobbying relies on mobilizing citizens in an attempt to influence lawmakers.

Question 43

Since 1976,the number of people who consider themselves independents has grown.

Question 44

The economic specialization of American society has increased the number of interest groups that are active.

Question 45

Minor political parties have never influenced the outcome of national elections in the United States.

Question 46

Federalism and separation of powers have limited the growth of interest groups.

Question 47

A minor political party has never replaced a major party.

Question 48

George Washington and James Madison strongly supported political parties and their role in politics.

Question 49

Interest groups use amicus curiae briefs to attempt to influence the courts.

Question 50

The realignment theory and dealignment theory suggest reasons for the existence of the American two-party system.

Question 51

Minor political parties frequently win elections for state and local public offices.

Question 52

PACs are an illegal way for business and industry to influence campaigns and elections.

Question 53

In the early twentieth century,state party organizations were often led by U.S.senators.This was changed by the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment.

Question 54

Business interests are represented in the nation's capital by a variety of groups,including trade associations.

Question 55

Interest groups frequently have more success lobbying the president than they do lobbying individual members of Congress.