Deck 7: Political Parties

Question 1

Political parties are used as an accountability mechanism by the American people.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Ideological differences between the two major parties have decreased over the last 60 years.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Both the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party were competitive during the Era of Good Feelings.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In the 1850s, the issue of slavery ended the second party system involving the Whigs and Democrats.

Question 5

Most minor parties in the United States last a long time.

Question 6

The fifth party system was created as a result of the Great Depression.

Question 7

Who is in charge of a major American political party today?

A) the national party chairperson
B) the Speaker of the House
C) the president of the United States
D) no single person is in charge of the party

Question 8

The Federalist Party had no national party organization in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Question 9

The Republican Party is structured in a hierarchical manner, but the Democratic Party is not.

Question 10

The Republican Party is highly centralized.

Question 11

The Democratic Party began in the early nineteenth century.

Question 12

The Republicans have a brand name but the Democrats do not.

Question 13

The Club for Growth is an example of a 527 organization.

Question 14

Most Independents in America have a weak attachment to one of the major political parties.

Question 15

The party platforms for the Republicans and Democrats are basically the same.

Question 16

The principal body in each party organization is the Congressional Caucus.

Question 17

The party organization, the party in government, and the party in the electorate are considered

A) three connected components that make up a realignment.
B) three separate and largely independent pieces that compose American political parties.
C) three necessary components to form a party system.
D) three necessary conditions for conditional party government.

Question 18

Minor-party candidates garnered about 12 percent of the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Question 19

Party leaders in America can control what their members do if they are elected into office.

Question 20

What does a political party do?

A) satisfies all political interests and factions
B) lobbies elected politicians with the goal of influencing policy
C) picks the winners and losers of primary elections
D) runs candidates for political office and coordinates the actions of officials elected under the party banner

Question 21

What marked the Era of Good Feelings?

A) George Washington served as president.
B) There were no political parties.
C) There was only one political party, the Democratic-Republicans.
D) Andrew Jackson served as president.

Question 22

Which important political event led to the New Deal Coalition?

A) World War I
B) the Great Depression
C) the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
D) the Civil Rights Act

Question 23

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

A) the party caucus
B) the party in government
C) the party organization
D) the parties in service

Question 24

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

A) Northeast; Midwest
B) South; Northeast
C) Northeast; South
D) Midwest; Northeast

Question 25

The Democrats and the Whigs competed in the ________ party system.

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

Question 26

A woman spends a year working on a candidate's presidential campaign. Her candidate subsequently wins, and she is appointed to a federal job. This is an example of

A) the spoils system.
B) the party principle.
C) the civil service system.
D) party coalitions.

Question 27

Rewarding party supporters with benefits, such as government jobs, is known as ________.

A) the civil service system
B) the spoils system
C) the party in government
D) political horse trading

Question 28

Which party most strongly supported a national bank?

A) Federalist Party
B) Democratic-Republican Party
C) Republican Party
D) Democratic Party

Question 29

Today, ________ are a key part of the Democratic coalition.

A) southerners
B) evangelicals
C) African Americans
D) affluent Americans

Question 30

Andrew Jackson was important to the development of American political parties because

A) he was the innovator of conditional party government.
B) he was the first man to run for president under a party label.
C) he pioneered the use of registering voters with a political party.
D) he helped build Democratic Party organizations at the state and local levels, which helped to mobilize citizens and bind them to the Democratic Party.

Question 31

Which parties were part of the first party system in the United States?

A) Democratic-Republicans and Federalists
B) Republicans and Whigs
C) Democrats and Republicans
D) Federalists and Whigs

Question 32

What factor contributed to the transition from the fifth to the sixth party system?

A) the election of Franklin Roosevelt as president
B) Democratic candidates and party leaders, particularly outside the South, came out against the "separate but equal" system of racial discrimination.
C) the end of World War II
D) the election of Ronald Reagan as president

Question 33

What was significant about the disintegration of the Federalist Party?

A) It demonstrated that southern parties could not last in the United States.
B) It was the last "responsible" party in the nation's history.
C) It led to the Era of Good Feelings and eventually to the second party system.
D) It led to the rise of the modern-day Republican Party.

Question 34

What is the party principle?

A) the identification of elected officials and citizens with different political parties
B) groups or individuals who associate with a political party
C) the idea that parties are organizations distinct from their elected officials
D) those politicians who are elected to office under a common party label

Question 35

Which issue split the major parties in the fifth and sixth party systems and still remains relevant today?

A) whether we should encourage industrialization
B) the appropriate tariff rate
C) presidential veto powers
D) the proper size and role of the federal government

Question 36

What was a reason for the rise of the Republican Party?

A) The issue of slavery split the second party system.
B) Southerners were demanding a more conservative party in American politics.
C) Business leaders wanted a party to represent their interests.
D) Some political leaders opposed progressive reforms that had recently become law.

Question 37

The Republican Party formed when the ________ Party dissolved.

A) Democratic
B) Federalist
C) Whig
D) Prohibition

Question 38

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

A) be a citizen who identifies with a political party whether it be Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Green, or some other party.
B) be a dues-paying member of a political party.
C) vote straight ticket on the Democratic side.
D) vote straight ticket on the Republican side.

Question 39

What is a party system?

A) the organization of the party in the electorate, party in government, and party organization
B) a term used to describe different periods of time in which parties and issues are stable
C) the method of selecting nominees for offices through political parties
D) a set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities

Question 40

The party in government comprises

A) members of the party with the most elected officials in Congress.
B) the heads of the major national party organizations, such as the national committee and the congressional campaign committee.
C) voters who identify with a party.
D) those politicians who have been elected into office under a party label.

Question 41

In 2016,

A) the superdelegates nominated Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side.
B) Donald Trump received the Republican nomination because party leaders supported him.
C) Donald Trump received the Republican nomination despite many party leaders opposing his candidacy.
D) Hillary Clinton received the Democratic nomination despite many party leaders opposing her candidacy.

Question 42

In recent years,

A) Democrats have a big advantage over Republicans in terms of party identification.
B) Republicans have a big advantage over Democrats in terms of party identification.
C) There has been no consistent trend away from a nearly even split between the parties.
D) Most Americans are pure Independents.

Question 43

One of the practical reasons that virtually all prominent candidates for the presidency and Congress run as Democrats or Republicans is that

A) the Constitution was specifically designed with a two-party system in mind.
B) it is easier to get on the general election ballot as a major-party candidate.
C) most Americans want either a genuine liberal or a genuine conservative to represent them.
D) most Americans do not trust candidates unaffiliated with a party.

Question 44

A state decides to elect all members to its U.S. House delegation from one at-large district through proportional voting. For example, a party that receives 20 percent of the votes will get 20 percent of the House seats. This change is likely to do which of the following to the state's congressional delegation?

A) increase control of the current majority party
B) decrease representation of the current minority party
C) increase minor-party representation
D) make no change

Question 45

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) About 90 percent of Republicans voted for Donald Trump.
B) Sixty-five percent of Democrats voted for Hillary Clinton.
C) About 85 percent of Independents voted for Donald Trump.
D) About 15 percent of liberals voted for Jill Stein.

Question 46

A caucus (or conference) is an organization

A) within government that meets to discuss party positions on issues.
B) that primarily exists to raise money for party candidates.
C) that is designed to represent constituency groups within the party.
D) that consists of representatives from each state party organization.

Question 47

How has the political landscape of the South changed in the last 50 years?

A) There has not been much partisan change in the South.
B) The South has gone from being a toss-up to being solidly Democratic.
C) The South has gone from being a toss-up to being solidly Republican.
D) The South has gone from being solidly Democratic to solidly Republican.

Question 48

The fact that parties have brand names means

A) the only thing distinguishing them is reputation.
B) their names evoke certain positions or issues.
C) that citizens have a long-standing record of support for a party.
D) that citizens are likely to grow tired of their party at some point, as they often do with brand-name products, and will shop for a new party.

Question 49

The principal body in each party organization is the ________, which consists of representatives from ________.

A) party in the electorate; the U.S. Congress
B) party in government; the parties' presidential nominating conventions
C) leadership caucus; various interest groups
D) national committee; state party organizations

Question 50

________ tend to affiliate with the Republican Party.

A) African Americans
B) White evangelicals
C) Union workers
D) The less affluent

Question 51

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC)

A) can both force state and local parties to share their positions on issues.
B) are both unable to force state and local parties to share their positions on issues.
C) operate differently; the DNC can force state and local parties to share its positions on issues, whereas the RNC cannot.
D) operate differently; the RNC can force state and local parties to share its positions on issues, whereas the DNC cannot.

Question 52

Groups such as the Young Democrats and Young Republicans

A) are 527s that exist to raise funds for elections.
B) are only active at the local level.
C) are made up of politicians elected under the party's label.
D) work to support party candidates in elections.

Question 53

Which one of the following terms describes a situation in which the issues that divide the political parties change in a way that cuts across existing political coalitions?

A) polarization
B) realignment
C) party evolution
D) divided government

Question 54

The loyalty that people have to one party is called ________.

A) party service
B) partisan commitment
C) party identification
D) party polarization

Question 55

________ exists when candidates from a party tend to concentrate their campaigns on issues that are priorities for members of their party.

A) Issue ownership
B) A party coalition
C) A party realignment
D) A party dealignment

Question 56

A 527 organization

A) typically will coordinate electoral strategy with candidates and party leaders to develop a consistent and unified campaign message.
B) is illegal in the United States.
C) contributes a significant amount of money to campaigns but must limit contributions and spending to comply with federal campaign finance laws.
D) seeks to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads.

Question 57

Those who vote in ________ must be registered party members.

A) a closed primary
B) a nonpartisan primary
C) an open primary
D) an open caucus

Question 58

What prompted the creation of the Democratic Party?

A) the election of James Monroe as president
B) the election of John Adams as president
C) the election of Andrew Jackson as president
D) the election of Henry Clay as president

Question 59

MoveOn.org

A) is popular with evangelicals.
B) typically supports Democratic candidates.
C) typically supports Republican candidates.
D) typically supports Independent candidates.

Question 60

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) White southerners are a key part of the Democratic Party coalition today.
B) Catholics are a key part of the Democratic coalition today.
C) African Americans are a key part of the Republican Party coalition today.
D) The West Coast states are a key part of the Democratic Party coalition today.

Question 61

Party platforms

A) must be followed by all party members when they get elected.
B) are basically the same content from both major parties.
C) provide citizens with an accountability mechanism.
D) describe differences between the major parties.

Question 62

What is a political action committee and what is a 527 organization? How are they different?

Question 63

How does party identification impact voting decisions?

Question 64

________ exists when one party controls both the legislature and the presidency.

A) Unified government
B) Responsible party government
C) Conditional party government
D) Tyranny

Question 65

New Hampshire has a semi-closed primary, meaning that

A) only registered party members can participate.
B) any registered voters can participate.
C) registered party members and Independents can participate.
D) only lifetime party members can participate.

Question 66

Describe the two major political parties during the first party system in the United States.

Question 67

Party platforms are important documents because

A) they offer detailed and specific solutions to complex problems.
B) they can have a significant influence in swaying public opinion on a controversial policy issue.
C) most Americans read them over carefully to help them make more informed decisions as voters.
D) they provide a general guide for the types of policies winning candidates are likely to vote for if elected.

Question 68

Identify the six party systems in U.S. history. Be sure to ascertain the key issues of each system as well as ascertain the dominant and subordinate parties for each time period.

Question 69

Maine has a closed primary, meaning that

A) only registered party members can participate.
B) any registered voters can participate.
C) registered party members and Independents can participate.
D) only lifetime party members can participate.

Question 70

What is the party platform and why is it important?

Question 71

Minor-party candidates like Gary Johnson and Jill Stein have a difficult time winning office because

A) many people consider a vote for a minor-party candidate to be a wasted one because minor-party candidates almost never win.
B) the framers of the Constitution wanted to make it difficult for minor-party candidates to win office.
C) there are no issues on which minor parties can campaign.
D) most Americans do not trust candidates other than Republicans and Democrats.

Question 72

What does it mean when parties engage in agenda setting?

Question 73

Are minor parties significant in American politics?

Question 74

Describe the New Deal coalition that helped Franklin D. Roosevelt win the 1932 presidential election.

Question 75

George Wallace and Ross Perot are examples of

A) important Republican leaders.
B) third-party candidates who attracted significant numbers of votes.
C) congressional reformers who pushed for stronger parties.
D) national committee chairpersons.

Question 76

Why are American political parties decentralized?

Question 77

How is a caucus different from a primary?

Question 78

When parties decide on their legislative priorities for the year they are engaged in the process of ________.

A) dealignment
B) realignment
C) agenda setting
D) coalition building

Question 79

How is the party platform approved?

A) by the national committee
B) through the primary and caucus process
C) by the party's congressional leadership team
D) at the nominating convention, held every four years

Question 80

What is the difference between unified and divided party government?