Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Which is not a true statement on congressional voting on Presidential agendas?

A)party -line voting is very common
B)bi-partisan voting is possible
C)president opposition party sometimes vote for the legislation
D)a president's wish is always respected by his party

Answer 1

a president's wish is always respected by his party

Question 2

The New Deal coalition fell apart after nearly four decades of political control with the movement of __________ from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

A)urbanites
B)Catholics and Jews
C)Asians and Hispanics
D)Southern conservatives

Answer 2

Southern conservatives

Question 3

What important role do third parties play in American democracy?

A)They bring new voters into the electorate.
B)They frequently win elections in crucial swing states.
C)They simplify citizens' choices on Election Day.
D)They draft most legislation that is eventually enacted by one of the major parties.

Answer 3

They bring new voters into the electorate.

Question 4

The responsible party model implies that parties should __________.

A)adhere to the party platform
B)make the best decisions for the country despite what public opinion suggests
C)use more patronage
D)be more accountable to interest group demands

Question 5

The __________ is the formal structure of the political party that sets rules for party operations,pursues electoral victories,and keeps the party running between elections.

A)party as an organization
B)party as provider
C)party in the electorate
D)party in government

Question 6

Which statement best describes the functioning of party machines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

A)Parties provided policy support to rural electorates in exchange for votes.
B)Parties provided jobs to rural electorates in exchange for votes.
C)Parties provided patronage jobs to loyal supporters,especially in urban areas.
D)Parties provided cash handouts to rural electorates in exchange for jobs.

Question 7

Part of Anthony Downs's rational-choice model is that __________.

A)voters want to maximize the chance that their preferred policies will be adopted by government
B)logic and reason always prevail in the American electorate
C)party identity will lose its importance over the next 100 years
D)voters are acting rationally when they vote against their self-interest

Question 8

Critics of the responsible party model claim that __________.

A)it has contributed to the vilification of the word compromise
B)it causes unneeded tension between Democrats and Republicans
C)it is unwise because it is not subject to constitutional constraints
D)it is too simple for the complexity and diversity of American society

Question 9

The years 1860-1928 saw the dominance of which party?

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

Question 10

What is the party in the electorate?

A)party officers who seek to educate the public on key party stances
B)public officials who are registered with a political party
C)voters active in the business of the party
D)all citizens who claim to be a member of a political party

Question 11

A core function of political parties is __________.

A)dividing the electorate
B)narrowing voter choice
C)nominating candidates
D)reducing accountability mechanisms

Question 12

What is the most basic task of a political party?

A)reflect people's wish on public policy
B)develops a new policy according to the social change
C)winning elections
D)guarantees the freedom of religion

Question 13

One of the consequences of two-party government is __________.

A)greater fluidity of representation
B)the increased likelihood of coalition government
C)the increased likelihood of proportional representation
D)the moderation of political conflict

Question 14

Which of the following is a potential danger associated with open primaries?

A)The other party can "raid" the primary to vote for the least viable candidate.
B)Open primaries may result in the election of more extreme candidates.
C)The presence of too many candidates on the ballot can confuse voters.
D)Open primaries give too much power to those who reside outside of the district.

Question 15

A major party realignment occurred during the initial election of President _________.

A)Barack Obama
B)George W.Bush
C)Franklin Roosevelt
D)Herbert Hoover

Question 16

Who are most likely to engage in ticket splitting?

A)nonvoters
B)Democrats
C)Independents
D)Republicans

Question 17

The __________ is the official statement of a political party's policy alternatives.

A)articles of incorporation
B)party constitution
C)platform
D)gavel

Question 18

How is the national chair of the president's party selected?

A)elected in the primary during midterm election years
B)selected by the president and routinely ratified by the national committee
C)selected by the governors belonging to the president's party
D)elected by the president's party's congressional delegation

Question 19

What best explains the demise of party machines?

A)congressional reforms that prevented private party meetings in "smoke-filled rooms"
B)Keynesian economic reforms that increased individual wealth
C)judicial reforms that ended the "pay to play" system of assigning public defenders
D)progressive reforms that instituted a merit-based hiring system

Question 20

Which of these is an electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge,new coalitions replace old ones,and the majority party may be displaced by the minority party?

A)a critical election
B)a midterm election
C)a coalition election
D)a seismological election

Question 21

The loyal opposition in the era of Democratic President Andrew Jackson was __________.

A)Republican party
B)Federalist
C)the Whig Party
D)the progressive party

Question 22

When can a party change its platform?

A)after the census
B)at the start of each fiscal year
C)during its national party convention
D)every two years

Question 23

What does Ralph Nader's 2000 presidential election bid illustrate regarding the role of third parties?

A)third parties' ineffective organization
B)third parties' absence of media attention
C)third parties' poor candidate choices
D)third parties' potential to affect the outcome of the election

Question 24

According to the Downs model,candidates are ideologically likely to place themselves __________.

A)at the center
B)near the center
C)somewhat close to the extremes
D)as far to the left or right as possible

Question 25

Richard Nixon's __________ attempted to bring conservatives over to the Republican Party in what was a Democratic stronghold at the time.

A)Southern strategy
B)Western strategy
C)suburban strategy
D)urban strategy

Question 26

European democracies have more parties in positions of political power than does the United States because of their use of __________.

A)party platforms
B)winner-take-all systems
C)critical elections
D)proportional representation

Question 27

A key component of Anthony Downs's rational-choice model is that __________.

A)voters want to maximize the country's well-being
B)voters want to maximize party-line victories
C)parties want to have meaningful policy debates
D)parties want to win office

Question 28

Which president forged the New Deal coalition?

A)Lyndon Johnson
B)William McKinley
C)Franklin Roosevelt
D)Harry Truman

Question 29

How are critical elections and party realignments interrelated?

A)A party realignment is a larger version of a critical election.
B)A party realignment is a smaller version of a critical election.
C)A party realignment occurs before one or more critical elections and may be characterized by gradual or dramatic change.
D)A party realignment occurs as a result of one or more critical elections and may be associated with a national crisis.

Question 30

Party dealignment is associated with __________.

A)an increase in labor unions
B)increasingly politicized evangelical congregations
C)an increase in divided government
D)a rising number of Democrats

Question 31

Advocates of the responsible party model believe parties should craft a platform,candidates should run on that platform,and the majority party should __________.

A)implement it
B)refine it according to officeholders' preferences
C)set it aside and craft a new platform that it will attempt to enact
D)do whatever is necessary to stay in the majority

Question 32

The late 1960s marked the start of __________.

A)dealignment
B)the New Deal coalition
C)the era of good feelings
D)the third-party era

Question 33

Which demographic group was a key part of the New Deal coalition?

A)African Americans
B)rural voters
C)the wealthy
D)Protestants

Question 34

Of the following,who is most likely to split their ticket?

A)younger voters
B)older voters
C)angry voters
D)minorities

Question 35

Who runs the national party organizations between conventions?

A)the parties in the electorate
B)the state party organizations
C)the party's congressional caucus
D)the party's national committee

Question 36

Today's youngest voters are most likely to identify as __________.

A)partisans
B)Democrats
C)Independents
D)Republicans

Question 37

Why are coalition governments so prevalent in parliamentary systems?

A)Parliamentary systems are nonpartisan,but coalition governments can often act much like parties.
B)The winner-take-all system that is used in parliamentary systems encourages coalition governments.
C)Coalition governments discourage third parties.
D)In a multiparty system with proportional representation,single parties usually do not win a majority of the seats.

Question 38

The national __________ is the supreme power of the national party organization.

A)assembly
B)convention
C)delegation
D)legislature

Question 39

The shift in political coalitions that stemmed from the 1896 presidential election resulted in __________.

A)a critical election
B)a party dealignment
C)a party realignment
D)the New Deal coalition

Question 40

What is a disadvantage of divided government?

A)It acts as a check and balance across institutions.
B)It often expands the scope of government.
C)It does not allow for clear accountability on policy.
D)It often stunts economic growth.

Question 41

Which has partly filled the void left by the decline of the urban party machine?

A)labor unions
B)corporations
C)family farmers and small business owners
D)county parties