Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Registering, canvassing, and mobilizing voters is an example of

A) interest group activity.
B) grassroots organizing.
C) the responsible party model.
D) the party in the electorate.
E) party organization.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the status of political parties?

A) quasi-public
B) federal
C) private
D) public
E) quasi-private

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The common term used by most analysts for a voter who does not belong to any organized political party is

A) populist.
B) loyal opposition.
C) party in the electorate.
D) unaffiliated voter.
E) independent.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The Tea Party movement

A) started during the first administration of Ronald Reagan.
B) has made the Republican Party more conservative.
C) has much in common with both major parties.
D) supported President Obama's 2009 economic stimulus plan.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Which of these features is a characteristic of political parties?

A) They run candidates under a label.
B) They seek to govern.
C) They have broad concerns.
D) They have a special relationship with the government.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 6

What role is undertaken by the majority party in legislatures at all levels?

A) elects the legislature's leaders
B) makes committee assignments
C) holds a majority on committees
D) leads oversight and criticism of ruling party policies
E) elects legislative leaders, makes committee assignments, and holds the majority on committees

Question 7

What is one major reason for the particularly low favorability ratings received by the Republican Party in recent times?

A) increasing factionalization within party ranks
B) increasing popularity of Obamacare
C) improvement of the economy under the Obama administration
D) winding down of troop involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan
E) Republican opposition to climate-change measures

Question 8

In recent years, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have become more

A) like they were in the 1950s.
B) willing to promote bipartisanship.
C) ideologically polarized.
D) popular than they have been in decades.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 9

Today, political parties are accessible to

A) powerful interest groups.
B) government and elected officials.
C) Fortune 500 corporations.
D) virtually everyone.
E) labor unions and workers' organizations.

Question 10

How many "faces," or spheres of operation, do American political parties have?

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five
E) six

Question 11

Which of the following is a major priority for the Tea Party movement?

A) enlarging and strengthening the federal government
B) government regulation of traditional moral values
C) expansion of social welfare programs
D) a smaller government that performs fewer social welfare functions
E) a larger government that strengthens its involvement in regulation of traditional moral values

Question 12

Generally, political parties have ________ issue concerns.

A) single
B) very narrow
C) somewhat narrow
D) somewhat broad
E) broad

Question 13

An organization of ideologically similar people that nominates and elects its members to office is known as a political

A) action committee.
B) party platform.
C) interest group.
D) party.
E) issue network.

Question 14

Of the following, which are more likely to vote for Republicans?

A) whites and men
B) people with some college education
C) ethnic minorities and women
D) people with no college education
E) whites, men, and people with some college education

Question 15

Of the following, which are more likely to vote for Democrats?

A) whites and men
B) people with some college education
C) minorities and women
D) people with a college degree
E) people who identify themselves as conservative

Question 16

One-party dominance in House districts tends to produce winning candidates who are

A) more willing to work with members of the opposite party.
B) easy to control by House party leaders.
C) highly beholden to their party.
D) more extremely ideological.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 17

Party identifiers are typically measured by

A) online surveys.
B) entry and exit polls.
C) party registration when registering to vote.
D) telephone surveys.
E) postal surveys.

Question 18

What is arguably the most important role of political parties in the American political system?

A) They promote responsibility among elected officials and provide a "check" on their powers.
B) They serve as training grounds for members and promote minority opportunity.
C) They ensure the government runs smoothly.
D) They foster cooperation between divided interests and factions.
E) They encourage citizen engagement and political participation.

Question 19

Media attention on political parties tends to highlight their

A) differences on ideological and policy issues.
B) shared interests and combined successes.
C) similarities on ideological and policy issues.
D) legislative achievements, particularly across party lines.
E) legislative shortcomings and failures.

Question 20

The theory that it is the function of a political party to give voters a clear choice by establishing priorities or policy stances that are different from the rival party is known as

A) patronage.
B) populism.
C) the responsible party model.
D) the winner-take-all system.
E) dealignment.

Question 21

Which of the following is a major priority for the Republican Party today?

A) enlarging and strengthening the federal government
B) government regulation of traditional moral values
C) expansion of social welfare programs
D) both enlarging and strengthening the federal government and expansion of social welfare programs
E) both government regulation of traditional moral values and enlarging and strengthening the federal government

Question 22

All of the following are key Democratic positions EXCEPT

A) environmental protection.
B) abortion choice.
C) a larger role for state governments.
D) gay rights.
E) supporting social welfare programs.

Question 23

Which of the following states has solid Republican control in the state legislature?

A) Vermont
B) Washington
C) Oregon
D) Texas
E) California

Question 24

With respect to real political power, which of the following describes the most important component(s) of a party organization?

A) national party
B) regional party
C) state party
D) county party
E) county and local party

Question 25

What is the best predictor of a person's party identification?

A) education
B) income
C) ethnicity
D) ideology
E) age

Question 26

The formal party apparatus is known as the party

A) identifier.
B) affiliate.
C) organization.
D) committee.
E) caucus.

Question 27

During the Era of Good Feelings, there was widespread popular support for the presidents who were members of which party?

A) Democratic-Republican
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Federalist
E) Jeffersonian

Question 28

Which founding father, as founder of the Anti-Federalists, instigated the process of direct communication with voters?

A) John Adams
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) George Washington
E) James Madison

Question 29

All of the following are key Republican positions EXCEPT

A) environmental protection.
B) a pro-life stance on abortion.
C) a larger role for state governments.
D) the protection and support of business.
E) limiting or reducing social welfare programs.

Question 30

Once elected into office, the party in government exerts ________ power.

A) enormous
B) some amount of
C) very little
D) almost no
E) no

Question 31

What decade do political scientists argue first cemented the ideological differences between today's Democrats and Republicans?

A) 1930s
B) 1940s
C) 1950s
D) 1960s
E) 1970s

Question 32

Which 1976 Supreme Court decision created the soft money loophole, through which political parties could raise unlimited funds at the state level?

A) Buckley v. Valeo
B) Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Commission
C) United States v. Lopez
D) Miller v. California
E) Roe v. Wade

Question 33

In 2010, the Republicans gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while the Democrats maintained control of the Senate, and Barack Obama, a Democrat, was president. This situation is known as

A) divided government.
B) loyal opposition.
C) party in the electorate.
D) truncated government.
E) proportional representation.

Question 34

What term is used by political scientists to refer to a shift in party allegiances or electoral support?

A) transference
B) realignment
C) reconstruction
D) reorganization
E) reconsideration

Question 35

Recently, regardless of whether the party's nominee for president has won or lost, the most important role of the national party chair has been

A) raising money.
B) making public appearances in support of candidates.
C) controlling the state and local party committees.
D) pressuring congressional members to vote the party line.
E) selecting the vice presidential candidate.

Question 36

Former House Speaker Tip O'Neill said that "All politics is ________."

A) local
B) state-focused
C) national
D) international
E) personal

Question 37

Which of the following have usually composed the base of the Republican Party?

A) women
B) African Americans
C) small-business owners
D) religious citizens
E) upper-middle-class voters, religious citizens, and small-business owners

Question 38

Divided government occurs when

A) different parties control the executive and legislative branches.
B) the same party controls both the executive branch and the legislative branch.
C) different parties vie for control of one branch of government.
D) different parties vie for control of all branches of government.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 39

During the era of the Second Party System, which political coalition rose to power?

A) Federalists
B) Anti-Federalists
C) Jeffersonian Republicans
D) Whigs
E) Jacksonian Democrats

Question 40

Which of the following states has solid Democratic control in the state legislature?

A) Mississippi
B) North Dakota
C) Montana
D) Kansas
E) California

Question 41

Why would it be difficult for a third major party to be successful?

A) The support for a third major party is spread across people of widely varying ideologies.
B) The support for a third major party is well below 50 percent.
C) The support for a third major party is concentrated among far-right conservatives.
D) The support for a third major party is concentrated among far-left communists.
E) The United States Constitution specifically states that there should be only two major parties.

Question 42

Political machines primarily used ________ as a device to reward political supporters.

A) promotions
B) cash
C) patronage
D) land
E) business advantages

Question 43

Gary Orren and many others in the field of political science have agreed that the power of political parties has

A) declined significantly.
B) declined slightly.
C) remained static.
D) increased slightly.
E) increased significantly.

Question 44

Because of its sometimes fractured relationship with the Republican Party, which of the following has caused people to wonder whether or not it might become a splinter party?

A) Green Party
B) Libertarian Party
C) Tea Party
D) States' Rights Party
E) Progressive Party

Question 45

How many times was Franklin D. Roosevelt elected president?

A) once
B) twice
C) three times
D) four times
E) five times

Question 46

Which of the following rose to dominance for several elections after 1860?

A) Jacksonian Democrats
B) Whigs
C) antislavery Republicans
D) Know-Nothings
E) Anti-Federalists

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT among the factors that support a two-party system in the United States?

A) The two-party system has eased and encouraged civic participation.
B) Parties have worked for the outright extension of political rights to excluded groups.
C) Historically, most issues are dualist in nature.
D) The two-party system frustrates a greater diversity of parties.
E) None of these answers is correct, as all describe factors that support the two-party system.

Question 48

Which of the following best describes the electoral system in the United States?

A) proportional representation
B) winner-take-all
C) party-list system
D) ranked voting
E) sequential voting

Question 49

All of the following characterize the party system in the United States since 1968 EXCEPT

A) divided government.
B) increased patronage.
C) intense party competition.
D) dealignment.
E) candidate-centered politics.

Question 50

When was the most recent presidential election in which an independent or third party candidate received at least 10 percent of the vote?

A) Ralph Nader in 2000
B) Ross Perot in 1992
C) George Wallace in 1968
D) Henry Wallace in 1948
E) Robert LaFollete in 1924

Question 51

The election laws at the federal and state levels

A) are provided by the United States Constitution.
B) are written primarily by Democrats and Republicans.
C) give all political parties an equal opportunity to compete for votes.
D) cannot be scrutinized by either federal or state courts.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 52

What factor do scholars identify as supportive of the current two-party system?

A) increased public interest in politics
B) favorable laws that directly subsidize existing party structures
C) solid corporate and foreign support
D) a new cohort of young and dynamic candidates
E) lack of a viable alternative

Question 53

Which of the following is an ideologically oriented party?

A) Republican Party
B) Progressive Party
C) Green Party
D) Tea Party
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 54

Which voting system rewards political parties with a number of seats equal to the percentage of the vote they receive?

A) winner-take-all
B) proportional representation
C) cumulative voting
D) partial-list voting
E) transferable voting

Question 55

Which party or faction backed the presidential campaign of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912?

A) Know-Nothings
B) Populist Democrats
C) antislavery Republicans
D) Progressive Party
E) Populist Republicans

Question 56

Which of the following parties is an example of an issue advocacy party?

A) Green Party
B) Libertarian Party
C) Socialist Party
D) States' Rights Party
E) Progressive Party

Question 57

In which year did Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader likely tip the presidential election to Republicans?

A) 1980
B) 1984
C) 1988
D) 2000
E) 2004

Question 58

Which issue dominated party politics in the 1850s?

A) foreign policy
B) economic growth
C) slavery
D) states' rights
E) westward expansion

Question 59

Which of the following was NOT a philosophy of the Jacksonian Democrats?

A) populism
B) spoils system
C) politicization of the masses
D) elitism
E) leadership through the merit

Question 60

Since 1968, political scientists have argued that ________ is a notable feature of the new party politics.

A) realignment
B) the New Deal coalition
C) dealignment
D) patronage
E) populism

Question 61

Outline the responsible party model, and provide an example of legislation enacted according to these principles.

Question 62

Discuss the rise of candidate committees and their influence on the political process.

Question 63

Identify the three faces of political parties in the United States.

Question 64

On which of the following do voters increasingly rely for political information and knowledge?

A) the Internet and cellular phones
B) newspapers and television
C) magazines and periodicals
D) public meetings and candidate appearances
E) postal information and peer groups

Question 65

Identify important features of the party system that have emerged since 1968.

Question 66

With the exception of which presidency, an argument can be made that a sixth, Republican-dominated party system has emerged since 1968.

A) Nixon
B) Ford
C) Reagan
D) Bush
E) Obama

Question 67

Outline the arguments that suggest a decline in the strength of American political parties.

Question 68

Explain how the party in government influences government operations at all levels.

Question 69

Which of the following are key principles of Tea Party supporters?

A) less government and more fiscal responsibility
B) lower taxes and states' rights
C) national security and border defense
D) access to education and access to employment opportunities
E) less government, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, states' rights, national security, and border security

Question 70

Explain the structural factors that favor the maintenance of the two-party system.

Question 71

Discuss the party organization of major parties and identify where most power lies.

Question 72

Define a political party's platform and identify some prominent issues that are included.