Deck 9: Political Parties

Question 1

In a proportional representation system, a candidate receives delegates based on _______ of the votes received in a primary or a caucus.

A) an estimate
B) the majority
C) the rank order
D) the total number
E) the percentage

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A meeting of party members in town halls, schools, and private homes to choose a presidential nominee is known as a

A) primary.
B) convention.
C) closed primary.
D) blanket primary.
E) caucus.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is true about a nonpartisan blanket primary?

A) It is a violation of the First Amendment.
B) All candidates are listed without identifying their party affiliation.
C) Voters are given the partisan ballots from all parties, but may only select one set for actual voting.
D) Only voters who are not affiliated with a party are allowed to participate.
E) All candidates are listed and grouped by party affiliation.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A(n) __________ is a group of individuals who join together to choose candidates for elected office, whether by informal group voting or a formal nominating process.

A) interest group
B) political party
C) labor union
D) lobby
E) special interest

Question 5

An attachment or allegiance to a political party is referred to as

A) party organization.
B) party identification.
C) party system.
D) party government.
E) party platform.

Question 6

Elections provide a key function in American politics by providing voters with a mechanism in which to

A) make claims reasonable.
B) enforce self-interest.
C) hold government accountable.
D) keep politics functional.
E) keep government small.

Question 7

A(n) ________ primary is one in which voters do not have to affiliate with a party before voting. Instead, voters are given ballots with each party's list of candidates; they can choose which ballot to use but are restricted to voting for only one party's set of nominees.

A) blanket
B) closed
C) open
D) party
E) semiclosed

Question 8

In presidential primaries, voters are not actually voting for the candidates themselves, rather they are voting for _______ who will support that candidate at the party nominating convention.

A) delegates
B) superdelegates
C) electors
D) representatives
E) party officials

Question 9

A(n) __________ lays out the party's core beliefs and policy proposals.

A) agenda
B) charter
C) constitution
D) party platform
E) white paper

Question 10

A(n) __________ primary is one in which party-affiliated voters cast votes in their party's primary, and nonaffiliated voters can choose which party's primary to vote in.

A) blanket
B) closed
C) open
D) party
E) semiclosed

Question 11

If political parties can develop a solid majority of the party in the electorate, they can translate this into a solid majority of the

A) party system.
B) party as an organization.
C) party in government.
D) party platform.
E) party in state.

Question 12

Many states hold a closed primary, which means that voters must

A) affiliate with a political party before casting a vote.
B) identify who they are voting for.
C) donate to a political party before casting a vote.
D) assess candidates based on partisanship.
E) identify the specific races they wish to vote for.

Question 13

One manner in which political parties select candidates, when more than one person is seeking the office, is to hold a(n)

A) general election.
B) primary election.
C) straw poll.
D) advisory poll.
E) state convention.

Question 14

Classic political scientists, such as V. O. Key, use the term "__________" to describe the general patterns of voters' party identification and their behavior on election day.

A) party as an organization
B) party in government
C) party in the electorate
D) political agenda
E) political socialization

Question 15

The main purpose of a political party is to _______ in order to control government and implement its policies.

A) nominate candidates
B) win elections
C) shape the judiciary
D) discuss policy
E) register voters

Question 16

Voters take an early, formal step in party identification when they

A) give money to a political candidate.
B) compare one candidate to another.
C) watch a televised political convention.
D) state party affiliation when registering to vote.
E) vote in a general election.

Question 17

__________ are at the top of the party organization, and their members are chosen by each state party organization.

A) Campaign committees
B) National committees
C) Party caucuses
D) Elected officials
E) State central committees

Question 18

An election in which voters directly choose their elected officials is known as a

A) primary election.
B) caucus.
C) general election.
D) referendum.
E) town hall.

Question 19

Besides raising funds, one of the primary jobs of the congressional party committees is to

A) recruit voters.
B) recruit advocates.
C) recruit lobbyists.
D) recruit incumbents.
E) recruit qualified candidates.

Question 20

An electoral system, known as __________, means that whoever wins the most votes in an election actually wins the election.

A) proportional representation
B) winner-take-all
C) golden rule
D) majority rules
E) party nomination

Question 21

__________ believed that a stable federal government that could collect tax revenue, fund and regulate a national army, regulate foreign and domestic trade, and stabilize currency would make the American democratic experiment a success.

A) Antifederalists
B) Antinationalists
C) Federalists
D) Jeffersonians
E) Republicans

Question 22

In changing the location of the nomination process to parties at the state level starting in 1828, it _______ the number of people involved in making the decision about who could run for president.

A) enlarged
B) decreased
C) did not change
D) depoliticized
E) further restricted

Question 23

An electoral system that assigns one seat in a legislative body to represent citizens who live in a district is known as a

A) single-member plurality system.
B) proportional representation system.
C) winner-take-all system.
D) disproportional representation system.
E) two-party system.

Question 24

The Progressive Party was successful in getting Congress to pass and the states to ratify the __________ on April 8, 1913, which allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators by the voters themselves.

A) Eleventh Amendment
B) Fourteenth Amendment
C) Sixteenth Amendment
D) Seventeenth Amendment
E) Twenty-First Amendment

Question 25

In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt ran for president as the ________ Party candidate.

A) Democratic
B) Liberty
C) Populist
D) Progressive
E) Republican

Question 26

The erosion of party organizations' control over government jobs and elections can be attributed to a change in the way nominees were selected, ballot reform, and

A) creation of a merit-based system for government employment.
B) the election of Abraham Lincoln.
C) the rapid increase in city populations over rural ones.
D) an immigration surge in areas of the North and Midwest.
E) the untimely death of two party "bosses".

Question 27

After winning the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson used his victory to transform his fledgling political party into a viable, long-term organization to become known as the __________, whereas the supporters of John Adams and Alexander Hamilton united around the Federalist Party.

A) Antifederalist Party
B) Democratic-Republican Party
C) Republican Party
D) Green Party
E) Democratic Party

Question 28

In a majority vote, the winner needs to obtain

A) 50 percent plus one of the votes cast in an election.
B) more votes than the next closest candidate, plus one.
C) more votes than any other individual candidate.
D) two-thirds of the votes cast in an election
E) 50 percent of the votes cast in an election.

Question 29

Political parties used the patronage system as a way to

A) shrink party loyalty.
B) gain access to Congress.
C) build party loyalty.
D) increase party disunity.
E) gain access to interest groups.

Question 30

__________ is a voting system in which state governments run elections and provide voters the option of choosing candidates from multiple parties; also known as being called the secret ballot.

A) The party strip ballot
B) The primary system
C) The butterfly ballot
D) The Australian ballot
E) The caucus system

Question 31

Minor political parties that present an alternative to the two dominant political parties in the American political system are known as

A) factions.
B) third parties.
C) alternative parties.
D) right wingers.
E) choice parties.

Question 32

The median voter theorem suggests that, all things being equal, if voters select candidates based upon ideology, the

A) party closer to the right wins.
B) party closer to the left wins.
C) party closer to the middle wins.
D) party with the vaguest platform wins.
E) party closer to a third party wins.

Question 33

__________ was given credit for forcing the two major party candidates in 1992, President George H. W. Bush and Governor Bill Clinton, to address the federal deficit, the amount by which annual government spending exceeds incoming revenue.

A) George Wallace
B) John Anderson
C) Ralph Nader
D) Strom Thurmond
E) Ross Perot

Question 34

Just prior to the Civil War, the modern ________ was born from a coalition of antislavery Liberty Party members, Free Soilers and antislavery northern Democrats.

A) southern Democratic Party
B) Republican Party
C) Progressive Party
D) Democratic Party
E) Libertarian Party

Question 35

Which 1984 African American presidential contender for the Democratic Party helped increase participation of minorities in the nomination process?

A) Herman Cain
B) Barbara Jordan
C) Cory Booker
D) Jesse Jackson
E) Barack Obama

Question 36

From 1832 to 1856, which two parties dominated American politics and presidential elections?

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

Question 37

In 1883, the __________ reformed the civil service by requiring that government jobs be filled based on merit, not political connections.

A) Alien and Sedition Act
B) Taft-Hartley Act
C) Contract with America
D) Pendleton Act
E) Smith Act

Question 38

After winning office in 1828, Andrew Jackson shortened the name of his party to ________, signaling that it was a new kind of political party organization.

A) the Whig Party
B) the Green Party
C) the Democratic Party
D) the Republican Party
E) the  Progressive Party

Question 39

The American electoral system can be described as both a _______ and a single-member plurality system.

A) no-party system
B) two-party system
C) multi-party system
D) three-party system
E) single-party system

Question 40

James Madison, writing in Federalist 10 and 51, predicted the rise of ________, groups of individuals who share a common political goal and ally with each other on a temporary basis to accomplish that goal.

A) cohorts
B) factions
C) militias
D) anarchists
E) unions

Question 41

When voters identify with a party in repeated elections, it is referred to as

A) partisanship.
B) party alignment.
C) factionalization.
D) realignment.
E) an electoral coalition.

Question 42

During the 1960s and the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, the Democratic Party established itself as a champion of

A) gun ownership rights.
B) states' rights.
C) small government.
D) free market capitalism.
E) civil rights.

Question 43

Explain the role of political parties.

Question 44

After the 2012 reelection of Barack Obama, as well as the 2014 midterm elections, the United States has continued to experience

A) widespread partisan unity.
B) divided government.
C) strong bipartisan cooperation.
D) a governing mandate for the Republican Party.
E) a governing mandate for the Democratic Party.

Question 45

Parties are most responsive to interest groups when they threaten to withdraw their support or start their own

A) party organizations.
B) political action committees.
C) straw party.
D) political dialogues.
E) polling groups.

Question 46

Generally speaking, ________ are supportive of the Democratic Party and ________ are supportive of the Republican party.

A) gun rights supporters; gun control supporters
B) business groups; environmental groups
C) environmental groups; unions
D) unions; business groups
E) Tea Party members; independents

Question 47

Identify the three arenas in which parties operate.

Question 48

Discuss why parties provide the most open and broadest gateway to American political participation.

Question 49

When political parties offer voters a clear choice through a distinct range of policies and programs they are acting as

A) nonpartisan parties.
B) Reagan Democrats.
C) responsible parties.
D) responsible incumbents.
E) lame ducks.

Question 50

There are several ways that the two major parties restrict third party access, including challenging signatures for ballot access and

A) preventing access to campaign donors.
B) preventing access to interest groups.
C) preventing participation in presidential debates.
D) preventing access to television networks.
E) preventing access to policy discussions.

Question 51

During the 2000 election, __________ ran for president on the Green Party ticket, promoting a platform that called for stronger environmental and consumer protections.

A) George Wallace
B) John Anderson
C) Ralph Nader
D) Ross Perot
E) Jill Stein

Question 52

What was President Clinton's political misstep that set the stage for a Republican Party resurgence?

A) dropping opposition to the death penalty
B) facilitating free trade
C) promising a middle-class tax cut
D) emphasizing socially liberal policies on abortion and gays in the military
E) ignoring congressional balanced budget initiatives

Question 53

When voters adjust their long-term allegiance from one party to another in response to ideological changes, it is referred to as

A) party identification.
B) moving to the center.
C) liberalization.
D) party alignment.
E) realignment.

Question 54

__________ was governor of Arkansas when he successfully ran for president in 1992. He changed his party's direction with a campaign platform that advocated dropping opposition to the death penalty, being open to a more free-trade stance, and promising a middle-class tax cut.

A) Bill Clinton
B) George H. W. Bush
C) George W. Bush
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Jimmy Carter

Question 55

In 1980, who defeated the incumbent President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, partly by appealing to those who opposed the Supreme Court's legalization of abortion in Roe v. Wade (1973)?

A) Bill Clinton
B) George H. W. Bush
C) George W. Bush
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Gerald Ford

Question 56

_________ are the most loyal demographic constituency to the Democratic Party.

A) Latinos
B) African Americans
C) Southerners
D) Caucasians
E) Protestants

Question 57

After he took office, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt championed a vast array of new government programs, commonly referred to as the

A) Great American Dream.
B) Great Society.
C) New Deal.
D) New Frontier.
E) Progressive Movement.

Question 58

Today, the __________ viewpoint builds on the New Deal perspective by favoring government redistribution of income through higher taxes on the wealthy to provide social benefits, such as health care, unemployment insurance, and welfare payments to the poor.

A) anarchist
B) conservative
C) liberal
D) libertarian
E) neoconservative

Question 59

A set of consistent political views about the way government should work is referred to as a

A) party alignment.
B) party platform.
C) political agenda.
D) political ideology.
E) political theory.

Question 60

Although not an official political party, the Tea Party movement has proven successful in recent election cycles in

A) eliminating other challengers to the presidential nomination.
B) giving voice to more conservative voters.
C) creating a less polarized and more effective government.
D) articulating the social concerns of liberal voters.
E) replacing incumbent Democrats with Tea Party Republicans.

Question 61

Why do responsible party government and bipartisan cooperation appear to contradict each other?

Question 62

How do the two major parties discourage third-party candidates? Can you cite examples from recent elections?

Question 63

Are third parties important in American politics? What role have they played?

Question 64

What is the difference between a presidential primary and a presidential party caucus?

Question 65

Discuss the success of third parties in lower level elections.

Question 66

What is the Tea Party? What are its members beliefs?

Question 67

Why does a single-member plurality system support and encourage a two-party system?

Question 68

How did James Madison and the Framers view factions? Discuss modern factions, and the role they play in the political process.

Question 69

What was Nixon's southern strategy? How did this impact the Republican Party?

Question 70

What are the dangers of party polarization? How might this affect government responsiveness?

Question 71

How did the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade change presidential campaign strategy? Has it impacted recent elections?

Question 72

Describe the impact of the New Deal on political ideology.

Question 73

Describe the connection between patronage and party power during the early years of government.

Question 74

Provide a detailed explanation of the party nomination process.

Question 75

Describe reforms that reduced party power and machine politics.

Question 76

Explain party alignment and realignment. Include some historical examples as discussed in the text.

Question 77

Explain the differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists.

Question 78

Compare and contrast single-member plurality district voting systems with proportional representation voting systems .

Question 79

Explain in your own words how the Australian ballot system has been used in politics.

Question 80

Explain the median voter theorem.