Deck 8: From Civil Society to Political Parties: Putting Democracy Into Practice

Question 1

Which of the following does NOT describe civil society groups?

A)They are private organizations with public interests.
B)They are autonomous from the state.
C)Membership is voluntary.
D)Some may resort to unlawful, violent behavior.

Answer 1

Some may resort to unlawful, violent behavior.

Question 2

Which of the following is definitely NOT an example of a civil society group?

A)a business organization
B)a newspaper publication
C)a student organization
D)a guerrilla group

Answer 2

a guerrilla group

Question 3

Which of the following describes political parties, but not civil society groups?

A)autonomy from the state
B)election to office as a primary goal
C)interest in public policy
D)voluntary membership

Answer 3

election to office as a primary goal

Question 4

Which of the following best describes nineteenth-century political parties of Latin America?

A)They were mass-based organizations.
B)They acted with minimal interference from the state.
C)They were completely absent from politics.
D)They were intensely ideological.

Question 5

What is the purpose of nationalization requirements?

A)These rules require parties to promote citizenship.
B)These rules require parties to have support throughout the country.
C)These rules prohibit parties from receiving foreign funding.
D)These rules prohibit parties from pronouncements on foreign policy.

Question 6

Which of the following groups is most likely to be disadvantaged by nationalization requirements?

A)the poor
B)expatriates
C)indigenous groups
D)women

Question 7

What is a party platform?

A)the budget of a political party
B)the chief administrative personnel of a political party
C)the primary policy positions of a political party
D)the internal rules of a political party

Question 8

A primary election weakens the immediate influence of which group?

A)female candidates
B)the public as a whole
C)the party leadership
D)incumbents

Question 9

Which of the following best describes trends toward primary elections in Latin America?

A)More countries hold primary elections for congressional elections, but party leaders still dominate presidential candidate selections.
B)Fewer countries hold primary elections today than in the past.
C)More countries hold primary elections for presidential elections, but party leaders still dominate congressional candidate selections.
D)Primary elections have never been important in Latin American politics.

Question 10

Which of the following guides policymaking under the "responsible party model"?

A)ideology
B)foreign pressure
C)public opinion
D)corporate interests

Question 11

Which of the following guides policymaking under the "rational party model"?

A)ideology
B)foreign pressure
C)public opinion
D)corporate interests

Question 12

Which of the following parties is most likely to change policy positions while in office?

A)The responsible party.
B)The rational party.
C)Both are equally likely to change.
D)Neither is likely to change.

Question 13

What distinguishes clientelistic linkages from the responsible party and rational party models?

A)patronage directed at specific groups
B)a willingness to change policy positions
C)ideological commitments to policy
D)elitism

Question 14

The history of caudillo politics has made political parties in Latin America more open to:

A)the rational party model
B)the responsible party model
C)clientelistic linkages
D)charismatic linkages

Question 15

What is the signature feature of a social movement?

A)strong associations with established political actors
B)social media
C)protest
D)violence

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the relationship between civil society and political parties in Latin America?

A)Civil society is stronger than political parties.
B)Political parties are stronger than civil society.
C)Civil society and political parties are equally strong.
D)Civil society and political parties are equally weak.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the movement of interests from society to government in contemporary Latin America?

A)limited articulation, plentiful aggregation
B)limited articulation, limited aggregation
C)plentiful articulation, limited aggregation
D)plentiful articulation, plentiful aggregation

Question 18

Which function most sharply distinguishes political parties from groups in civil society?

A)a commitment to public interests
B)interest aggregation
C)electoral mobilization
D)candidate recruitment

Question 19

Duverger's Law holds that:

A)party identification increases in majoritarian systems
B)majoritarian systems lead to two-party systems
C)proportional representation undermines the commitment to constituency service
D)proportional representation creates party system polarization

Question 20

Which of the following is most closely associated with the number of political parties?

A)party system polarization
B)party system institutionalization
C)party system fragmentation
D)party system identification

Question 21

Which of the following best describes party activity in Latin America?

A)high party identification
B)low party system institutionalization
C)low clientelistic linkages
D)high party system polarization

Question 22

What is the most common policy area that divides political parties in Latin America?

A)foreign policy
B)indigenous policy
C)human rights policy
D)economic policy

Question 23

According to Scott Mainwaring, Latin America exhibits which "difficult combination"?

A)multipartism and code law
B)bicameralism and high party system polarization
C)multipartism and presidentialism
D)clientelistic linkages and low party system institutionalization

Question 24

Who was behind the Pact of Punto Fijo in Venezuela?

A)social movements
B)caudillos
C)business interests
D)political parties

Question 25

Which of the following best describes the party system in Venezuela during the 2000s?

A)Rational parties.
B)Low party system institutionalization.
C)Low party system polarization.
D)The system has followed Duverger's Law.

Question 26

Cross-cutting divisions are more likely to be found in a diverse society than in a society with few differences.

Question 27

Political protest is a sign of a failed democracy.

Question 28

The recent rise in protest throughout Latin America is associated with the growth of the working class.

Question 29

According to recent trends, those parties that hold primary elections do better in general elections.

Question 30

In contemporary Latin America, political parties are both social institutions and regime institutions.

Question 31

The "responsible" party changes policy positions as public opinion changes.

Question 32

The clientelistic linkages of Latin American political parties can be traced to the historic weakness of civil society in the region.

Question 33

Democratization has dramatically increased party identification in Latin America.

Question 34

Political parties are interest aggregators, while groups in civil society are interest articulators.

Question 35

Social movements can substitute for all the functions of political parties.

Question 36

The effective number of parties refers to the number of parties required to pass a bill in the legislature.

Question 37

To measure the extent of party system institutionalization, one can look to electoral volatility.

Question 38

The working class played a leading role in the move to democratize Venezuela during the 1940s.

Question 39

Hugo Chávez assumed the presidency as a result of a military coup d'état.

Question 40

In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez rose to power after building a powerful political party.

Question 41

How can government regulations help to ensure that political parties contribute to democratic politics?

Question 42

How must social movements and political parties work together under a democracy?

Question 43

Discuss how the characteristics of party systems affect democratic politics.

Question 44

Generally, Latin America is known for its strong presidencies, weak legislatures, and deficiencies in the rule of law. How does this affect the behavior of political parties and civil society? What additional demands does this situation place on political parties and civil society?

Question 45

What explains the recent rise in protest activity in Latin America?