Deck 10: Parties

Question 1

In what sense do parties help to maintain government legitimacy?

A)They facilitate compromise rather than conflict.
B)They add stability and order to the organization of government.
C)They aggregate diverse interests into larger,more manageable groups.
D)They give citizens a way to communicate their needs to the government.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The Republican Party became more coherently conservative under the leadership of __________.

A)Dwight D.Eisenhower
B)Gerald Ford
C)Richard Nixon
D)Ronald Reagan

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In democratic societies,large political parties are typically__________.

A)based on a complex ideology
B)run by charismatic individuals
C)supported by single-issue voters
D)coalitions of distinct interest groups

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which statement describes the relationship among elected officials,their constituents,and political parties?

A)PACs and constituents,when compared to party leaders,hold little sway over elected officials' policies.
B)Elected officials hold themselves more accountable to PACs and constituents than to political parties.
C)Elected officials generally keep promises made to party leaders and ignore those made to constituents,ensuring their "frontrunner" status in upcoming primaries.
D)Political parties maintain strict control over elected officials due to direct campaign contributions,regardless of the interests of constituents.

Question 5

Under which of these systems is party discipline likely to be highest?

A)a system in which the population is highly polarized along ideological lines
B)a highly centralized system in which candidate selection is in the hands of party leaders
C)a decentralized system in which candidate selection is in the hands of local party organizations
D)a system where candidate selection is partly in the hands of party leaders and partly in the hands of local organizations

Question 6

Which of these is true about the party system in the United States?

A)Politicians are more loyal to party leaders than ever before.
B)Most Americans support one or another of the third parties.
C)It is rare for individuals to change their party identification.
D)Many voters are registered with more than one political party.

Question 7

A strong party system is likely to produce __________.

A)ineffective public policies
B)high levels of voter turnout
C)increased levels of political apathy
D)multiple candidates running for most seats

Question 8

Which statement explains why elected officials in the United States are less likely to be able to enact the agenda of their party than elected officials in Europe?

A)U.S.parties are more ideological than European parties.
B)U.S.parties must satisfy a broader range of interests than European parties.
C)The United States has a written constitution that specifies what parties can and cannot do.
D)The U.S.system is characterized by checks and balances that put obstacles in the way of legislation.

Question 9

Why do dictatorships generally tolerate the presence of political parties?

A)Dictators require political parties to organize and run government.
B)Elites will always form political parties to gain partisan advantage.
C)Dictators need political parties to generate ideas for laws in society.
D)Dictators use political parties to provide the illusion of a more democratic government.

Question 10

Centralized parties tend to be more __________.

A)conservative
B)corrupt
C)disciplined
D)wealthy

Question 11

By welcoming new groups into their ranks,parties __________.

A)establish a monocultural dependence on the party system
B)rob those groups of their individual interests and concerns
C)give those groups a pragmatic and psychological stake in the political system
D)enhance political hegemony by disenfranchising voters outside of these groups

Question 12

Which statement explains why the implementation of "responsible party government" is difficult in the United States?

A)American parties are highly centralized.
B)Party power is too heavily concentrated in Congress.
C)American political parties are very ideological and focused on specific issues.
D)Party power is highly fragmented and divided across branches of government.

Question 13

Which statement explains how political parties in the United Kingdom differ from political parties in Israel?

A)Political parties command more obedience from party members in the United Kingdom than they do in Israel.
B)Israeli political parties are highly centralized mass parties during elections,whereas U.K.political parties are devotee parties during elections.
C)The United Kingdom's political parties have smaller memberships than Israeli political parties,giving U.K.leaders less control over candidates during elections.
D)The selection of candidates in the United Kingdom is a bargain between national and local party organizations,whereas candidate selection in Israel is highly centralized.

Question 14

Which statement explains why Sweden has a higher voter turnout rate than the United States?

A)Sweden has stronger and better-organized political parties.
B)Sweden has rules that make it easier for individuals to join a political party.
C)Parties in the United States use less political propaganda than parties in Sweden.
D)The United States has mass parties rather than the devotee parties Sweden has.

Question 15

The British Labour Party and the U.S.Democratic Party attracted workers by __________.

A)arguing for the seizure of corporatized assets
B)redistributing capital amongst middle laborers
C)adopting a Marxist stance on unions and workers' rights
D)demanding union rights,fair labor policies,and welfare benefits

Question 16

Political parties in a democratic society are most likely to ignore voters' preferences when __________.

A)a new generation of party leaders takes office
B)party leaders are caught up in internal squabbles
C)a new party is trying to establish itself in the political system
D)the economy is so bad that parties have no interest in winning elections

Question 17

FDR's Democratic coalition consisted of __________.

A)Catholics,Jews,and blacks
B)blacks,whites,and Hispanics
C)the poor,young voters,and immigrants
D)women,gun-owners,and civil rights activists

Question 18

Which statement explains why electoral propaganda can be considered beneficial for a democratic society?

A)It simplifies complex issues for voters.
B)It keeps less informed voters from going to the polls.
C)It reinforces nationalist sentiment and builds party strength.
D)It distracts citizens from partisan infighting during an election.

Question 19

Which statement explains how a party's level of coherence affects voters?

A)Parties that are coherent are always going to be mass parties with a large,devoted membership.
B)Parties that are coherent are more likely to use mass propaganda to persuade uninformed citizens.
C)Parties that are coherent tend to be ideologically inconsistent,leading to voter confusion on election day.
D)Parties that are coherent deliver on their election promises; voters can expect policy changes and implementation in line with party ideology.

Question 20

Which statement describes the shift in the U.S.party system that began in the 1980s?

A)The two parties have become more polarized.
B)The Republican Party has shrunk significantly.
C)The Democratic Party has shifted its coalition.
D)The two parties have adopted roughly the same platforms.

Question 21

Which of these is an example of a country with a dominant-party system?

A)Australia
B)Iran
C)North Korea
D)Russia

Question 22

Under Margaret Thatcher,the British Conservatives wanted to __________.

A)dismantle the welfare state
B)distribute wealth more evenly
C)promote an official state religion
D)implement Keynesian economic policies

Question 23

Which of these changes is likely to have the greatest impact on the number of parties in a country's political system?

A)a wave of anti-corruption reform
B)a tightening of campaign finance regulations
C)the loosening of rules about who may run for office
D)the introduction of a proportional representation system

Question 24

In most democratic countries,major parties attempt to be _________ in order to win a large number of votes

A)catchall parties
B)highly ideological
C)sympathetic to the poor
D)coalitions of minor parties

Question 25

In a two-party system,third parties tend to __________.

A)break up gridlock among the major parties
B)provide fresh candidates for the major parties
C)remind the major parties about voter discontent
D)help streamline the nomination process for the major parties

Question 26

A flaw in personalistic parties is that they __________.

A)fail under close media scrutiny
B)have a hierarchy that is too static
C)rarely represent a coherent ideology
D)require voters to become highly familiar with candidates

Question 27

Which statement explains how a well-organized political party differs from a less-well-organized party?

A)A well-organized party is more responsive to changes in public opinion.
B)A well-organized party brings more expertise to the policy making process.
C)A well-organized party has more internal competition for spots on the ballot.
D)A well-organized party is better positioned to advance its legislative agenda.

Question 28

States with a competitive party system tend to __________ than other states.

A)be less corrupt
B)be more remote from the public
C)have less interest-group influence
D)have a stronger ideological focus

Question 29

A personalistic party is most likely to arise within a nation that has a __________ party system.

A)dominant
B)fluid
C)multiparty
D)two-plus

Question 30

A critic of the U.S.campaign finance system is most likely to point out that __________.

A)most of the money used to finance political campaigns is acquired illegally
B)liberal causes tend to have an easier time raising money from a large donor base
C)wealthy donors do not understand how to use their money to achieve political goals
D)there is little transparency in the way that wealthy people's money is used in the political system

Question 31

Which of the following politicians would most likely be described as a "Blue Dog"?

A)a Republican senator from a liberal state
B)a Democratic senator from a very liberal state
C)a Democratic congressman representing a conservative district
D)a Republican congresswoman representing a very conservative district

Question 32

Which of these is the most significant threat to China's one-party system?

A)the increased activism of rural peasants in local governance
B)the rise of small third parties led by members of China's elite social classes
C)the rapid economic growth that is creating a middle class critical of corruption
D)the growing presence of entrepreneurs in the leadership structure of the communist party

Question 33

Which statement explains why Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev deliberately undermined the Soviet party structure?

A)The Soviet economy weakened due to poor wheat production in the Ukraine.
B)The Communist Party was beginning to bow to pressure from President Reagan.
C)The Soviet party structure could not sustain the massive convict population occupying Siberia.
D)The Communist Party has largely filled government positions with corrupt opportunists.

Question 34

A key characteristic of Weltanschauung parties was their __________.

A)ideological orientation
B)flexibility in ideological terms
C)ability to win elections consistently
D)ability to appeal to a broad range of voters

Question 35

Which of these is a characteristic of single-party systems?

A)They lack ideological commitment.
B)They are generally poorly organized.
C)They lack competition and accountability.
D)They foster too much competition to retain stability.

Question 36

Stable,moderate party systems made democracy possible in which former totalitarian nations?

A)Syria and Iraq
B)Bolivia and El Salvador
C)Spain and West Germany
D)Vietnam and North Korea

Question 37

What distinguishes a center-right party from a right-wing party?

A)Center-right parties are fiscally conservative,whereas right-wing parties tend to spend money recklessly.
B)Right-wing parties are generally liberal on social issues,whereas center-right parties tend to be more conservative.
C)Center-right parties want to reduce the level of spending on the welfare state,whereas right-wing parties want to dismantle it.
D)Center-right parties want to end immigration,whereas right-wing parties want to marginally reduce the amount of immigration.

Question 38

The impact of third parties like the Reform Party of the 1990s or the Green Party in 2000 makes the United States __________ party system.

A)a dominant
B)an inchoate
C)a minority
D)a two-plus

Question 39

A communist,one-party state is likely to be filled with political __________.

A)extremists
B)moderates
C)opportunists
D)reformers

Question 40

A politician who makes explosive anti-immigrant comments would most likely be part of a party that is _________.

A)far left
B)far right
C)left-leaning centrist
D)right-leaning centrist

Question 41

In the current political environment,a party's brand is most likely to be a result of __________.

A)focus group studies
B)the country's system of representation
C)influence from ideologically-pure think tanks
D)clashes between newcomers and the establishment

Question 42

In the United States,parties integrate successive waves of immigrants and minorities into American political life.

Question 43

Nearly every seat for public office in the United States is highly competitive.

Question 44

In Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union,communist governments were voted out of power.

Question 45

In the United States,party cohesion has increased because the incentives to cooperate with other party members have also increased.

Question 46

A two-party system is one with only two parties allowed by law.

Question 47

Other than politicians themselves,where do new policy ideas tend to come from in the current political environment?

A)activist judges
B)major corporations
C)specialists in think tanks
D)bureaucrats at the United Nations

Question 48

Consider the fact that members of Congress increasingly rely on journalists,think tanks,or other areas of expertise for information or ideas on which to base policy decisions.This supports the argument that __________.

A)political parties have never played a substantive role in setting policy
B)political parties are declining in their dominance of political functions
C)political parties are expanding their dominance over how ideas become public policy
D)political parties will continue,for example,to censor or outlaw the activities of think tanks

Question 49

Which statement describes parties that are part of a fluid party system?

A)They stand for little and do not last long.
B)They tend to be cadre parties that lack mass support.
C)They are ideologically motivated but poorly organized.
D)They are able to change ideologically to meet the needs of the electorate.

Question 50

In the United States,party membership is __________.

A)increasing broadly
B)decreasing gradually
C)expanding to the poor
D)increasing among the young

Question 51

Some of the former functions of political parties have been taken over by __________.

A)state and local government
B)mass media and interest groups
C)lobbyists and political consultants
D)labor unions and faith-based organizations

Question 52

During recent decades,party cohesion in the United States has __________.

A)declined
B)disappeared
C)increased
D)stagnated

Question 53

Voters in advanced democracies tend to be less loyal to a specific political party because __________ than in the past.

A)politicians are wealthier
B)economic growth is less certain
C)voters have access to better information
D)parties are less differentiated from each other

Question 54

In 2000,Mexico's conservative National Action Party (PAN)overcame the Party of Institutional Revolution's (PRI)lock on the presidency with the election of Vicente Fox,moving Mexico from a dominant-party to a multiparty system.

Question 55

In parliamentary systems,the majority party must resign when constituents submit a vote of no-confidence in the party.

Question 56

Democrats in the U.S.Congress are more clearly __________ than they were previously.

A)conservative
B)liberal
C)pragmatic
D)principled

Question 57

Britain's party system is among the most centralized in the world.

Question 58

The parties in Sweden's Riksdag maintain a right-leaning ideological bent.

Question 59

Which statement describes the long-term trend for political parties in the United States?

A)They are becoming more organized and offering voters a greater variety of choice on election day.
B)They are increasingly prone to interest group influence and the erosion of traditional party functions.
C)They are becoming increasingly centralized and less dependent on outside donors for their financial resources.
D)They are moving toward devotee parties with highly organized subcultures and narrow,highly ideological policies.

Question 60

A new president appoints approximately 6,000 people to executive departments and agencies,allowing the party to steer policy even years after the end of his term.