Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

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 1

D

Question 2

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Who are most likely to engage in ticket splitting?

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

Question 5

Party realignments are initiated by __________.

A) caucuses
B) censures
C) critical elections
D) unsuccessful election bids

Question 6

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 7

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 8

According to your text,which of the following third-party candidates is correctly matched with his key issue in his presidential run?

A) George Wallace and a more compassionate criminal justice system
B) Ralph Nader and tax reduction
C) Ross Perot and the federal deficit
D) Strom Thurmond and a stronger national government

Question 9

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 10

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 11

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

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

Question 12

President Obama has encountered resistance to his policies from the congressional caucus known as the __________,which favors a more conservative approach to economic policy than do traditional Democrats.

A) Congressional Black Caucus
B) Congressional Progressive Caucus
C) Blue Dog Democrats
D) Yellow Dog Democrats

Question 13

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 14

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 in urban areas.
D) Parties provided cash handouts to rural electorates in exchange for jobs.

Question 15

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 16

A core function of political parties is __________.

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

Question 17

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.

Question 18

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 19

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 20

One of the important purposes of the "Contract with America" was to __________.

A) decrease split-ticket voting
B) increase confidence in the military
C) make politics user friendly for voters
D) reduce corruption in Congress

Question 21

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

A) younger voters
B) older voter
C) Democrats
D) Republicans

Question 22

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 23

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

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

Question 24

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 25

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 26

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 27

Which president forged the New Deal coalition?

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

Question 28

When was the last party realignment?

A) 1860
B) 1894
C) 1932
D) 1968

Question 29

What legislation would most likely be undesirable to a Blue Dog Democrat?

A) decreased defense spending
B) ending Saturday mail delivery
C) legalization of gay marriage
D) nationalized public health care

Question 30

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

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

Question 31

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 32

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

A) Franklin Roosevelt
B) Herbert Hoover
C) the Whig Party
D) the progressive movement

Question 33

According to the Downs model,candidates are 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 34

A critical election is typically associated with __________.

A) dealignment
B) party realignment
C) unpopular presidents
D) party stability

Question 35

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 36

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

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

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

The Federalist Party was America's first major political party but it was also the shortest-lived major political party in U.S. history.

Question 42

The New Deal was Harry Truman's policy program for preventing and overcoming poverty.

Question 43

Third parties can act as "safety valves" for public anger and disappointment.

Question 44

In the machine politics era,patronage jobs were given out to buy votes and to enrich party bosses.

Question 45

According to the responsible party model,political parties should explain to voters what they intend to do and,once elected,follow through on those promises.

Question 46

Progressive reformers argued in favor of primary elections.

Question 47

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party is called a party coalition.

Question 48

Some political scientists believe that the American party system is in a period of dealignment,in which the two major parties are losing power.

Question 49

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 50

Federal law requires the same organizational and operational structures for all state party systems.

Question 51

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

Question 52

Parties and presidents keep more promises than they break.

Question 53

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 54

The Founders were wary of having any political parties at all.

Question 55

Party realignments occur every four years.

Question 56

Which demographic group was part of the New Deal coalition?

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

Question 57

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, single parties may not win a majority of the seats.

Question 58

Members of Congress often vote as their district prefers rather than as their party prefers.

Question 59

Party organizations generally favor closed primaries.

Question 60

Minor parties have played a more important role in the United States than in virtually any other democracy.

Question 61

Which political era saw the longest period of Republican domination? Explain the origin and demise of party domination during this period.

Question 62

The __________ are the best written source for what the parties believe in,even though they are seldom read.

Question 63

The __________ model suggests the majority party must accept responsibility for the performance of the government.

Question 64

The Downs model suggests that rational parties position themselves as close to the center as possible.

Question 65

Explain the significance of critical elections to party realignment. Provide an example of a critical election.

Question 66

What is party image? How does it influence elections?

Question 67

Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley ruled one of the most powerful political __________ in U.S. history.

Question 68

Explain the concept of political parties as "three-headed political giants."

Question 69

Franklin D. Roosevelt's __________ ushered in a 40-year period of Democratic Party dominance.

Question 70

The New Deal coalition signaled a definitive period of electoral __________ in which power transfers from one party to another.

Question 71

Define political realignment and describe it using one particular period to illustrate your response.

Question 72

Describe the New Deal coalition and the groups that formed the coalition. Discuss how the New Deal coalition came to an end.

Question 73

The __________ includes all those who consider themselves to be members of a political party.

Question 74

What happens at the national party conventions?

Question 75

Blue Dog Democrats are usually found in the __________ region of the United States.

Question 76

What is the responsible party model? Should the United States adopt it?

Question 77

Briefly differentiate between coalition building in the United States and in Europe. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each system?

Question 78

Explain how third parties affect the results of elections in winner-take-all systems.

Question 79

The __________ is the site for the writing of the party platform every four years.

Question 80

Discuss the Southern realignment,divided government,and dealignment in the party system.