Deck 10: Political Parties

Question 1

After the election of 2008,the White House and the Congress were

A)both controlled by the Republicans.
B)both controlled by the Democrats.
C)each controlled by different parties reflecting divided government.
D)both turned over to the opposite party reflecting the start of a new party era.
E)divided with one party controlling the White House and the Senate and the opposition party controlling the House of Representatives.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following parties supports gun control?

A)Democrats
B)Whigs
C)Green Party
D)Republicans
E)Conservative Party

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which statement best explains the meaning of the term divided government?

A)In Nebraska,the state legislature is unicameral and bipartisan.
B)In countries with parliamentary government,there is no separation of power between the executive and the legislature.
C)Most of the years since 1969 have been marked by one party controlling the White House and the other party controlling at least one chamber of the Congress.
D)States with parliamentary systems have multiple parties.
E)Due to strict enforcement of the Tenth Amendment by the Supreme Court over the past decade,power is now equally divided between the federal and state governments.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a major difference between the Israeli and U.S.political systems?

A)The U.S.system has two parties,the Israel system about twelve.
B)The U.S.system uses proportional representation,like the Israeli system.
C)Israeli voters vote for a party,while Americans vote for candidates.
D)In Israel,the number of parties is not fixed,while it is fixed at two in the U.S.
E)Even very small parties can win seats in the Knesset,the Israeli legislature.

Question 5

Today,which of the following groups is least supportive of Democrats?

A)African Americans
B)Cuban Americans
C)Mexican Americans
D)Jewish Americans
E)Union workers

Question 6

Which of the following groups of voters tends to vote Republican?

A)Upper-income Hollywood entertainers
B)Union members
C)African Americans
D)Members of traditional families
E)Urban immigrants

Question 7

Liberalism is a political ideology that favors

A)as little government involvement in the economy as possible.
B)the use of government to promote the welfare of society.
C)free market economic policies.
D)a government that provides only national defense.
E)less government control of commerce.

Question 8

Which of the following groups is the most supportive of the Democrat Party?

A)Rocky Mountain voters
B)White southerners
C)Great Plains voters
D)Christian Coalition members
E)East and West Coast urban voters

Question 9

Which of the following statements is most likely to be correct about proportional representation?

A)It requires an authoritarian government.
B)It tends to create a multiparty system.
C)It reinforces a two-party system.
D)It requires a communist government.
E)Candidates do not run under party labels.

Question 10

Conservatism is a political ideology that favors

A)large,expansive welfare programs.
B)a more socialist economic system.
C)a national Christian religion.
D)less government involvement in the economy.
E)more government to promote personal freedom.

Question 11

Which of the following heads the Democrat and Republican parties?

A)Committees and committee chairs
B)The most recent presidential candidates of each
C)The minority and majority whips
D)Previous presidents from the respective party
E)Committees formed of the state chairs for each party

Question 12

In the 2008 presidential election,younger people were most likely to support which candidate?

A)Bush
B)Obama
C)McCain
D)Nader
E)Buchanan

Question 13

The gender gap in the political context is defined as

A)the differences in party identification and political attitudes between men and women.
B)the differences in party identification between heterosexuals and homosexuals.
C)the ability of candidates to appeal to both genders.
D)the gap in wages between men and women.
E)the disparity between male and female members of Congress.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a factor in the ability of third-party candidates to succeed in American politics?

A)America's plurality election system
B)The difficulty third-party candidates have in getting on the ballot
C)The unwillingness of the media and voters to take third-party candidates seriously
D)State laws prohibiting the formation of third parties
E)Most Americans' unfamiliarity with systems other than the two-party system

Question 15

Which national party saw an increase in the number of people identifying with them leading up to the 2010 election?

A)The Democrat Party
B)Both parties
C)Neither party
D)The Republican Party
E)The Green Party

Question 16

The Electoral College is

A)the school attended by delegates to the party conventions.
B)the system established in the Constitution for indirect election of the president and vice president.
C)the school Congressmen attend when first elected to Congress.
D)the system of primary elections that allows voters to choose the party's candidate for president.
E)a committee of Congressmen who set the election rules and district boundaries for upcoming elections.

Question 17

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed because of a coalition between which two groups?

A)Moderate Republicans and liberal Democrats
B)Southern conservative Democrats and western Republicans
C)Southern conservative Democrats and northern liberal Democrats
D)Northern Democrats and western Democrats
E)Conservative Democrats and conservative Republicans

Question 18

Which of the following is the critical difference between parties and interest groups?

A)Political parties are larger.
B)Political parties have a broader policy focus.
C)Interest groups are not as interested in affecting public policy as are parties.
D)Political parties attempt to win control of the machinery of government,while interest groups do not.
E)Interest groups are much smaller than political parties.

Question 19

A party platform is

A)a statement outlining the party's history.
B)the organization of the party's operatives.
C)a statement of a political party's principles and issues.
D)the platform from which speeches are made at the party convention.
E)the tactics to be used to defeat the opposition party.

Question 20

Organization A takes positions on political issues,raises and spends money in election campaigns,and nominates some of its members as candidates for public office.Organization A is which of the following?

A)Political party
B)Interest group
C)Political action committee
D)Labor union
E)Legal foundation

Question 21

Which of the following parties favors a "right to choose" position on abortion?

A)Republicans
B)Federalists
C)Democrats
D)Reform Party
E)Conservative Party

Question 22

The Electoral College is the indirect election system used for electing the president.

Question 23

Explain the significance of the terms Lean Democrat and Lean Republican in the graph on page 183.

Question 24

Independents are playing an increasingly decisive role in American elections.

Question 25

The Republican and Democrat parties have always represented conservatism and liberalism,respectively.

Question 26

Explain how a system of proportional representation would help third parties get elected.

Question 27

In 2004,the Democrat Party could have been considered an opposition party at the national level of government.

Question 28

Third parties have a very easy time getting elected in America.

Question 29

Which of the following parties is more popular among church-going Americans?

A)Republicans
B)Communists
C)Democrats
D)Socialists
E)Independents

Question 30

What impact does income have on voting patterns?

Question 31

Briefly describe the role played by national party committees.

Question 32

Because American political parties are organizationally weak,they are unimportant in the political system.

Question 33

Which of the following can be concluded from the chart "Midterm Gains and Losses"?

A)Midterm elections have generally meant a shift away from the president's party.
B)Republican presidents have always gained support in midterm elections.
C)Democrat presidents have always gained support in midterm elections.
D)Jimmy Carter experienced the greatest shift in support in midterm elections.
E)John F.Kennedy experienced the greatest shift in support in midterm elections.

Question 34

If the midterm elections in 2010 had created a Republican-controlled Congress,the resulting situation would be called a

A)midterm shift.
B)unified government.
C)divided government.
D)separation of powers.
E)continental divide.

Question 35

Which of the following parties enjoys more support among women?

A)Republicans
B)Federalists
C)Democrats
D)Whigs
E)Know Nothings

Question 36

The separation of powers is the same as divided government.

Question 37

White southerners have switched allegiance and become part of the modern Republican Party.

Question 38

What are the main arguments concerning the continuation of party conventions?

Question 39

Today,women voters are more likely to vote Democrat than are male voters.

Question 40

Most political scientists believe that American political parties have grown so weak organizationally that party affiliation has no impact in Congress and plays little role in elections.

Question 41

For the most part,the U.S.has had a two-party system throughout its history.Write an essay in which you identify and discuss three reasons given by political scientists to explain the development and persistence of America's two-party system.

Question 42

In terms of ethnicity and political philosophy,the Republican Party is more homogeneous than the Democrat Party.Why is the GOP's homogeneity an advantage in presidential elections but a disadvantage in congressional elections?

Question 43

What is a midterm election and what does it mean to change horses?

Question 44

What is the relationship between religion and party voting today?

Question 45

How do the roles of the opposition party and the governing party differ?

Question 46

Discuss the shifts in the Republican and Democrat parties in the last century.What role have demographic shifts played,and what other factors have been important?

Question 47

Suppose you believe that American government would benefit from having a multiparty system.What constitutional amendment would you propose that would increase the chances for a multiparty system to develop in the U.S.? Explain your choice,using the example of Israel.

Question 48

List the advantages and disadvantages of a divided government.

Question 49

Write an essay on divided government in which you define the term,discuss the nature of the phenomenon in contemporary American politics,and evaluate alternative explanations for its cause.