Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Registering, canvassing, and mobilizing voters is an example of

A) interest group activity.
B) grassroots organizing.
C) the responsible party model.
D) party in the electorate.
E) party organization.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What decade do political scientists argue first cemented the ideological differences between today's Democrats and Republicans?

A) 1930s
B) 1940s
C) 1950s
D) 1960s
E) 1970s

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is arguably the most important role of political parties in the American political system?

A) They promote responsibility among elected officials and provide a "check" on their powers.
B) They serve as training grounds for members and promote minority opportunity.
C) They ensure the government runs smoothly.
D) They foster cooperation between divided interests and factions.
E) They encourage citizen engagement and political participation.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a major priority for the Tea Party movement?

A) enlarging and strengthening the federal government
B) government regulation of traditional moral values
C) expansion of social welfare programs
D) a smaller government that performs fewer social welfare functions
E) a smaller government that strengthens its involvement in regulation of traditional moral values

Question 5

Of the following, which are most likely to vote for Democrats?

A) whites and men
B) people with some college education
C) ethnic minorities and women
D) people with a college degree
E) Asian Americans

Question 6

What is the best predictor of a person's party identification?

A) education
B) income
C) ethnicity
D) ideology
E) age

Question 7

Generally, political parties have ________ concerns.

A) single issue
B) very narrow issue
C) somewhat narrow issue
D) somewhat broad issue
E) broad issue

Question 8

Media attention on political parties tends to highlight their

A) differences on ideological and policy issues.
B) shared interests and combined successes.
C) similarities on ideological and policy issues.
D) legislative achievements, particularly across party lines.
E) legislative shortcomings and failures.

Question 9

The theory that it is the function of a political party to give voters a clear choice by establishing priorities or policy stances that are different from the rival party is known as

A) patronage.
B) populism.
C) the responsible party model.
D) the winner-take-all system.
E) dealignment.

Question 10

The technical term for a voter who does not belong to any organized political party is

A) populist.
B) loyal opposition.
C) party in the electorate.
D) unaffiliated voter.
E) independent.

Question 11

An organization of ideologically similar people that nominates and elects its members to office is known as a political

A) action committee.
B) party platform.
C) interest group.
D) party.
E) issue network.

Question 12

All of the following are key Democratic positions EXCEPT

A) environmental protection.
B) abortion choice.
C) a larger role for state governments.
D) gay rights.
E) social welfare programs.

Question 13

Which of the following is a major priority for the Republican Party today?

A) enlarging and strengthening the federal government
B) government regulation of traditional moral values
C) expansion of social welfare programs
D) both enlarging and strengthening the federal government and expansion of social welfare programs
E) both government regulation of traditional moral values and enlarging and strengthening the federal government

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the status of political parties?

A) quasi-public
B) federal
C) private
D) public
E) quasi-private

Question 15

How many "faces", or spheres of operation, do American political parties have?

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five
E) six

Question 16

What role is undertaken by the majority party in legislatures at all levels?

A) elects the legislature's leaders
B) makes committee assignments
C) holds a majority on committees
D) leads oversight and criticism of ruling party policies
E) elects legislative leaders, makes committee assignments, and holds the majority on committees

Question 17

Which of these features is a characteristic of political parties?

A) They run candidates under a label.
B) They seek to govern.
C) They have broad concerns.
D) They have a special relationship with the government.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 18

Today, political parties are accessible to

A) powerful interest groups.
B) government and elected officials.
C) Fortune 500 corporations.
D) virtually everyone.
E) labor unions and workers' organizations.

Question 19

Of the following, which are most likely to vote for Republicans?

A) whites and men
B) people with some college education
C) ethnic minorities and women
D) people with no college education
E) whites, men, and people with some college education

Question 20

Party identifiers are typically measured by

A) online surveys.
B) entry and exit polls.
C) party registration during voting.
D) telephone surveys.
E) postal surveys.

Question 21

The formal party apparatus is known as the party

A) identifiers.
B) affiliates.
C) organization.
D) committee.
E) caucus.

Question 22

During the Era of Good Feelings, there was widespread popular support for the presidents who were members of which party?

A) Democratic-Republican
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Federalist
E) Jeffersonian

Question 23

With respect to real political power, which of the following describes the most important component of a party organization?

A) national party
B) regional party
C) state party
D) county party
E) county and local party

Question 24

How many times was Franklin

A) once
B) twice
C) three times
D) four times
E) five times

Question 25

During the era of political machines, party leaders used ________ as a device to reward political supporters.

A) promotions
B) cash
C) patronage
D) land
E) business advantages

Question 26

Which founding father, as founder of the Anti-Federalists, instigated the process of direct communication with voters?

A) John Adams
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) George Washington
E) James Madison

Question 27

Which party backed the presidential campaign of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912?

A) Know-Nothings
B) Populist Democrats
C) Antislavery Republicans
D) Progressives
E) Populist Republicans

Question 28

Recently, regardless of whether the party's nominee for president has won or lost, the most important role of the national party chair is

A) raising money.
B) making public appearances in support of candidates.
C) controlling the state and local party committees.
D) managing and directing the national campaign staff.
E) overseeing day-to-day party operations.

Question 29

All of the following are key Republican positions EXCEPT

A) environmental protection.
B) a pro-life stance on abortion.
C) a larger role for state governments.
D) the protection and support of business.
E) limiting or reducing social welfare programs.

Question 30

During the era of the Second Party System, which political party rose to power?

A) Federalists
B) Anti-Federalists
C) Jeffersonian Republicans
D) Whigs
E) Jacksonian Democrats

Question 31

Which of the following have usually composed the base of the Republican Party?

A) women
B) African Americans
C) small-business owners
D) religious citizens
E) upper-middle-class voters, religious citizens, and small-business owners

Question 32

Despite the differences between the Democratic and Republican parties, which of the following areas is a high priority for both parties?

A) social welfare
B) terrorism
C) immigration
D) the economy
E) income disparities

Question 33

Which of the following was NOT a philosophy of the Jacksonian Democrats?

A) populism
B) spoils system
C) politicization of the masses
D) elitism
E) leadership through the merit

Question 34

Which party rose to dominance for several elections after 1860?

A) Jacksonian Democrats
B) Whigs
C) Antislavery Republicans
D) Know-Nothings
E) Anti-Federalists

Question 35

What term is used by political scientists to describe a shift in party allegiances or electoral support?

A) transference
B) realignment
C) reconstruction
D) reorganization
E) reconsideration

Question 36

Which 1976 Supreme Court decision created the soft-money loophole, through which political parties could raise unlimited funds at the state level?

A) Buckley v. Valeo
B) Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Commission
C) United States v. Lopez
D) Miller v. California
E) Roe v. Wade

Question 37

In 2010, the Republicans gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while the Democrats maintained control of the Senate, and Barack Obama, a Democrat, was in office. This situation is known as

A) divided government.
B) loyal opposition.
C) party in the electorate.
D) truncated government.
E) proportional representation.

Question 38

Divided government occurs when

A) different parties control the executive and legislative branches.
B) the same party controls both the executive and legislative branch.
C) different parties vie for control of one branch of government.
D) different parties vie for control of all branches of government.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 39

Once elected into office, the party in government exerts ________ power.

A) enormous
B) some amount of
C) very little
D) almost no
E) no

Question 40

Which issue dominated party politics in the 1850s?

A) foreign policy
B) economic growth
C) slavery
D) states' rights
E) westward expansion

Question 41

What factor do scholars identify as supportive of the current two-party system?

A) increased public interest in politics
B) favorable laws that directly subsidize existing party structures
C) solid corporate and foreign support
D) a new cohort of young and dynamic candidates
E) lack of a viable alternative

Question 42

Since 1968, political scientists have argued that ________ is a notable feature of the new party politics.

A) realignment
B) the New Deal coalition
C) dealignment
D) patronage
E) populism

Question 43

On which of the following do voters increasingly rely for political information and knowledge?

A) the Internet and cellular phones
B) newspapers and television
C) magazines and periodicals
D) public meetings and candidate appearances
E) postal information and peer groups

Question 44

Identify the three faces of political parties in the United States.

Question 45

Explain the structural factors that favor the maintenance of the two-party system.

Question 46

Identify important features of the party system that have emerged since 1968.

Question 47

Outline the arguments that suggest a decline in the two-party system.

Question 48

Over the last several decades, political scientists have agreed that the power of political parties has

A) declined significantly.
B) declined slightly.
C) remained static.
D) increased slightly.
E) increased significantly.

Question 49

Discuss the rise of candidate committees and their influence on the political process.

Question 50

Which of the following best describes the electoral system in the United States?

A) proportional representation
B) winner-take-all
C) party-list system
D) ranked voting
E) sequential voting

Question 51

Define a political party's platform, and identify some prominent issues that are included.

Question 52

Which of the following parties is an example of an issue advocacy party?

A) Green Party
B) Libertarian Party
C) Socialist Party
D) States' Rights Party
E) Progressive Party

Question 53

Outline the responsible party model, and provide an example of legislation enacted according to these principles.

Question 54

Which of the following are key principles of Tea Party supporters?

A) less government and more fiscal responsibility
B) lower taxes and states' rights
C) national security and border defense
D) access to education and access to employment opportunities
E) less government, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, states' rights, and national security

Question 55

Because of its sometimes fractured relationship with the Republican Party, which of the following has caused people to wonder whether or not it might become a splinter party?

A) Green Party
B) Libertarian Party
C) Tea Party
D) States' Rights Party
E) Progressive Party

Question 56

Discuss the party organization of major parties and identify where most power lies.

Question 57

All of the following characterize the party system in the United States since 1968 EXCEPT

A) divided government.
B) patronage.
C) intense party competition.
D) dealignment.
E) candidate-centered politics.

Question 58

Which voting system rewards political parties with a number of seats equal to the percentage of the vote it receives?

A) winner-take-all
B) proportional representation
C) cumulative voting
D) partial-list voting
E) transferable voting

Question 59

Identify key principles of the Tea Party movement.

Question 60

Explain how the party in government influences government operations at all levels.