Deck 4: Political Parties

Question 1

The American political party system consists of

A) national, county, city, and state levels.
B) national, state, county, and precinct levels.
C) county, state, local, and national levels.
D) national, precinct, county, and city levels.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

District conventions are held in

A) unpopulated areas of the state like Maverick, Kendall, and Tarrant counties.
B) sparsely populated area of the state like Harris, Zapata, and Wilson counties.
C) moderately populated areas of the state like Lavaca, Harris, and Travis counties.
D) highly populated areas of the state like Bexar, Harris, and Dallas counties.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following would be performed at a party's precinct convention?

A) Nomination of delegates to the county convention
B) Selection of the presidential nominee
C) Adoption of the party platform
D) Election of the state executive committee

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In Texas, the two leading political parties are the

A) Democratic and Republican.
B) Republican and Libertarian.
C) Republican and Green.
D) Democratic and Green.

Question 5

Precinct conventions in Texas are usually

A) heavily attended.
B) lightly or sparsely attended.
C) held at times other than after the polls close.
D) held in odd-numbered years.

Question 6

According to the Texas Election Code, each political party in Texas must hold a ___________ in June of even-numbered years.

A) primary election
B) county convention
C) state convention
D) general election

Question 7

Which of the following tasks is not performed every two years at the state party convention?

A) Selection of members of the state's party executive committee
B) Writing the rules that will govern the party
C) Election of state legislators
D) Adoption of a party platform

Question 8

A political party is

A) an organization that consists of individuals interested in controlling government by winning elections.
B) an organization that consists of indvididuals interested in pressuring elected officials to change public policy.
C) a coalition of private and public organizations influenced in creating societal change.
D) none of these choices accurately describes a political party.

Question 9

A stratarchy is

A) a political system wherein power is diffused among and within levels of party organization.
B) an economic system in which power is concentrated in the hands of the wealthy and powerful.
C) a social system in which power is hierarchically distributed based on family lineage.
D) all of these choices describe a stratarchy.

Question 10

Which of the following is not one of a party precinct chair's duties?

A) Representing the party in lawsuits
B) Registering and persuading voters in the precinct
C) Getting people to the polls
D) Distributing candidate literature and info

Question 11

Resolutions adopted at the precinct convention will be submitted first to the

A) national convention.
B) city-wide convention.
C) county or district convention.
D) state convention.

Question 12

How many electoral votes will Texas have in the presidential election of 2016?

A) 181
B) 538
C) 38
D) 25

Question 13

The main business of county and district conventions is to

A) hold primary elections.
B) introduce candidates to party members.
C) select delegates to the state convention.
D) conduct general elections.

Question 14

In 2014, how did delegates to the state party conventions communicate their experiences and describe the proceedings to those outside the conventions?

A) Via social media such as Facebook and Twitter
B) By organizing massive marches to capture media attention
C) By writing letters to the editors of magazines around the country
D) With an extensive direct-mail campaign

Question 15

A general election is held in

A) March of odd-numbered years.
B) November of even-numbered years.
C) November of odd-numbered years.
D) March of even-numbered years.

Question 16

Each state receives a number of electoral votes equal to the

A) number of seats each state has in Congress.
B) number of seats each state has in its state legislature.
C) number of voters who voted in the previous general election.
D) number of delegates the state had at the national party convention.

Question 17

In Texas, a candidate may only win an office in a general election if he/she receives

A) a majority of the vote.
B) two-thirds of the vote.
C) a plurality of the vote.
D) three-quarters of the vote.

Question 18

Primaries and conventions that nominate candidates, adopt platforms, and select delegates to higher level conventions are known as

A) bloc parties.
B) party caucuses.
C) permanent party organizations.
D) temporary party organizations.

Question 19

In March 2012, a three-judge federal panel ordered a _______ primary election date for Texas.

A) January
B) March
C) May
D) November

Question 20

Which of the following happens at the party state convention during presidential election years only?

A) Adoption of state party platform
B) Selection of potential presidential electors
C) Selection of members of the state executive committee
D) Certification to secretary of state the names of party members nominated to run for office

Question 21

What year did Texans elect their first Republican governor since Reconstruction?

A) 1933
B) 1978
C) 1992
D) 2000

Question 22

Beginning in the late 1940s, a majority of conservative Democrats in Texas began to support the

A) state Republican candidates.
B) national Republican candidates.
C) state Socialist-Labor candidates.
D) national Libertarian candidates.

Question 23

Returns from the party primaries for statewide office are counted (or "canvassed") by the

A) county chairs meeting in Austin.
B) state party executive committee.
C) governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
D) chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Question 24

Liberals would most likely support which of the following policies?

A) Restricting the ability of a woman to obtain an abortion or contraception
B) Prohibiting homosexuals from holding public employment
C) laws protecting a woman's right to equal pay for equal work
D) Reducing the progressivism of the national income tax

Question 25

After Reconstruction, which political party dominated in Texas for more than 100 years?

A) Whig
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Libertarian

Question 26

The party's county executive committee is

A) responsible for organizing the state party convention.
B) comprised of all of the precinct chairs.
C) selected at the state convention.
D) responsible for conducting the general election.

Question 27

Which term would best describe a politician that is generally opposed to government-managed or government-subsidized programs?

A) Socialist
B) Conservative
C) Liberal
D) Communist

Question 28

At the turn of the 20th century, the Populist Party in Texas declined, largely due to

A) the Democratic Party adopting its issues.
B) the issues no longer being relevant to Texans.
C) Texas secession from the United States.
D) a merger with the Republican Party.

Question 29

Who was the first Texas Republican elected in a statewide vote in the last half of the 20th century?

A) John Tower
B) William Clements
C) Rick Perry
D) John Cornyn

Question 30

As mandated by Texas state law, each party's state executive committee must

A) be comprised equally of men and women.
B) include members of the state legislature.
C) provide proportional representation for various demographic groups.
D) receive a majority vote of the primary election voters.

Question 31

The fiercest political fighting in Texas between 1900 and 1950 was between

A) Democrats and Populists.
B) liberal and conservative Democrats.
C) Republicans and Democrats.
D) Republicans and Populists.

Question 32

The history of the Texas political party system has tended toward

A) strong voter support for third parties.
B) favoring independent movements.
C) Texas always having a strong two-party system.
D) Texas being a one-party state.

Question 33

A conservative would most likely support which of the following policies?

A) Changing the law to improve worker pay and benefits
B) Tighter governmental regulation of pollution from factories
C) Legal protections against racial and gender discrimination
D) A ban on same-sex marriages

Question 34

One of the reasons why Anglo voters opposed Governor E. J. Davis was that he

A) returned slaves and the vote to former members of the Confederacy.
B) appointed African Americans to office throughout the state.
C) supported Robert E. Lee and the Confederate slave owners.
D) allowed blacks to legally marry whites.

Question 35

When Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, former slave owners and supporters of the Confederacy were

A) purged as officeholders and denied the vote.
B) welcomed to the electoral process.
C) allowed to seek office and votes.
D) allowed to vote in all elections.

Question 36

Political alliances during the Republic of Texas were based on

A) personalities.
B) institutions.
C) organizations.
D) ideology.

Question 37

Which political label would best describe a politician that is in favor of government regulation of the economy, but limited government involvement on social issues?

A) Libertarian
B) Socialist
C) Liberal
D) Conservative

Question 38

During the period of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War (1865-1873), the __________ Party controlled Texas politics.

A) Democratic
B) Independent
C) Republican
D) Populist

Question 39

Which political party during the latter part of the 19th century focused on agrarian issues and posed a challenge to the Democratic party of Texas?

A) Whig
B) Populist
C) Republican
D) Green

Question 40

The main role of a state party's chair is to be the party's

A) key strategist and key spokesperson.
B) candidate for governor.
C) chief attorney in civil and criminal cases.
D) social event coordinator.

Question 41

Which geographic area of Texas is not a Republican stronghold?

A) West Texas
B) The suburbs of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin
C) Hispanic counties of South Texas
D) Texas Panhandle and Texas South Plains

Question 42

Which statement best describes the Libertarian Party?

A) It advocates the enforcement by the state of fundamentalist Christian family values.
B) It supports limited government and maximum individual liberties.
C) It is economically liberal but is conservative on social issues.
D) It has its strongest base of support in South Texas.

Question 43

In which of the following ways have third parties been least successful?

A) Winning elections to national offices
B) Raising public awareness of issues
C) Persuading major parties to adopt their issues
D) Persuading major parties to bring them into their coalition

Question 44

What year did Texans elect the first woman ever to represent the state in the U.S. Senate?

A) 1919
B) 1954
C) 1993
D) 2002

Question 45

Which is true of the past three primary elections in Texas?

A) Voting rates among Republicans was the same as voting rates among Democrats.
B) More Republicans than Democrats turned out to vote.
C) More Democrats than Republicans turned out to vote.
D) None of these choices is true.

Question 46

In which of the following decades did the Republican Party in Texas begin to win almost all of the statewide offices it challenged?

A) 1950s
B) 1970s
C) 1990s
D) 2000s

Question 47

In __________, for the first time since the primary system was established in Texas, Republican primaries were conducted in all 254 Texas counties.

A) 1978
B) 1986
C) 1996
D) 2002

Question 48

In 2008, one reason why Obama won in Harris, Travis, Bexar, and Dallas counties was because of

A) strong Republican support.
B) strong conservative Tea Party support.
C) solid support from independents and right-wing Republicans.
D) solid support from Latino and African American voters.

Question 49

In the Texas general election of 2002, which trio was dubbed "the dream team" because of their expected appeal to Latino, African American, and Anglo voters?

A) Richards, Bush, and Cruz
B) Sanchez, Kirk, and Sharp
C) Friedman, Strayhorn, and Perry
D) Hutchison, Perry, and Medina

Question 50

Republicans won all statewide races in the _______ general election

A) 2002
B) 1998
C) 1984
D) 1976

Question 51

In 2010, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives

A) lost their majority for the first time since the Great Depression.
B) had exactly as many seats as the Democrats for the first time ever.
C) gained a majority for the first time since Texas became a state.
D) gained a supermajority for the first time since Reconstruction.

Question 52

In the Texas general election of 2000, which two parties had more candidates for statewide office than did the Democratic Party?

A) Green and Libertarian
B) Populist and Green
C) Socialist and Libertarian
D) Reform and Populist

Question 53

The closest presidential election of modern times was in

A) 1988, when Republican George H.W. Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis by four electoral votes.
B) 1992, when Democrat Bill Clinton defeated Republican George H.W. Bush and Independent Ross Perot by four electoral votes.
C) 2012, when Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney by four electoral votes.
D) 2000, when Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by four electoral votes.

Question 54

Which of the following geographic areas is not a Democratic stronghold in Texas?

A) South Texas
B) El Paso
C) The Golden Triangle
D) German Hill Country

Question 55

Which of the following is not true of the 2008 election?

A) Democrats gained a majority in the Texas Senate for the second straight election.
B) Obama carried four of the state's five most populous counties.
C) Democrats gained seats in the Texas House of Representatives for the third straight general election cycle.
D) Democrats won a majority of countywide offices in Harris county for the first time in more than 20 years.

Question 56

The trend of voters abandoning their traditional political party allegiance is referred to as

A) dealignment.
B) realignment.
C) reshuffling.
D) coalition building.

Question 57

A political party that is not one of the two major parties is referred to as a

A) group of independents.
B) political faction.
C) third party.
D) political movement.

Question 58

Which Texas governor, elected in 1994, was successful as the Republican Party's candidate for President in 2000?

A) George W. Bush
B) Ann Richards
C) John Tower
D) Rick Perry

Question 59

When a person votes for only candidates from one party, they are engaging in

A) straight-ticket voting.
B) ticket-splitting.
C) retrospective voting.
D) All of these choices are true.

Question 60

Changing demographic patterns in Harris and Dallas counties have

A) shown an increase in Democrats due to increases in minority populations.
B) maintained a balance between Democrats and Republicans.
C) shown an increase in Republican control due to white population increases.
D) None of these choices is true.

Question 61

Of the third parties listed below, which probably has had the least influence on Texas politics?

A) Green
B) Populist
C) Libertarian
D) Fascist

Question 62

Which statement best describes the Green Party?

A) It is a 21st century throwback to the Greenbacks of the 19th century.
B) It advocates returning to the gold standard as a backing for American currency.
C) It advocates environmental protection and government reform policies.
D) It advocates reduced governmental regulation of corporations and political campaigns.

Question 63

Briefly explain why conservatives tend to support the Republican party and liberals tend to support the Democratic party.

Question 64

Define the concept of a political party, and explain the basic functions performed by political parties. Explain what you see as the benefits and drawbacks of political parties.

Question 65

Describe the differences between the Libertarian Party and the Republican Party. Describe also the differences between the Green Party and the Democratic Party.

Question 66

Describe the political party climate in Texas between the end of the Civil War and the 1940s. How and why did party domination change? What were the third-party challenges to the dominant party, and how were these challenges dealt with by the major parties?

Question 67

Which of the following were independent candidates who had a significant impact on a Texas election?

A) Richard S. "Kinky"Friedman and Carol Keeton Strayhorn
B) Ross Perot and William Clements
C) Bernie Sanders and Gary Johnson
D) Ron Paul and Rand Paul

Question 68

Describe the additional functions and events that must occur within political party organizations during presidential election years. Be sure to include both state and national party organizational operations. Understand the role state parties perform in selection of a presidential nominee, and the role parties play in selection of delegates to the Electoral College.

Question 69

What do the terms conservative and liberal mean? Explain the links between these terms and political parties in Texas. Which best describes your political beliefs? Explain what you perceive to be at least one weakness in the particular political philosophy that you embrace.

Question 70

Explain why it is difficult for an independent candidate to win elections in Texas. Why do you think independent candidates choose to run without a party label when it is so difficult to win?

Question 71

Describe the strengths of the Democratic and Republic parties by region in Texas. Provide an understanding of why each party has certain strengths in particular regions within the state. Based on these understandings, and with changing demographic patterns within the state, speculate as to the future potential of each party within the state of Texas.

Question 72

Trace the operation of temporary party organizations in Texas. How do parties develop their platforms and choose their candidates for office? Explain why you think the system either does a good or bad job of making sure that the parties truly represent the interests and/or preferences of the voters who support them.

Question 73

Trace the evolution of the two major parties within the state, including their history of involvement in Texas politics, their issues, and their relative political strength and successes. Explain what you see as the benefits and drawbacks of having a two-party system rather than a multi-party system.

Question 74

How did the Republican party gain control of Texas government during Reconstruction? How did they lose control of Texas government when Reconstruction ended?

Question 75

Describe the political party climate in Texas since the 1940s. Describe the process by which the Republican Party has replaced the Democratic Party as the more influential and powerful party within the state. Identify third-party and independent challenges to the dominant party during this time.

Question 76

Candidates who run for office with no party affiliation are referred to as

A) partisan seekers.
B) independents.
C) green.
D) reformers.

Question 77

Explain three major differences between the Texas Republican and Texas Democratic Party platforms. Based on their platforms, explain which party best represents your views on the issues you find most important.

Question 78

Discuss the impact of independent and third-party candidates upon Texas politics. Why do they keep recurring even though it seems like they are never successful? What are the most prominent third parties today?

Question 79

Explain the difference between temporary and permanent party organizations.