Question 1

Which of the following is true of party systems?&#10;A) There are no democracies with a one-party system.&#10;B) The U.S. party system has been a one-party system most of the time.&#10;C) Some democratic nations have had extensive periods of one-party rule.&#10;D) Almost all democracies have a two-party system.

Accepted Answer

Some democratic nations, such as Japan and Mexico, have had extensive periods of one-party rule. While most democracies do have multi-party systems, there are exceptions where one party has dominated for extended periods of time. A and D are incorrect because there are some democracies with one-party systems (such as China and Vietnam), and not all democracies have a two-party system (such as Germany and Israel). B is incorrect because the U.S. has had a two-party system for most of its history, although third parties have occasionally gained some influence.

Question 2

In a ______, when one single party fails to win a majority of the votes, then two or more parties come together in a coalition in order to govern.&#10;A) winner-take-all system&#10;B) local election&#10;C) multi-party system&#10;D) separation of powers system

Accepted Answer

In a multi-party system, there are more than two political parties competing for seats in the government. In this type of system, it is common for no single party to win a majority of the votes, which leads to the creation of coalition governments. This means that two or more parties come together to form a government and work together to pass legislation and make decisions.

Question 3

Most state party systems in the U.S. are:&#10;A) relatively safe for one party or the other&#10;B) extremely competitive&#10;C) nonpartisan&#10;D) multi-party

Accepted Answer

Most state party systems in the U.S. are relatively safe for one party or the other. This is because of factors like historical voting patterns, partisan gerrymandering, and demographic changes. While there are some states with highly competitive party systems, they are the exception rather than the norm.

Question 4

The Ranney Index measures:&#10;A) the strength of minor parties in the states&#10;B) the proportion of landslide victories in state elections&#10;C) the effects of national events on state elections&#10;D) competition between the Democrats and Republicans in the states

Accepted Answer

The Ranney Index measures the level of competition between the Democratic and Republican Parties in state elections. It is designed to assess the degree of polarization and competitiveness in state-level contests, and is based on the difference in vote share between the winning and losing party, as well as the overall level of voter turnout. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 5

Since 1964, the average success rate for incumbents seeking reelection to the U.S. House was ______ percent.&#10;A) About 50&#10;B) Over 90&#10;C) Under 25&#10;D) About 78

Accepted Answer

Since 1964, the average success rate for incumbents seeking reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives has been over 90 percent, indicating a high level of electoral stability and advantage for those already holding office.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an advantage that incumbents have in congressional elections?&#10;A) Name recognition.&#10;B) Fund-raising.&#10;C) Term limits.&#10;D) Media coverage.

Accepted Answer

Incumbents have advantages such as name recognition, fund-raising, and media coverage, which make it easier for them to win re-election. However, term limits are not an advantage for incumbents because it limits a candidate's ability to run for office for an extended period of time.

Question 7

Which is true about &#34;swing districts&#34; in the U.S. Congress?&#10;A) They have become much more common during the past 25 years.&#10;B) They have become much less common during the past 25 years.&#10;C) They are normally won by minor-party candidates.&#10;D) They are typically won by landslides.

Accepted Answer

Swing districts in the U.S. Congress have become much less common over the past 25 years, largely due to factors such as redistricting, increased partisanship, and demographic sorting, which have led to more districts being solidly aligned with one of the major parties.

Question 8

When the number of swing districts declines, the result has been to eliminate most of the ______.&#10;A) radicals in Congress&#10;B) ideologically extreme members of Congress&#10;C) need to raise large sums of money&#10;D) moderate members of Congress

Accepted Answer

Swing districts are typically those in which the margin of victory is small, and therefore can be won by candidates with more moderate views that appeal to a broader range of voters. When the number of swing districts declines, it often means that districts become more partisan and either strongly Democratic or Republican. This can lead to the elimination of more moderate members of Congress who may not fit in with the more extreme views of their party's base.

Question 9

The assertion that plurality elections in single-member districts tend to produce two-party systems is called:&#10;A) proportional representation&#10;B) Duverger's Law&#10;C) Obama's Law&#10;D) institutional forces

Accepted Answer

Duverger's Law is a political principle which asserts that single-member district electoral systems, which are based around plurality voting, favor the emergence of a two-party system. This is because in order to win a district, a party must receive more votes than any other candidate or list, giving the advantage to larger and more established political parties. This theory has been widely observed in many countries with single-member district electoral systems, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The other answer choices are not relevant to this principle.

Question 10

Minor parties tend to be weaker in a system with ______ because they do not have a realistic chance of winning the presidency.&#10;A) a single executive&#10;B) proportional representation&#10;C) multi-member districts&#10;D) nonpartisan elections

Accepted Answer

In a system with a single executive, such as the United States, minor parties have a harder time gaining support and winning the presidency because the winner-takes-all nature of the electoral college system favors the two major parties. This can weaken the power and visibility of minor parties in the political system.

Question 11

The less diverse its people are, in terms of the demographic characteristics that typically divide Republicans from Democrats, the more likely the district is to:&#10;A) foster intense two-party competition&#10;B) be dominated by one party&#10;C) foster minor party competition&#10;D) encourage interest group activity in politics

Accepted Answer

The answer of The less diverse its people are, in...

Question 12

Nonpartisan elections:&#10;A) were strongly opposed by the Progressive movement&#10;B) took root mainly in cities where the parties were already strong&#10;C) are held in most American cities and towns&#10;D) increase voter turnout

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nonpartisan elections:&#10;A) were strongly opposed by the...

Question 13

The strongest vote getter of any minor party in the past quarter century has been the ______ Party.&#10;A) American&#10;B) Reform&#10;C) Green&#10;D) Libertarian

Accepted Answer

The answer of The strongest vote getter of any minor...

Question 14

Which minor party claims credit for public policies such as minimum wage?&#10;A) The Libertarian Party.&#10;B) The Socialist Party.&#10;C) The Green Party.&#10;D) The Reform Party.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which minor party claims credit for public...

Question 15

Who was the only minor party candidate since 1975 to receive almost 20 percent of the popular vote for president?&#10;A) Arnold Schwarzenegger.&#10;B) Theodore Roosevelt.&#10;C) Ross Perot.&#10;D) Joe Biden.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Who was the only minor party candidate...

Question 16

Independent candidates:&#10;A) must usually get a lot of signatures on petitions to get on the ballot&#10;B) tend to get fewer votes than minor-party candidates do&#10;C) face the same requirements to get on the ballot as major-party candidates do&#10;D) must run as the candidate of a minor party

Accepted Answer

The answer of Independent candidates:&#10;A) must usually get a lot...

Question 17

Since 1952, approximately how many members of Congress have been elected on a minor party ticket?&#10;A) More than 100.&#10;B) Between 5 and 100.&#10;C) Fewer than 5.&#10;D) None.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Since 1952, approximately how many members of...

Question 18

Minor party presidential candidates can receive public funding for their campaigns if they receive at least ______ percent of the popular vote.&#10;A) 5&#10;B) 20&#10;C) 25&#10;D) 30

Accepted Answer

The answer of Minor party presidential candidates can receive public...

Question 19

One result of single-party control of a state government is that&#10;A) There is likely to be gridlock in the state legislature.&#10;B) The dominant party can make major changes in state policy without needing to compromise with the other party.&#10;C) The dominant party will be prevented from gerrymandering state legislative districts.&#10;D) The opposition party will be able to appoint the chairs of all the state legislative committees.

Accepted Answer

The answer of One result of single-party control of a...

Question 20

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.&#10;-The incumbency advantage.

Accepted Answer