Deck 16: The Place of Parties in American Politics

Question 1

Which of the following is the clearest and most persistent example of a characteristic that divides American voters into opposing camps?

A) Race.
B) Class.
C) Income level.
D) Education level.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Voting rates of ______ have declined more steeply in recent decades than those with ______ wealth.

A) upper-income Americans; less
B) middle-class Americans; greater
C) poor Americans; less
D) lower-income Americans; greater

Answer 2

D

Question 3

How do American parties differ from parties in most other democracies?

A) They tend to be more decentralized.
B) They are less likely to use primary elections to choose candidates.
C) They have greater power over their party in government.
D) They tend to raise and spend less money.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of these is true about the party organizations in the last half of the 1900s?

A) Political party "machines" were growing stronger in urban areas.
B) Political consultants had become less active in advising candidates.
C) The last of the political party "machines" were fading in urban areas.
D) Party activists were becoming more interested in material incentives for party work.

Question 5

The number of districts selecting a presidential candidate of one party and a congressional candidate of another party is one measure of:

A) strong partisanship
B) patronage
C) split-ticket voting
D) polarization

Question 6

Grassroots activists in ______ took much of the party's own decision making away from state party organizational leaders in 1972 and 1976.

A) the Republican Party
B) the Democratic Party
C) both major parties
D) the Libertarian Party

Question 7

As incumbents became more secure electorally in the 1960s and 1970s, members of Congress:

A) were able to show more independence from their party in their voting behavior
B) felt that they had to vote with their party in Congress more frequently
C) were able to show more independence from interest groups in their voting behavior
D) felt that they needed to do much less constituent service to the people in their district

Question 8

The most striking element of the coalitional changes since the 1960s has been:

A) the movement of white southerners into the Democratic Party
B) the movement of white southerners into the Republican Party
C) the movement of northeasterners to the Republican Party
D) the movement of gays into the Republican Party

Question 9

Which one of the following is an especially important component of the Republican coalition today?

A) Latino Americans.
B) Black Americans.
C) Asian Americans.
D) Religious conservative Americans.

Question 10

Unmarried people now identify preponderantly with the ______ Party.

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

Question 11

Married white Christians:

A) form the base of the Republican Party
B) form the base of the Democratic Party
C) are split equally between the two parties
D) tend not to vote for either the Democrats or the Republicans

Question 12

Split-ticket voting:

A) has become more common since the 1980s than it was in the 1960s and the 1970s
B) became more common in the 1960s and 1970s than it has been more recently
C) has always been rare in American elections
D) is against the voting rules in many states

Question 13

By 2020, the main threat to the reelection of most members of Congress came from:

A) the most moderate elements within their own party in primary challenges
B) the presence of large numbers of moderate voters in general elections
C) the more extreme elements within their own party in primary challenges
D) the presence of large numbers of extremist voters in general elections

Question 14

Among the many links between citizens and government, only ______ have the incentive to pay attention to those citizens who are not activists or big campaign donors.

A) interest groups
B) elected officials
C) PACs
D) political parties

Question 15

Social-demographic change in the U.S. is likely to include a growing proportion of ______, who tend to vote ______.

A) Latinx-Americans; Democratic
B) White Christian Americans; Democratic
C) Black Americans; Republican
D) Rural Americans; Democratic

Question 16

The U.S. party organizations are currently:

A) almost non-existent.
B) more vigorous than they have been in years.
C) weaker at the national level but stronger at the local level than they were a century ago.
D) less like service parties and more like the political machines of old.

Question 17

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.
-Party decline in the 1960s and 1970s.

Question 18

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.
-"Service parties."

Question 19

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.
-More cohesive parties in government.

Question 20

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.
-Decentralized political parties.

Question 21

Give an example of a societal change that has affected the behavior, the structure, or the nature of the coalitions of the two major parties. Explain the nature of the impact of this change.

Question 22

The chapter points out that coalitional changes have transformed a Democratic-dominated political environment into one of close party competition in national politics. What are the coalitional changes that have brought about close party competition at the national level between the Democratic and Republican Parties, as opposed to the earlier Democratic dominance?

Question 23

What led to the development of "service parties"? In what ways does a service party differ from the old-time urban political "machine"? Make an argument that the old political machines did a better job of serving citizens' needs than the service party does. Now make an argument that the reverse is true.

Question 24

What are the main reasons why political parties are essential institutions in a democratic nation? If parties were outlawed and only interest groups were allowed to remain active in the U.S., how would that affect your ability to be represented in government?