Deck 7: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Question 1

The political parties in the United States are

A) decentralized and fragmented.
B) some of the strongest in the world.
C) the youngest in the world.
D) centralized.
E) stronger now than when they first began operating.

Answer 1

decentralized and fragmented.

Question 2

One explanation of the differences between political parties in Europe and the United States is that

A) more patronage jobs are available in Europe.
B) Europeans tend to have winner-take-all electoral systems.
C) Americans are more ideologically oriented than Europeans.
D) federalism promotes decentralization of both political authority and parties.
E) federalism centralizes power, and proportional representation is featured in most states.

Answer 2

federalism promotes decentralization of both political authority and parties.

Question 3

In the United States, most people participate in political parties by

A) attending regular meetings.
B) voting.
C) socializing with party members at political events.
D) volunteering in various campaigns.
E) writing letters to the editor and contributing money.

Answer 3

voting.

Question 4

Compared with the role European political parties play in the lives of their citizens, parties in the United States

A) have a much more significant influence.
B) have about the same influence.
C) have much less influence.
D) usually but not always have more influence.
E) are more influential and more organized.

Question 5

The Founders saw political parties as

A) a very important aspect of democracy.
B) effective only in raising money for campaigns.
C) appropriate for a direct democracy but not for a republic.
D) factions motivated by ambition and self-interest.
E) a useful tool for maintaining the power of state governments.

Question 6

The Jacksonian party system was the first national system, but it could not withstand the deep split in opinion over

A) slavery.
B) regulation of interstate commerce.
C) the electoral college.
D) convention delegates.
E) taxation.

Question 7

The dominance of the Republican Party in American politics from 1865 to the 1930s resulted in

A) political parties becoming more unified.
B) the dominance of the Republican Party in the southeastern states.
C) the dominance of the Democratic Party in the northeastern states.
D) the emergence of many one-party states.
E) the fragmentation of local government.

Question 8

The congressional campaign committees

A) help members and challengers seeking election to the legislative branch.
B) determine the rules and practices of legislative elections.
C) propose reforms that enhance incumbents' advantages.
D) nominate members for leadership positions in the chambers.
E) reduce partisan bickering in debate and finance the campaigns of new members.

Question 9

The organization and structure of the two major parties generally were the same until the late

A) 1960s.
B) 1980s.
C) 1920s.
D) 1890s.
E) 1860s.

Question 10

In the 1996 presidential campaign, the two parties spent more "soft" money than regulated money. This led to

A) an easing of federal restrictions.
B) a demand for tougher campaign finance rules.
C) fewer get-out-the vote drives.
D) a decrease in TV advertising.
E) a lower voter turnout.

Question 11

The Democratic convention rules written in the 1970s sought to

A) minimize the role of the parties in the election process.
B) weaken the influence of leaders within the party.
C) abolish winner-take-all primaries.
D) strengthen the influence of party leaders.
E) establish winner-take-all primaries.

Question 12

The role of the Democratic national convention has been transformed into a

A) media showcase where newscasters influence the outcome.
B) place where delegates ratify decisions made by voters.
C) gathering where party leaders make the important decisions.
D) gathering of representatives from interest groups.
E) platform for intense debate about party ideals.

Question 13

The political machine is a party organization that recruits its members through the use of

A) grassroots efforts.
B) the Internet.
C) tangible incentives.
D) radical political philosophy.
E) interest groups.

Question 14

Passed by Congress in 1939, the Hatch Act

A) took federal employees out of machine politics.
B) put a ceiling on an individual's campaign contribution.
C) limited the term of each national party chairman.
D) provided for secret ballots.
E) reduced the number of delegates at the national conventions.

Question 15

The main factor that weakened the political machines was

A) the increased use of patronage.
B) changes among voters in terms of education and income.
C) looser restrictions on voter registration.
D) the lack of appealing candidates.
E) the mobilization of rural voters.

Question 16

When machine parties were at their height, voter turnout was

A) very low.
B) very high.
C) erratic.
D) underestimated by dishonest vote counts.
E) rarely high and especially low when the country was at war.

Question 17

According to the text, Democratic machines were crucial in electing

A) Bill Clinton.
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
E) Abraham Lincoln and Warren G. Harding.

Question 18

Which of the following are often factionalized, valuing principles above all else?

A) Personal followings
B) Solidary groups
C) Sponsored parties
D) Ideological parties
E) Interest groups

Question 19

Party organizations that feature groups of people who enjoy the game and/or see politics as a way to meet and be with other people are called "__________ associations."

A) solidary
B) beneficent
C) jocular
D) sociotropic
E) town-hall

Question 20

The Democratic Party in and around Detroit is a classic example of a(n) __________ party organization.

A) solidary
B) machine
C) issue-oriented
D) sponsored
E) reform

Question 21

Today, a person wanting to win an election most often will seek the support of

A) the political machine.
B) issue-oriented clubs.
C) sponsored parties.
D) a personal following.
E) activists of the opposite party.

Question 22

One problem with the personal-following campaign is that it might

A) increase turnout.
B) hit the average voter with too much information.
C) increase partisanship.
D) polarize elderly voters.
E) energize groups that are not skilled at political participation.

Question 23

The United States has a two-party system rather than the multiparty system common elsewhere. One reason numerous parties have been discouraged is that election laws for the House of Representatives

A) employ proportional representation, where parties can nominate candidates in proportion to the number of registered party members in the district.
B) require single-member districts where only one candidate can win.
C) limit the number of candidates to the top two vote-getters in the primaries.
D) provide federal money only to candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties.
E) allow candidates to block each other's nomination.

Question 24

To win in a plurality system, a candidate must have

A) a lot of inside influence.
B) a runoff election.
C) a majority of the votes.
D) more votes than anyone else.
E) at least 33% of the votes.

Question 25

Usually, if a candidate for president wins the most votes in a state, how many electoral votes does he or she get for that state?

A) All the electoral votes
B) The percentage of votes equal to the number of popular votes won
C) The number of electoral votes equal to the number of House districts carried
D) The number of electoral votes equal to the number of electoral districts carried in the state
E) The number of votes equal to the number of senators of the president's party

Question 26

In the United States, divisive political issues have caused deep cleavages in society but have not upset the two-party system because

A) issues are not important to American voters.
B) too few voters are actually members of political parties.
C) parties have usually changed their policies enough to keep dissidents from breaking away.
D) issues change too rapidly to matter over long periods of time.
E) Americans are highly interested and informed about politics and move on to different issues.

Question 27

Today, most convention delegates are likely to be

A) more actively interested in issues and less willing to compromise.
B) less actively interested in issues and more willing to compromise.
C) more interested in party procedures.
D) less interested in party procedures.
E) less interested in party platforms.

Question 28

Compared with their respective party members, national convention delegates tend to be

A) more liberal if they are Democrats and more conservative if they are Republicans.
B) more liberal.
C) more conservative.
D) about the same.
E) without any real sense of ideology.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Few states choose convention delegates via primaries.
B) The caucus process moderates delegate opinion and balances out conventions.
C) Caucuses are more convenient because they take less time, usually minutes.
D) Primary voters are remarkably similar to general election voters.
E) Caucuses overrepresent activist opinion.

Question 30

In recent years presidential nominating conventions have included an increasingly larger proportion of strongly ideological delegates. One explanation for this trend is that

A) television coverage of conventions has encouraged delegates to extreme behavior to attract attention.
B) there has been a rise in more ideological candidates in both parties, such as Pat Buchanan and Jesse Jackson.
C) interest groups have become active, forcing candidates to respond to their demands.
D) party activists, who vote in primaries, tend to be more ideological than the average voter.
E) state laws have overregulated the selection process.

Question 31

Between the two major parties in the United States there are

A) very large differences in policy views.
B) large policy differences among activists and much smaller ones among the rank and file.
C) only trivial differences.
D) differences on social issues but not on economic ones.
E) differences on economic issues but not on social ones.

Question 32

Which of the following preferences is most likely to be held by a Republican voter?

A) Oppose the death penalty
B) Favor abortion
C) Allow private investment of Social Security taxes
D) Allow same-sex couples to marry
E) Make it more difficult to obtain a gun

Question 33

The policy differences between Democratic and Republican parties probably have

A) grown clearer since the 1960s and 1970s.
B) grown closer as the country has moved in a more conservative direction.
C) stayed about the same, with very little difference between them.
D) widened more among rank-and-file voters but narrowed among party leaders.
E) grown closer as the country has moved in a more liberal direction.

Question 34

James Madison believed that the causes of factions were rooted in

A) the nature of man.
B) capitalist society.
C) religious conflict.
D) an improperly designed constitution.
E) social arrangements.

Question 35

Unlike those in the United States, interest groups have remained weak in Europe because

A) the political systems in Europe are more decentralized.
B) interest groups are outlawed in many countries owing to their corruptive influence.
C) political parties have stayed strong in Europe.
D) European countries are less industrialized, with fewer labor unions and corporations.
E) parliamentary systems are winner-take-all oriented.

Question 36

Roughly _____ percent of all the interest groups in Washington have located there since 1960.

A) 70
B) 50
C) 30
D) 25
E) 8

Question 37

According to the text, medical and legal societies became important in part because of

A) broad economic developments.
B) strong leadership.
C) the expansion of government into these areas.
D) economic assets.
E) governmental policy itself.

Question 38

The majority of environmental and consumer protection lobbies arose during the

A) 1960s.
B) 1890s.
C) 1930s.
D) 1990s.
E) 1950s.

Question 39

A public-interest organization can be defined as one whose goals, if achieved, would benefit primarily

A) those who are not members of the organization.
B) the government.
C) the membership.
D) the political parties.
E) state governments.

Question 40

Public-interest groups tend to be

A) noncontroversial.
B) ideological (liberal or conservative) in outlook.
C) weakened when the national administration is hostile.
D) popular in times of economic stress.
E) moderate in outlook.

Question 41

Three sources have become important to interest groups in raising money: government grants, direct mail, and

A) media advertising.
B) foundation grants.
C) union dues.
D) contributions from political candidates.
E) weblogs.

Question 42

Direct mail has which one of the following primary disadvantages as a fund-raising mechanism?

A) It can be very costly.
B) It can alienate people, who resent "junk mail."
C) It can fail to present the group's message.
D) It can be sent to the wrong people.
E) It can be regulated by the government.

Question 43

The majority of interest groups in the United States are

A) business-oriented.
B) public-interest in nature.
C) representatives of civil rights groups.
D) highly ideological in outlook.
E) representatives of minority groups.

Question 44

The single most important tactic of the typical lobbyist is

A) generating newspaper headlines.
B) mobilizing letter-writing campaigns.
C) filing suits in court.
D) supplying information to legislators.
E) pressuring party leaders.

Question 45

Information is an important resource available to interest groups because

A) politicians are vulnerable to flamboyant arm-twisters with money.
B) the constant attention of the media puts politicians on the spot.
C) members of Congress must take positions on a large number of issues and need up-to-the-minute information.
D) elected politicians lack staff and research support.
E) legislative processes are transparent and require input from multiple sources.

Question 46

Lobbyists working closely with a few key members of Congress is called

A) an outsider strategy.
B) an insider strategy.
C) grassroots lobbying.
D) a baseline strategy.
E) key point lobbying.

Question 47

The text discusses the deal that Congress struck with Tufts University, Washington State University, and University of Pennsylvania. This deal is an example of

A) corrupt lobbying.
B) grassroots lobbying.
C) corrupt Congressional committees.
D) educational grant writing.
E) an earmark.

Question 48

More than half of all PACs are sponsored by

A) corporations.
B) labor unions.
C) ideological groups.
D) politicians themselves.
E) religious groups.

Question 49

Compared with labor and business PACs, ideological PACs

A) raise less money.
B) spend more money on candidates.
C) raise more money and spend less on candidates.
D) raise less money and spend more on candidates.
E) recruit more candidates who have more money.

Question 50

By law, PACs can give no more than __________ to any candidate.

A) $1,000
B) $5,000
C) $20,000
D) $50,000
E) $75,000

Question 51

Evidence indicates that PAC contributions do not affect how members of Congress vote because

A) to do so would constitute bribery.
B) the media would expose any such impropriety.
C) most members vote by their general ideological outlook.
D) PACs cannot contact members after donating money to their campaigns.
E) rules and regulations demand high ethical standards of members of Congress.

Question 52

In interest group politics, holding demonstrations and causing disruptions are

A) conventional political tactics.
B) the tactics of extreme groups only.
C) used as a last resort.
D) widely ineffective.
E) tactics the government prefers.

Question 53

Which of the following is true of interest-group activity?

A) It is protected by the First Amendment.
B) It is subject to regulation on the same basis as other activities of business and labor.
C) It constitutes a "suspect category" under the law.
D) It is immune from government regulation in any form.
E) It is regulated by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 54

The 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act has had __________ effect on the registration and control of lobbyists.

A) little practical
B) great
C) a negative
D) a positive
E) a noticeable but unintended

Question 55

Congress passed a bill in 1995 to tighten requirements on lobbyists. This bill

A) extended to grassroots organizations.
B) established a new enforcement agency.
C) included annual reporting requirements.
D) broadened the definition of a lobbyist.
E) covers people who lobby the legislative branch only.

Question 56

Interest groups existed in America before political parties.

Question 57

Interest groups were called factions at the founding of our country.

Question 58

Political parties operate within two political arenas - as a label and as an organization.

Question 59

In the United States much more so than in Europe, party leaders select the candidate who will be nominated and run for office.

Question 60

Political parties play a greater role in an individual's life in the United States than in most European countries.

Question 61

Numerous political parties existed at the founding of this country.

Question 62

The Founders generally held a favorable view of political parties.

Question 63

Hamilton and his followers kept the name Anti-Federalists.

Question 64

The modern Republican Party began as a third party.

Question 65

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Progressive movement weakened the party system.

Question 66

The national party structure today is highly centralized, much like a large corporation.

Question 67

The Republican Party is more factionalized than the Democratic Party.

Question 68

In practice, soft money could easily be used to help candidates.

Question 69

The formula for apportioning delegates to the party conventions is relatively straight forward and simple.

Question 70

The Hatch Act of 1939 took federal employees out of machine politics.

Question 71

The typical ideological party is a third party.

Question 72

One problem with solidary associations is that they often do not work hard.

Question 73

Mayor James Curley of Boston, Eugene Talmadge of Georgia, and Huey Long of Louisiana are examples of politicians with a strong personal following.

Question 74

Two-party systems are seen commonly throughout the world.

Question 75

Although the electoral system does not prevent the formation of minor parties, it may prevent minor parties from winning elections.

Question 76

The U.S. electoral system is characterized by proportional representation.

Question 77

In 1992 Ross Perot won almost 20 percent of the popular vote but received only 10 percent of the electoral votes.

Question 78

The third parties that have had the greatest influence on public policy were those formed independently of the two major parties.

Question 79

Today, a larger portion of convention delegates are likely to be less activist and more willing to compromise.

Question 80

Since 1972 there has been a significant disparity between delegate opinion and rank-and-file voter attitudes.