Question 1

Political party planks are ______.

Accepted Answer

Political party planks are the individual issue positions of the party platform.

Question 2

By the year ______, Democrats were unable to effectively challenge Republicans for any statewide office.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 3

Which candidate won the popular vote in the state's Democratic presidential primary but did not win the majority of the 228 delegates Texas sent to the Democratic National Convention?

Accepted Answer

D

Question 4

Which candidate received the plurality of the vote in the 2016 Texas Republican Party primary?

Accepted Answer

Ted Cruz won the plurality of the vote in the 2016 Texas Republican Party primary, leveraging his position as a U.S. Senator from Texas to secure a significant home-state advantage.

Question 5

Which of the following characteristics does NOT describe the "chronic minority?"

Accepted Answer

The term "chronic minority" refers to a group that consistently finds itself in the minority, rarely winning elections or achieving majority status. This situation often leads to a sense of disenfranchisement and a perception that active political engagement is futile, which contradicts the idea of being very motivated for active engagement in politics.

Question 6

Which of the following functions do the state political parties fulfill?

Accepted Answer

State political parties are responsible for selecting the slate of electors who will represent their state in the Electoral College. This is an important function as electors play a critical role in electing the President of the United States. The other options, A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not accurately reflect the roles and responsibilities of state political parties.

Question 7

Which of the following is true about party competition in Texas?

Accepted Answer

Both parties contest state legislative seats in Texas. While Republicans have dominated statewide offices, Democrats have made gains in recent years in the Texas House of Representatives. Third parties have had limited success in Texas elections.

Question 8

Which two party officers do primary voters elect?

Accepted Answer

Precinct chair and county chair are the two party officers that primary voters elect.

Question 9

Texas's political parties hold their state conventions biennially in ______.

Accepted Answer

Texas's political parties hold their state conventions biennially in May or June.

Question 10

At national conventions today, ______.

Accepted Answer

At national conventions today, the presidential campaign organization tends to dominate. This reflects the central role that the individual campaigns play in shaping the party's direction and policy priorities, overshadowing the traditional influence of state parties and their local interests.

Question 11

Which of the following accurately describes the development of political parties in Texas?

Accepted Answer

The Democratic Party support has dominated election results for most of the state's history, with the exception of the period of Republican ascendancy starting in the 1960s. Until the twentieth century, party labels were often not used in Texas elections, but the Democratic Party maintained control through traditional political and economic power structures.

Question 12

The theoretical view that each party should hold firmly to a clear and consistent set of policies refers to the ______.

Accepted Answer

The responsible party model emphasizes that political parties should have clear and consistent sets of policies, and that voters should hold parties accountable for implementing those policies if they win office. This model contrasts with the electoral competition model, which suggests that parties should adapt their policies to appeal to as many voters as possible, and the organized interests model, which emphasizes the role of interest groups in shaping public policy. The international interests model is not a recognized theoretical view of political parties, and the conditional party model emphasizes that parties may adjust their policies based on the actions of other parties or external circumstances, which is not compatible with the notion of a clear and consistent set of policies.

Question 13

In 2018, Democrats held how many statewide political offices?

Accepted Answer

In 2018, Democrats held zero statewide political offices in Texas.

Question 14

Which parties may choose to use conventions rather than primary elections to nominate candidates?

Accepted Answer

Parties that won between 2 percent and 20 percent in the last gubernatorial election may choose to use conventions rather than primary elections to nominate candidates.

Question 15

Which of the following most accurately describes patronage?

Accepted Answer

Patronage refers to the practice of rewarding loyal supporters and campaign workers with appointments to government jobs or other benefits. This answer fits that definition the closest.

Question 16

What would make a runoff primary necessary?

Accepted Answer

A runoff primary is necessary when no candidate in the primary election receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes. In this case, the two candidates with the highest number of votes would advance to a runoff election.

Question 17

Which of the following is part of the local party organization?

Accepted Answer

County chairs are part of the local party organization, as they operate at the county level, which is a local level of political organization.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes a grassroots organization?

Accepted Answer

Grassroots organizations are typically created and led by average citizens, rather than professional politicians or political elites. These organizations often use their collective power and influence to advocate for issues important to their members and seek to create change from the ground up. Decision making within these organizations usually rests with the members themselves, rather than a select group of leaders or outside experts.

Question 19

A temporary party organization ______; a permanent party organization ______.

Accepted Answer

A temporary party organization is where ordinary party members meet, such as during primaries and conventions, while a permanent party organization is where party officials meet to conduct ongoing party business.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a function of political parties?

Accepted Answer

Building cohesion between the state party and the directives of the national party is not a function of political parties. Other options - A, B, C, and E - are commonly recognized functions of political parties.

Quiz 9: Political Parties