Question 1

Recruiting candidates to run for office is typically done by

Accepted Answer

Party officials are typically responsible for recruiting candidates to run for office, as they seek individuals who align with their party's values and objectives and can effectively compete in elections.

Question 2

Which of the following is not a basic function of political parties?

Accepted Answer

Political parties do not directly ensure legislation passes; this is primarily the role of legislators and the legislative process.

Question 3

A political philosophy that believes in limited government, free markets, and individual entrepreneurship is

Accepted Answer

Conservatism is a political philosophy that emphasizes limited government, free markets, and individual entrepreneurship.

Question 4

Voters, especially less politically involved ones, often use _______ to determine how to vote.

Accepted Answer

Party labels serve as shortcuts for voters, especially those less politically involved, to make decisions on how to vote without needing to research every candidate's platform in detail.

Question 5

A political philosophy that emphasizes social equality and a large role for government to protect liberties and alleviate social problems is

Accepted Answer

Liberalism emphasizes social equality and supports a significant role for government in protecting liberties and addressing social issues.

Question 6

Since the 1980s, _______ has become a stronger predictor of party identification.

Accepted Answer

Ideology has increasingly become a stronger predictor of party identification since the 1980s, reflecting a growing alignment between individuals' political beliefs and their affiliation with political parties.

Question 7

During elections, political parties fire up their turnout machines to get loyal voters to the polls to support party-endorsed candidates. This is because _______ is critical to electoral victory.

Accepted Answer

Turnout is critical to electoral victory because the more supporters of a party that vote, the higher the chances of that party's candidates winning the elections.

Question 8

Strongly committed members of a party are called

Accepted Answer

Partisans are individuals who are strongly committed to a party, cause, or person, often showing a biased allegiance.

Question 9

Which type of voter tends to volunteer more of their time and money and is more likely to turn out to vote in party primaries and other elections?

Accepted Answer

Partisans are more likely to volunteer their time and money and have higher turnout rates in elections because of their strong allegiance to their party and its ideals.

Question 10

The distribution of authority between national, state, and local party organizations so that each level exercises a degree of independent authority is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The term "decentralization" refers to the distribution of authority among different levels of an organization or system, such as national, state, and local party organizations, where each level has some degree of independent authority. This contrasts with centralization, where authority is concentrated at a single point or level.

Question 11

Every two years, each political party sets its agenda at the

Accepted Answer

Political parties set their agendas at the party convention, which is a significant event held every four years (not two) where party members gather to nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates, adopt a platform, and unify the party.

Question 12

A list of values, beliefs, and policy issues that are endorsed and supported by a political party is known as a

Accepted Answer

A party platform is a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public, for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public's support and votes about complicated topics or issues.

Question 13

_______ are elected in the party's primary and serve two years. They recruit volunteers, coordinate campaign workers during elections, and participate in get-out-the-vote and voter registration drives at the local level.

Accepted Answer

Precinct chairs are elected in party primaries and have a term of two years. Their responsibilities include recruiting volunteers, coordinating campaign workers during elections, and engaging in voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts at the local level.

Question 14

_______ recruit candidates to run for local or regional offices, act as a spokesperson for local issues, manage the funds of the local party, and serve with precinct chairs on the county executive committee.

Accepted Answer

County chairs are responsible for recruiting candidates for local or regional offices, acting as spokespersons for local issues, managing local party funds, and serving with precinct chairs on the county executive committee.

Question 15

The _______ develops and communicates the party's brand to the voters, and raises and manages political funds for the party for the entire state.

Accepted Answer

The state party chair is responsible for developing and communicating the party's brand to voters across the entire state, as well as raising and managing political funds for the party at the state level.

Question 16

Every two years, the party hosts _______ to decide how the party functions and to set the political agenda.

Accepted Answer

Conventions are gatherings or meetings that political parties host every two years to decide on their operations and set their political agendas.

Question 17

The most local level of a political party is the

Accepted Answer

The precinct chair represents the most local level of a political party, acting as the primary contact between party members in a specific precinct and the larger party structure.

Question 18

Over the past 40 years, Democrats have _______ power in the South.

Accepted Answer

Over the past 40 years, Democrats have experienced a significant decline in their political power and influence in the South, a region that has seen a shift towards the Republican Party.

Question 19

What was one of the original goals of the Tea Party?

Accepted Answer

One of the original goals of the Tea Party movement, which emerged in the United States in the late 2000s, was to advocate for relief from what its members saw as excessive taxation and government intervention in the economy.

Question 20

Which political party controlled the legislature in Texas throughout the 1990s?

Accepted Answer

Throughout the 1990s, the Democratic Party controlled the legislature in Texas, maintaining a long-standing dominance in the state's politics that only began to shift towards Republican control in the latter part of the decade and into the 2000s.

Quiz 5: Political Parties: Texas in Blue and Red