Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Questions 8 and 9 refer to the following image. Credit: Paul Hennessy/Polaris/Newscom
Which of the following best describes the photo?

A)a major party candidate speaking to a crowd-Consider This: The image shows a candidate interacting with an individual supporter.
B)a third-party candidate interacting with a supporter
C)a politician trying to persuade people's opinions
D)a Democrat meeting with a potential voter

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is the formal structure of the political party that sets rules for party operations,pursues electoral victories,and keeps the party running between elections?

A)party as an organization
B)party as provider
C)party in the electorate -Consider This: Political Party is the group of the people that tries to win the election.
D)party in government

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is a core function of political parties?

A)dividing the electorate
B)narrowing voter choice -Consider This: Voters can choose among the candidates.
C)nominating candidates
D)reducing accountability mechanisms

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Questions 17 and 18 refer to the following image. Credit: Daryl Cagle/Cagle Cartoons,Inc.
Critics of the responsible party model claim that __________.

A)it has contributed to the vilification of the word compromise
B)it causes unneeded tension between Democrats and Republicans -Consider This: It is almost impossible to make a policy that satisfies everyone.
C)it is unwise because it is not subject to constitutional constraints
D)it is too simple for the complexity and diversity of American society

Question 5

Questions 4 and 5 refer to the following graphs.
The Downs Model Source: Author's analysis of combined 2008 and 2010 General Social Survey data.
Which of the following is part of Anthony Downs's rational-choice model?

A)voters want to maximize the chance that their preferred policies will be adopted by government
B)logic and reason always prevail in the American electorate
C)party identity will lose its importance over the next 100 years
D)voters are acting rationally when they vote against their self-interest -Consider This: Rational choice assumes that individuals act in their own best interest.

Question 6

Questions 15 and 16 refer to the following graph.
Realignment in the South
Based on the graph,at what point in history did realignment occur in the South?

A)the Vietnam War
B)the Reagan presidency -Consider This: Although the Reagan administration was an era of conservatism,the majority of southern representatives were still Democratic.
C)after 9/11
D)the Clinton presidency

Question 7

What best explains the demise of party machines?

A)congressional reforms that prevented private party meetings in "smoke-filled rooms"
B)Keynesian economic reforms that increased individual wealth
C)judicial reforms that ended the "pay to play" system of assigning public defenders -Consider This: Party machine weakened after it gave jobs based on the ability to perform the job.
D)progressive reforms that instituted a merit-based hiring system

Question 8

Which of the following is a potential danger associated with open primaries?

A)The other party can "raid" the primary to vote for the least viable candidate.
B)Open primaries may result in the election of more extreme candidates.
C)The presence of too many candidates on the ballot can confuse voters.- Consider This: Primary election is the process to select the best candidate among the many potential candidates.
D)Open primaries give too much power to those who reside outside of the district.

Question 9

Questions 17 and 18 refer to the following image. Credit: Daryl Cagle/Cagle Cartoons,Inc.
Which of the following describes the cartoonist's point of view?

A)The two-party system encourages civil discourse.-Consider This: The cartoon reflects the lack of discourse in modern politics.
B)The gap between the parties inhibits bipartisan agreement.
C)People in America are more concerned with fighting than getting along.
D)Compromise is possible in a two party system.

Question 10

Which of the following was an important result of realignment in the South?

A)Urbanites followed the model set by the South and began to vote Republican.
B)Evangelical voters moved from northern cities to southern towns.
C)Hispanics in southern states began to vote Republican -Consider This: Ethnic minorities are still more likely to vote for Democrat.
D)The New Deal coalition fell apart after nearly four decades of political control.

Question 11

What is the most basic task of a political party?

A)reflect people's wish on public policy -Consider This: Parties can do this after they become a government.
B)develops a new policy according to the social change
C)winning elections
D)guarantees the freedom of religion

Question 12

Which of these is an electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge,new coalitions replace old ones,and the majority party may be displaced by the minority party?

A)a critical election
B)a midterm election
C)a coalition election -Consider This: Party realignment is usually followed after these elections.
D)a seismological election

Question 13

Which of the follow is a consequence of two-party government?

A)greater fluidity of representation
B)the increased likelihood of coalition government -Consider This: If America has multiple parties,there may be a coalition government in order to reduce the political conflicts.
C)the increased likelihood of proportional representation
D)the moderation of political conflict

Question 14

Questions 6 and 7 refer to the following graph.
Party Identification in the United States,1952-2016 Source: American National Election Studies,1952-2012; an average of eight ABC News/Washington Post polls conducted between January and October of 2016.
NOTE: A small percentage of people who identify with a minor party or who cannot answer the question are excluded.
Based on the graph,how has party identification changed from 1952 to 2016?

A)The number of Americans who identify as Republicans has sharply declined.
B)More people identified as independents than with either party in 2016.
C)The Democratic party went from most to least identified with among Americans.
D)More Americans identified with a party in 2016 than ever before in history.-Consider This: In 2016,fewer Americans identified as Democrats or Republicans than in the past.

Question 15

What does the responsible party model imply that parties should do?

A)adhere to the party platform
B)make the best decisions for the country despite what public opinion suggests - Consider This: In order to win the election,the party should appeal to as many voters as possible.
C)use more patronage
D)be more accountable to interest group demands

Question 16

Questions 13 and 14 refer to the following graph.
Party coalitions today Source: Authors' analysis of the 2014 Pew Research Center post-election survey.
Based on the graph,which of the following groups is most likely to vote Republican?

A)White Catholics
B)White Evangelicals
C)African Americans
D)the wealthy -Consider This: More Americans with an income over $150,000 voted Republican than Democrat in the 2014 midterm election.

Question 17

Which statement best describes the functioning of party machines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

A)Parties provided policy support to rural electorates in exchange for votes.
B)Parties provided jobs to rural electorates in exchange for votes.
C)Parties provided patronage jobs to loyal supporters,especially in urban areas.
D)Parties provided cash handouts to rural electorates in exchange for jobs.- Consider This: Job was awarded for political reason after election.

Question 18

Which is not a true statement on congressional voting on Presidential agendas?

A)party -line voting is very common
B)bi-partisan voting is possible
C)president opposition party sometimes vote for the legislation -Consider This: President sometimes gets more support from the opposition party rather than his own party.
D)a president's wish is always respected by his party

Question 19

What is the official statement of a political party's policy alternatives?

A)articles of incorporation
B)party constitution -Consider This: Party's official statement on various policy is adopted every 4 years at the convention.
C)platform
D)gavel

Question 20

Questions 13 and 14 refer to the following graph.
Party coalitions today Source: Authors' analysis of the 2014 Pew Research Center post-election survey.
Which aspect of the New Deal coalition is evident in this graph?

A)African Americans vote Democratic
B)females vote Democratic
C)the wealthy vote Republican -Consider This: The wealthy were not part of the New Deal coalition.
D)Catholics vote Republican.

Question 21

Advocates of the responsible party model believe parties should craft a platform,candidates should run on that platform,and the majority party should __________.

A)implement it
B)refine it according to officeholders' preferences
C)set it aside and craft a new platform that it will attempt to enact
D)do whatever is necessary to stay in the majority -Consider This: Political party is supposed to carry out what they promised to do during the campaign.

Question 22

What was the loyal opposition in the era of Democratic President Andrew Jackson?

A)Republican party -Consider This: The Republican party rose in the 1850s.
B)Federalist
C)the Whig Party
D)the progressive party

Question 23

Who runs the national party organizations between conventions?

A)the parties in the electorate
B)the state party organizations -Consider This: States send representatives to compose this group.
C)the party's congressional caucus
D)the party's national committee

Question 24

With which of the following is party dealignment associated?

A)an increase in labor unions
B)increasingly politicized evangelical congregations
C)an increase in divided government
D)a rising number of Democrats -Consider This: Party dealignment encourages ticket splitting voting choices.

Question 25

Which party was dominant from 1860-1928?

A)Democratic-Republicans
B)Democrats -Consider This: President Lincoln was elected as president in 1860.
C)Federalists
D)Republicans

Question 26

How are today's youngest voters most likely to identify?

A)partisans
B)Democrats -Consider This: Younger voters are less partisan than older voters.
C)Independents
D)Republicans

Question 27

How is the national chair of the president's party selected?

A)elected in the primary during midterm election years
B)selected by the president and routinely ratified by the national committee
C)selected by the governors belonging to the president's party
D)elected by the president's party's congressional delegation -Consider This: The head of the political party that controls the white house is the president.

Question 28

Which has partly filled the void left by the decline of the urban party machine?

A)labor unions -Consider This: Local party organizations help state and local candidates.
B)corporations
C)family farmers and small business owners
D)county parties

Question 29

Which of the following started in the late 1960s?

A)dealignment
B)the New Deal coalition -Consider This: The New Deal coalition was created after the Great Recession and lasted until the 1960s.
C)the era of good feelings
D)the third-party era

Question 30

What did Ralph Nader's 2000 presidential election bid illustrate regarding the role of third parties?

A)third parties' ineffective organization -Consider This: Third parties rarely win the election but are capable of getting a small portion of electorate's support.
B)third parties' absence of media attention
C)third parties' poor candidate choices
D)third parties' potential to affect the outcome of the election

Question 31

European democracies have more parties in positions of political power than the United States because of their use of __________.

A)party platforms
B)winner-take-all systems -Consider This: Winner-take-all-system usually creates two party system.
C)critical elections
D)proportional representation

Question 32

When can a party change its platform?

A)after the census
B)at the start of each fiscal year
C)during its national party convention
D)every two years -Consider This: Party platform is adopted every four years.

Question 33

What is the party in the electorate?

A)party officers who seek to educate the public on key party stances
B)public officials who are registered with a political party
C)voters active in the business of the party -Consider This: About 60 percent of people identify themselves as a Democrat or Republican.
D)all citizens who claim to be a member of a political party

Question 34

Why are coalition governments so prevalent in parliamentary systems?

A)Parliamentary systems are nonpartisan,but coalition governments can often act much like parties.
B)The winner-take-all system that is used in parliamentary systems encourages coalition governments.-Consider This: Winner-take-all-system usually creates two party system.
C)Coalition governments discourage third parties.
D)In a multiparty system with proportional representation,single parties usually do not win a majority of the seats.

Question 35

Which Nixon strategy attempted to bring conservatives over to the Republican Party in what was a Democratic stronghold at the time?

A)Southern strategy
B)Western strategy
C)suburban strategy
D)urban strategy -Consider This: Former Confederate states remain as conservative states.

Question 36

What did the shift in political coalitions that stemmed from the 1896 presidential election result in?

A)a critical election -Consider This: The 1896 election was an electoral earthquake.
B)a party dealignment
C)a party realignment
D)the New Deal coalition

Question 37

What is a disadvantage of divided government?

A)It acts as a check and balance across institutions.-Consider This: Gridlock is the usual consequence of divided government.
B)It often expands the scope of government.
C)It does not allow for clear accountability on policy.
D)It often stunts economic growth.

Question 38

What is the supreme power of the national party organization?

A)national assembly
B)national convention
C)national delegation -Consider This: It meets every four years to nominate the candidate and write a party platform.
D)national legislature

Question 39

Of the following,who is most likely to split their ticket?

A)younger voters
B)older voters
C)angry voters -Consider This: Independent voters usually split their tickets.
D)minorities