GOV Chapter 8 Quiz

A ____________ is a tax-exempt group that is not subject to contribution limits and spending caps and that is formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate. a. political party b. union c. political action committee (PAC) d. 527 organization

527 organization

If Albert volunteers for a presidential campaign immediately after reading about the spoils system, what motivated him to get involved?

He was hoping he would get a job if his candidate won

In what way were parties that emerged around the time of the country's founding similar to parties today? a. both were highly organized entities b. both were created to enact policies their members like c. both had strong following among the citizens d. candidates then and now aligned with parties during runs for office

both were created to enact policies their members like

In Congress, the Democrats are organized by a ________, whereas the Republicans are organized by a ____________.

caucas; conference

The American political parties are

decentralized organizations with loose coordination across groups

During the last several decades, the number of ideologically moderate members in Congress has a. remained stable b. increased significantly c. decreased significantly d. slightly increased

decreased significantly

If the Democrats control the Senate and the White House and the Republicans control the House of Representatives, what is this an example of?

divided government

When do nomination conventions happen? a. every four years when a party must pick its presidential candidate b. at the start of every new congressional session c. throughout the campaign season during election years d. whenever the supreme court has an opening

every four years when a party must pick its presidential candidate

The _____________ parties defined the first party system on the issue of the proper role and size of the national government a. whig and democratic b. freedom and socialist c. federalist and whig d. federalist and democratic-republican

federalist and democratic-republican

Which statement about political independents is true? a. independents tend to support the incumbent party in elections b. most independents actually do lean towards one party or another c. independents are usually more informed about politics than partisans d. independents are better informed about issues than partisans

most independents actually do lean towards one party or another

What do we call the principal or main body in each party organization in America? a. party conference b. party caucus c. national committee d. political action committee

national committee

If you were to advocate for a system that encouraged as many people as possible to vote in a primary election, what type of primary would you suggest? a. open b. semi-open c. semi-closed d. closed

open

What is the BEST explanation for why members of the same political party in Congress may vote different ways on an issue?

parties are ideologically diverse coalitions

What is the BEST way to describe the effectiveness of parties in helping members of Congress work together?

parties can help members build winning coalitions, but only on some issues

What is the BEST description of party organizations in America?

party organizations are decentralized and not hierarchical

From 1897 until 1932 one of the major parties, the Republicans, won most presidential elections, while the other major party, the Democrats, won when the Republicans were divided. The major issues of the time were industrialization and immigration. The Republicans had the support of business, while the Democrats relied on urban immigrants and southern whites. This description is an example of a

party system

If a voting system has a rule that whichever candidate receives the most votes wins, even if he or she does not get over 50 percent of the votes, we describe that system as what kind of voting? a. plurality b. single-member c. majority d. Australian

plurality

When the United States goes from one party system to another, this is known as a a. party machine b. party in the electorate c. realignment d. coalition switch

realignment

The second party system ultimately split over the issue of a. the creation of the greenback b. slavery c. the Spanish-American war d. Reconstruction

slavery

___________ is made up of politicians who were elected as candidates of a party, whereas ____________ involves the structure of nation, state, and local parties, including party leaders and workers.

the party in government; the party organization

According to Duverger's Law, if we want to know how many major political parties a country will have, what should we look at?

the rules for determining how many votes are needed to win an election, along with other electoral rules

Which statement BEST characterizes the nature of political committees and 527s? a. the are not part of the political party organization b. they are run by party leadership c. they generally coordinate closely with the political parties d. they almost always agree with the party's positions

they are not part of the political party organization

What document would a party use to craft its party platform? a. a list of possible vice-presidential picks b. a list of which states to focus campaign efforts on most in the general election c. a list of what issues to emphasize in the upcoming campaign d. a list of donors to reach out to for additional campaign funds

a list of what issues to emphasize in the upcoming campaign

What would be the BEST way to help third parties gain traction in the American political system?

get rid of single-member districts

Party leaders are often frustrated when individual candidates fail to follow the party line on certain issues. What prevents them from reining such candidates in and forcing them to promote the party's goals? a. doing so would cost the party the election in most states b. they have little formal power to compel candidates to do anything c. candidates usually leave the party if leaders try to influence them in this way d. the amount of time and effort it would take is rarely worth it

the have little formal power to compel candidates to do anything