Govt: Chapter 8 Political Parties

Which of the following groups are currently most likely part of the Democratic coalition?

- 18-29 year olds - African Americans - union members

Which of the following are part of the money chase of politics?

- raising funds - pursuing wealthy patrons

Over ____ of presidential campaigns spending is spent on media

59%

Since the Great Depression, which party's agenda has included a strong commitment to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable members of society?

Democratic

True or false: Local party organizations are stronger today than they were in the days of the political machines.

False

Which party benefited from the 1896 realignment, which was triggered by an economic depression following a banking crisis under President Grover Cleveland

Republican Party

When a realignment in the electorate occurs, which of the following occurs?

The parties reorganize themselves

Which of the following statements about televised debates in presidential campaigns are true?

They are usually part of presidential campaigns

True or False: The median voter theory helps to explain why a party may lose an election when it veers too far from the middle of the ideological spectrum.

True

Modern campaigns for high office

are much longer than they were historically

All party organizations have a responsibility to

build support among voters

Political parties and their ability to control politics in the United States have been weakened by _________________-centered campaigns.

candidate

The fact that more white women than white men vote for the Democratic Party is an example of a(n) __________________ gap.

gender

Which type of third party is highly organized around a framework concerning the nature and role of government in society?

ideologically oriented parties

When can political parties move away from the middle of the political spectrum and still be somewhat successful in their goals?

in times of crisis

Local party organizations operate

only during campaign periods

Voting for a candidate's promises rather than his or her past actions is an example of what is called _____________________ voting.

prospective

The national, state, and local organizations of the Republican and Democratic Parties are

relatively independent, that is each level does not have much control over the others.

Third parties formed to promote a stance on a particular issue are known as

single-issue parties

The Republican Party has advocated for a

smaller government that performs fewer social welfare functions

On a _________________, citizens vote for candidates from different parties.

split-ticket

Which single expenditure accounts for the most spending on U.S. political campaigns?

television ads

Who oversees the day-to-day operations of the political party's national organization?

the national chair

In politics, what are linkage institutions?

they connect citizens with government

Which of the following statements about negative ads and negative campaigning are true?

- Abraham Lincoln was the target of insulting comments about his appearance during election campaigns. - Negative campaigning in presidential elections was used as long ago as when Thomas Jefferson ran for office.

Which are the major political parties in the United States?

- Democratic Party - Republican Party

Which of the following are true of grassroots parties?

- They are open to all citizens. - They operate at the local level.

How do candidates encourage people to vote on Election Day?

- They rely on organizations to spread the word. - They contact prospective voters on Election Day.

The rise of candidate-centered campaigns has

- made it easier for political newcomers to win high office -increased the importance of money in political campaigns

State parties are involved with which of the following activities?

- voter registration - election of U.S. senators

____________________ refers to the selection of the individual who will run as the party's candidate in the general election.

Nomination

What usually happens after a third party is relatively successful in attracting votes during a U.S. national election?

One or both major parties will try to co-opt the issue or issues that made the third party successful.

Which party formed during the 1830s was competitive against the Jacksonian Democratic Party?

Whig Party

Which of the following voting blocs has moved heavily into the Democratic Party since the 1960s?

black Americans

Although party organizations still manage many tasks related to elections, the lead role in elections now lies with the

candidate

When a political party makes a(n) ________________ for an elected office, it selects a person to run as the party's candidate in the general election for that office.

nomination

Which two political parties were competitive during the first party system?

- Federalists - Democratic-Republicans

Current election laws in the United States favor

a two-party system

The highlighting of candidates' attributes is called

packaging

Which two candidates for president lost in overwhelming landslide in part because they diverged too far from the middle of the ideological spectrum?

- George McGovern - Barry Goldwater

What of the following are true about political contributions called hard money?

- It can be spent as the recipient chooses. - It is subject to legal limits - It is money given directly to a candidate

Today's political campaigns rely on which of the following to be successful?

- pollsters - campaign strategists - media producers

In order to have the best chance to win in a two-party system, political parties normally

align themselves near the middle of the voting spectrum

The in-party's chances of staying in power has historically depended primarily on

the condition of the economy

Which of the following states have closed primaries?

- Nevada - Kansas - Florida

The groups and interests that support a political party are collectively referred to as a

party coalition

The United States government functions as a __________________ system.

two-party

Which of the following are true of Hispanic voters in the United States?

- Hispanics tend to be liberal on economic issues and conservative on social issues. - They lean heavily toward the Democratic Party.

Which of the following statements describe how U.S. campaigns are both party centered and candidate centered?

- candidates organize their own campaigns - the same parties are represented nationwide

Even if a third party candidate fails to win an election, the candidate has still done which of the following to help the third party succeed?

- drawn attention to an issue previously ignored by the two major candidates -encouraged the major parties to address issues introduced by the third party

Which of the following characteristics of political campaigns have undergone change?

- focus of the campaign - amount of money required - length of the campaign

The Internet has proven itself to be superior to televised political advertising

- as a means of getting campaign contributions from small donors -by spreading awareness of issues to a greater audience

An election in which voters chose the party's nominees is called a(n) ________________ election.

primary

Which of the following contributed to the decline of the old system of party organizations?

primary elections

Today, political candidates tend to

set up and run their own campaign organizations

Which of the following statements sum up the various functions of political consultants?

- gathering voter opinions - production of promotional materials - advising on how to run a successful campaign

Which of the following are distinct disadvantages of the rise of candidate centered campaigns?

- they make it easier for officeholders to deny responsibility for government actions - they provide opportunities for power interest groups to donate money to candidates