Ch. 12 - Political Parties

Parties ____ the incentive for voters to free ride by changing the ____ to voters.

Parties reduce the incentive for voters to free ride by changing the costs to voters.

When Donald Trump became the Republican nominee for president, and then subsequently the 45th president, he was the first major Republican figure in several years to say positive things about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some Republican voters shifted their favorability ratings for Putin after this. Which model of party identification best explains this?

Psychological Attachment

Whose goals were the political parties of the United States formed to serve?

The Politicians

The gender gap refers to the tendency of _______ to favor Democrats, whereas ______ favor Republicans.

The gender gap refers to the tendency of women to favor Democrats, whereas men favor Republicans.

Put these major moments in the history of American political parties in order from earliest to latest.

1-The Federalists represent New England merchants and argue for protective tariffs. 2-The Democrats and Whigs become the two major political parties. 3-The Republican Party comes into existence. 4-The New Deal realignment leaves the Democratic Party dominant for several decades.

Determine whether each characteristic corresponds to the parties' national committees only, the parties' congressional committees only, or both.

Congressional committee only: - has chairs chosen by party caucuses in Congress National committee only: - focuses on the presidential race both: - has fund-raising as its primary responsibility

Imagine you are responsible for recruiting candidates to run as Democrats in your state's congressional races. In which of the following races would you try hardest to recruit new candidates?

Correct answers: - an election where the Republican incumbent won by 2 points last election -an open seat election Incorrect answers: -an election where the Republican incumbent won by 20 points last election -an election where the Democratic incumbent won by 10 points last election

During the fourth party system, from 1896 to 1932, the Republican Party was the majority party. What regions were part of its base?

Correct: - The northeast - The Midwest Incorrect: - The south - The west

Which of the following statements about the group basis of politics are accurate?

Correct: -Party leaders attempt to build coalitions of many different groups. -A party may be composed of groups that have competing goals. Incorrect: -Members of groups are pulled toward only one party or the other. -Parties tend to approach all groups as equally valuable.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the Senate Majority Leader. Which of the following groups does he lead?

Correct: -Republican Senators Incorrect: -Republican National Committee -National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) -state Republican Party organizations

In which ways can the president influence Congress?

Correct: -The president's popularity determines the success of his or her party in Congress. -The president can persuade members of Congress to support a bill. Incorrect: -The president can introduce his or her preferred legislation in Congress. -The president nominates candidates for committee positions.

How do political activists influence the positions of the political parties over time?

Correct: -They offer resources to campaigns that most voters don't. -They tend to punish politicians for "selling out" if they compromise. -They pull the parties away from the ideological middle. Incorrect: -They tend to prioritize party loyalty above issue loyalty.

Which of the following statements about third parties are accurate?

Correct: -Third parties typically represent protests not represented by the two major parties. -Voters assume that support for third party candidates is a wasted vote. Incorrect: -Third parties typically draw from a broad geographical base of support. -Third parties would still be unsuccessful if election laws changed.

How do parties influence the committee system?

Correct: -Transfer from one committee to another requires party authorization. -Membership depends on the percentage of seats held by the party. Incorrect: -Each individual committee assignment is made by the party caucus. -Each party establishes each committee's legislative jurisdiction.

What responsibilities does the contemporary party organization take on?

Correct: -identifying likely voters and supporters -training candidates and campaign staffers -conducting public opinion polls Incorrect: -recommending legislation for a member of Congress to sponsor

In which of the following scenarios would parties help simplify transactions and work?

Correct: -negotiations between the House, Senate and White House on a transportation policy -a legislator coming in late to the chamber to vote, and being unfamiliar with the legislation -giving members of Congress a series of leadership positions to pursue Incorrect: -forcing members of Congress to support the party's agenda

Which functions does the national convention serve today?

Correct: -nominating presidential and vice presidential candidates -approving changes to rules about party procedures -drafting the party's campaign platform Incorrect: making potential presidential appointments

Which of the following progressive era reforms helped to bring about the end of the party machines?

Correct: -the advent of the Australian ballot -the use of merit systems for civic jobs Incorrect: -the establishment of Rule XXII -the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment

Why are third parties often short-lived?

Correct: -the major parties absorb their programs and their popular ideas. Incorrect answers: -Successful third-party politicians decide to run for major-party spots. -Ballot access requirements get more stringent for older parties. -Nearly all third parties disappear after their first electoral setback.

Which of the following factors are emphasized by the "psychological attachment" view of party identification?

Correct: -the partisan loyalties of a voter's parents -the political climate during the time when a voter was a young adult Incorrect: -the recent economic performance under partisan leadership -the party's positions on key issues

Which problems of organization are helped by the maintenance of a consistent party brand?

Correct: (ALL) -collective action in elections -deal with ambition in the legislature -collective choice in legislature

In the third party system, the party organizations expanded beyond their versions in the second party systems. Party machines controlled local politics through the control of nominations and by offering patronage jobs to political supporters. Which principles of politics help us understand these party machines?

Correct: (ALL) history principle collective action principle rationality principle

How does partisan control of Congress influence the president's legislative agenda?

correct answer: - the president's agenda is often successful when the president's party controls both chambers of Congress - the president's legislative agenda is unsuccessful when the opposition controls both chambers of Congress incorrect answer: - as long as the president's party controls one chamber of Congress, the president's agenda will be successful - Partisan control of Congress does not influence the success of the legislative agenda

According to political scientists, which of the following are ways in which people can develop their party identification?

correct: - reaction to political experiences - psychological attachment - ideological attachment to policies incorrect : - membership in temporary social groups

What is the primary method parties use to translate goals into concrete policies?

electing sympathetic members to office

Why did Republicans fail to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), despite campaigning on it for a decade?

Ending the ACA would alienate other factions of the Republican Party.

The rules of the presidential nominating system help counterbalance the extremism of the party's activists.

False

Which group's confidence in the political system changed the most following the 2016 presidential election?

Female Democrats

Over the past decade or so, the Republican Party has been especially successful at building a pipeline of promising candidates for higher office.

True

Party brand names convey information about the parties to which of the following?

voters

Determine whether the following characteristics apply to parties only, interest groups only, or both.

work as benefit seekers -interest groups only work to get preferred candidates elected -both sponsor candidates directly -parties only