Political Parties AP GOV

Which of the following statements represents a trend supported by the data in the bar graph? A. Both party caucuses in the House consisted of more moderate members in 2012 than in 2002. B. The Republican caucus consisted of more ideologically conservative members in 1982 than in 2012. C. The number of House members between the most liberal Republican and the most conservative Democrat decreased between 1982 and 2012. D. The party caucuses in the Senate are more ideologically diverse than those in the House of Representatives.

C. The number of House members between the most liberal Republican and the most conservative Democrat decreased between 1982 and 2012.

The concept of "critical elections" is most closely associated with A. the electoral college process B. elections during wartime C. the nomination process D. economic recession E. party realignment

E. party realignment

An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one political party to another is called a A. deviating election B. maintaining election C. dealigning election D. primary election E. realigning election

E. realigning election

Critical elections in the United States typically have occurred A. as a result of a temporary shift in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties B. whenever a third party has secured more than fifteen percent of the presidential vote C. each time a Republican has been elected President D. when voter turnout has declined significantly from the previous election E. when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties

E. when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties

Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district plurality system? A. The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins. B. The candidate must receive at least 51% of the votes to win. C. The top two vote-getters compete in a run-off election. D. A political party must receive 51% of the votes to win all of the seats in the district. E. The party that receives the most votes in the election wins the seat and selects the party member who will fill the seat.

A. The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.

Which of the following best accounts for the lack of success generally encountered by minor political parties in electing members to the House or Senate? A. Political action committee (PAC) contributions are restricted by law to the two major parties. B. General elections in the United States are based on the winner-take-all principle. C. House and Senate rules exclude members of minor parties from organizing coalitions with the major parties. D. The public has great faith in the two major political parties. E. Some states outlaw minor political parties.

B. General elections in the United States are based on the winner-take-all principle.

Which of the following statements regarding political parties is true based on the graphic? A. The Democratic Party has consistently favored states' rights. B. The Republican Party initially emerged as an antislavery political party. C. Regional interests have not played a major role in any of the party systems. D. The Democratic and Republican Parties were the two major parties during the First Party System.

B. The Republican Party initially emerged as an antislavery political party.

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States? A. Parties increasingly identify themselves with coherent ideologies to attract large blocs of voters. B. The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970's. C. National party organizations are generally the strongest party organizations. D. It is increasingly difficult for third parties to gain more than two percent of the popular vote. E. Most candidates prefer to run as independents rather than as Democrats or Republicans.

B. The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970's.

The concept of realignment refers to changes in A. the United States system of international alliances B. the social bases of the parties' voting support C. the media's criticism of the president and Congress D. spending priorities in the federal budget E. the rate of voter participation

B. the social bases of the parties' voting support

The graphic illustrates which of the following statements about political parties? A. Federalism leads to a multiparty system in which at least three parties generally compete for control of local, state, and national governments. B. The founders refused to join political parties because they agreed that parties were contrary to the public interests, so parties did not form until well after the ratification of the Constitution. C. There is an ongoing debate between political parties over the power and scope of the federal government, even as economic and demographic changes have altered party coalitions. D. The Constitution settled the debate over the power of the federal government, but political parties formed nonetheless to help Congress organize itself over regional interests.

C. There is an ongoing debate between political parties over the power and scope of the federal government, even as economic and demographic changes have altered party coalitions.

The primary reason for the current existence of only two major political parties in the United States is that A. the Constitution puts severe restrictions on other parties B. third parties are usually far to the right or left, and Americans are moderates C. a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive D. voters naturally think of themselves as either liberals or conservatives E. presidential electors can vote for only two candidates

C. a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive

One reason for the persistence of a two-party system in the United States is A. the lack of divisive issues in United States politics B. the separation of powers C. the single-member district electoral system D. the lack of a strong labor movement E. low voter turnout in most elections

C. the single-member district electoral system

Which of the following policies would an individual who identifies as a Democrat most likely support? A. Reducing regulations on Wall Street to stimulate economic growth B. Decreasing the role of the federal government to ensure access to health care C. Increasing federal enforcement of immigration laws D. Strengthening anti-discrimination policies for married gay couples

D. Strengthening anti-discrimination policies for married gay couples

Since 1972, voters in presidential elections have A. become more focused on individual candidates B. increasingly based their votes on televised candidate debates C. become more influenced by party platforms D. become more likely to focus on local rather than national conditions E. become more likely to rely on print media for information

D. become more likely to focus on local rather than national conditions

Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States? A. Parties have no organization except at the national level. B. Parties are centrally organized to provide a smooth transition from one national campaign to the next. C. Parties are organized much like a large corporation, in that decisions flow from national to state and local levels. D. Local and state parties have virtually no power in the party system. E. Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.

E. Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.

Since the 1960s, support for the Democratic Party has declined the most among which of the following groups? A. Labor union members B. Business leaders C. African Americans D. Native Americans E. White southerners

E. White Southerners

Political parties serve which of the following functions in the United States? I. Informing the public about political issues II. Mobilizing voters and getting them to the polls III. Organizing diverse interests within society IV. Establishing the rules governing financial contributions to political candidates

I, II, and III only

The table above supports which of the following conclusions? I. A plurality of the people has consistently supported the Democrats. II. Support for the two major parties increased slightly between 1952 and 1994. III. The largest percentage increase in political identification between 1952 and 1994 occurred among independents.

III only