Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter's Choice
Which two political parties were competitive during the first party system?
Democratic-Republicans. Federalists.
True or false: Local party organizations are stronger today than they were in the days of the political machines.
False
True or false: Local, state, and national party organizations are hierarchical in structure.
False.
Which of the following states have closed/partially closed primaries?
Florida, North Carolina, Nevada
Which are the major political parties in the United States?
Republican. Democratic.
In politics, what do linkage institutions do?
They connect citizens with government.
What has happened to the New England states since the 1980s?
They have shifted toward the Democrats.
Current election laws in the United States favor ______.
a two-party system
What relationship does the national Democratic or Republican Party have with the state and local parties?
all three levels are independent but work together.
Political parties and their ability to control politics in the United States have been weakened by Blank______-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
Political parties began to emerge in the United States
in spite of many of the founding fathers' mistrust of them
Today's political campaigns rely on which of the following to be successful?
media producers. campaign strategists. pollsters.
Local party organizations generally play an active role ______.
only during campaign periods
Which of the following are part of the money chase of politics?
pursuing wealthy patrons. raising funds.
Which type of third party arises from a belief that partisan politics is a corrupting influence that needs to be changed?
reform parties
Voting for a candidate's past performance rather than future promises is an example of what is called ______ voting.
retrospective
Which of the following statements is true regarding a single-member district electoral system?
the candidate with more votes than any opponent wins the election in the district.
The in-party's chances of staying in power has historically depended primarily on ______.
the condition of the economy
When a realignment in the electorate occurs, which of the following happens?
the parties reorganize themselves.
How did many of the founders of the United States view political parties?
they viewed political parties with suspicion.
America's plurality, or winner-take-all, system of electing candidates works to the disadvantage of ______
third parties
The U.S. government functions as a(n) Blank______ system.
two-party
What is another name for the plurality system?
winner-takes-all system
Which of the following statements about negative ads and negative campaigning are true? (Choose every correct answer.)
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.
A permanent shift in party allegiances or electoral support is known as a party
Realignment
How many major political parties are there in the United States today?
Two
Which of the following groups are currently most likely part of the Democratic coalition?
Union members. 18-29 yr olds. African Americans.
In the era of Jacksonian democracy, the efforts of local party organizations, along with the extension of voting rights to citizens without property, contributed to an almost ______ increase in election turnout
fourfold
______ refers to the selection of the individual who will run as the party's candidate in the general election.
nomination.
A(n) ______ primary is one in which any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, may vote.
open
Which of the following accurately ranks the amount of media coverage of candidates from highest to lowest?
presidential candidates, senate candidates, house candidates
Which of the following voting blocs migrated to the Republican Party during the 1980s and 1990s?
southern whites
Which of the following statements about televised debates in presidential campaigns are true?
they are usually part of presidential campaigns.
State parties are involved with which of the following activities?
voter registration. elections of governors.
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.
State party organizations are usually small and are directed by ______.
a full-time chairperson
What percentage of voters today cast a split ticket?
less than 20 percent
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
When casting a ______, citizens vote for candidates from different parties.
split ticket
Which of the following is true about candidate-centered campaigns?
they encourage national officeholders to be responsive to local interests.
Which of the following are true of grassroots parties?
They are open to all citizens. They operate at the local level.
Third parties formed to promote a stance on a particular issue are known as ______.
single-issue parties
Organizations that nominate and seek to elect candidates to government office are known as
Political Parties
Many voters cast a ______, where they only vote for candidates of one party.
Straight ticket.
The strongest reform party in U.S. history was the ______.
progressive party
In order to raise enough funds for their campaigns, political candidates raise money from all of the following groups except ______.
state governments
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
Although party organizations still manage many tasks related to elections, the lead role in elections now lies with the
Candidate
Because of the increasing cost of political campaigns, ______.
candidates must constantly work to raise funds.
