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Question 40 Since 1968, American government can best be described as an era of a. divided government. b. Democrats. c. third parties. d. Republicans

a. divided government.

Question 42 Most splinter parties a. form around a strong personality and tend to fade when that leader steps aside. b. are unwilling to take clear-cut stands on controversial issues. c. disappear when the country climbs out of the difficult economic conditions in which those parties were formed.-- d. seldom win many votes, though they tend to be long-lived.

a. form around a strong personality and tend to fade when that leader steps aside.

Question 19 Why are many Americans familiar with a form of the one-party system? a. The two major parties are so similar that they can be considered as one party. b. One party has dominated national politics in recent years.-- c. In many states, one of the two major parties has held power for a long time. d. In many states, only one party is allowed to exist

c. In many states, one of the two major parties has held power for a long time.

Question 2 What is the purpose of a platform committee? a. nominating candidates b. acting as a watchdog c. developing policy statements d. governing the nation

c. developing policy statements

Question 24 What role does the President play in the organization of his or her party? a. The President and his staff organize the national convention for his or her party. b. The President directs the work of the party's headquarters in Washington. c. Other national party leaders make the President's role unimportant. d. The President's leadership generally makes his or her party more organized than the other major party.

d. The President's leadership generally makes his or her party more organized than the other major party.

Question 64 The major political parties in the United States a. are highly organized, close-knit, well-disciplined groups. b. select both their presidential and congressional candidates at their national conventions. c. have a chain of command from the national through the State to the local level. d. are, like many aspects of the American government, highly decentralized in terms of their organization.

d. are, like many aspects of the American government, highly decentralized in terms of their organization.

Question 9 What is one way minor parties affect American politics? a. They influence the outcome of elections. b. They get the attention of newspapers, television, and radio. c. They get voters to vote for major party candidates. d. They win state and local elections

a. They influence the outcome of elections.

Between presidential elections, the national committee of each party a. raises money and recruits new voters. b. stages annual conventions. c. writes the party's platform. d. works to unseat incumbents from the other party in House and Senate races.

a. raises money and recruits new voters.

Question 12 Who is the leader of a party's national committee? a. the national chairperson b. the President c. the Senate minority leader d. the Senate majority leader

a. the national chairperson

Question 1 Which is a person part of when he or she volunteers to help with a presidential campaign? a. the party organization b. the party in government c. the party in the electorate d. the party platform

a. the party organization

Question 39 Why did a two-party system emerge in the United States even though the Framers of the Constitution were opposed to political parties? a. George Washington preferred two parties over many parties. b. The Constitutional ratification process produced two parties. c. Loyalists and patriots became two parties after the Revolutionary War. d. Congress created political parties..

b. The Constitutional ratification process produced two parties.

Question 16 Which is a true statement about political parties in the United States? a. Political parties are described in the Bill of Rights. b. The Framers did not want political parties. c. Throughout its history, the U.S. has been controlled by one party. d. The two-party system began only in recent times.

b. The Framers did not want political parties.

Question 7 A new party is formed whose main concern is the environment. What kind of party would this be? a. an ideological party b. a single-issue party c. an economic protest party d. a splinter party

b. a single-issue party

Question 48 One function of political parties is to ensure the good performance of their candidates and elected officeholders. This function is called the a. nominating function b. bonding agent function c. governing function

b. bonding agent function

Question 48 One function of political parties is to ensure the good performance of their candidates and elected officeholders. This function is called the a. nominating function b. bonding agent function c. governing function d. watchdog function

b. bonding agent function

Question 15 One function of a political party is to make sure that its candidates are well qualified and of good character. What is this called? a. the governing function b. the watchdog function c. the bonding agent function d. the nominating function

c. the bonding agent function

Question 14 The party out of power criticizes the policies and behaviors of the party in power. What is this called? a. the bonding agent function b. the nominating function c. the watchdog function d. the governing function

c. the watchdog function

Question 22 What is true about splinter parties? a. They seldom win many votes, though they tend to be long-lived.-- b. They lose support when the economy improves. c. They are unwilling to take clear-cut stands on difficult issues. d. They take away supporters from a major party.

d. They take away supporters from a major party.

Question 18 How do elected officials in a multiparty system get anything done when no single party has a majority? a. by taking turns being in charge b. by splitting the branches of government between the different parties c. by agreeing to have just two parties d. by forming coalitions

d. by forming coalitions

Question 41 A new party is formed whose primary concern is the environment. This party would be considered a(n) a. splinter party. b. economic protest party. c. ideological party. d. single-issue party.

d. single-issue party.

Question 47 When the party out of power criticizes the policies and behaviors of the party in power, it is performing a. the governing function. b. the nominating function. c. the bonding agent function. d. the watchdog function.

d. the watchdog function.

Question 58 What is the main job of congressional campaign committees? a. to stage national conventions b. to fund the campaigns of those seeking State and local offices-- c. to lobby members of Congress to adopt party policies d. to re-elect party incumbents and capture new seats

d. to re-elect party incumbents and capture new seats

Question 26 What is an important purpose of a major party's national convention? a. to select the party's candidates for Congress b. to determine policy stands for all party candidates c. to draw attention away from the opposing party's activities d. to select the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates

d. to select the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates

Question 38 Multiparty systems a. are typical of countries where voters share a broad ideological consensus. b. tend to be more stable than two-party systems. c. are commonly found in countries run by a dictator. d. usually produce a broader, more diverse representation of the electorate.

d. usually produce a broader, more diverse representation of the electorate.

Question 44 Which of the following is most likely to be a unifying factor for a political party? a. having a member of the party in the White House b. State central committees c. the nominating process d. local party organizations

a. having a member of the party in the White House

Question 32 Which party has dominated the federal government in recent decades? a. neither of the major parties b. the Democratic Party c. the Republican Party d. a coalition of Democrats and Republicans

a. neither of the major parties

Question 31 The Federalists were the first American political party. What was their main political goal? a. to build a stronger central government b. to give more power to the states and to common people c. to create strong, independent states d. to make the United States into a world power

a. to build a stronger central government

Question 27 What is the main job of congressional campaign committees? a. to re-elect party officeholders and capture new seats b. to fund the campaigns of those seeking state offices c. to stage national conventions d. to lobby members of Congress to adopt party policies

a. to re-elect party officeholders and capture new seats

Question 28 What does the national committee of each party do between presidential elections? a. It proposes new legislation to Congress. b. It raises money and recruits new voters. c. It writes the party's platform. d. It stages annual conventions.

b. It raises money and recruits new voters.

Question 55 What role does the President play in the organization of his or her party? a. The national party machinery makes the President's role relatively unimportant. b. The President's leadership generally makes his or her party more organized than the other major party. c. In addition to his other duties, the President directs the work of the party's headquarters in Washington. d. The President and his staff organize the national convention for his or her party.

b. The President's leadership generally makes his or her party more organized than the other major party.

Question 34 What is true about the major political parties? a. They seldom disagree on issues and candidates. b. They are not well organized. c. They both have a national director. d. They have a strong central structure.

b. They are not well organized.

Question 59 Party leaders pressure a member of their own party to resign because of ethics violations. This is an example of the a. governing function. b. bonding agent function. c. watchdog function. d. nominating function.

b. bonding agent function.

Question 20 About what main issue did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree? a. whether or not political parties should be allowed to exist b. how strong the central government should be c. how the President and members of Congress should be elected d. whether or not to replace the Articles of Confederation

b. how strong the central government should be

Question 63 Minor parties most often demonstrate their influence by a. splitting the major parties. b. influencing the major parties' platforms. c. winning the presidency. d. forcing the major parties to form coalitions with them.

b. influencing the major parties' platforms.

Which of the following is an example of an ideological party? a. the Free Soil Party b. the Socialist Party c. the Greenback Party d. the Bull Moose Party

b. the Socialist Party

Question 57 What is the main purpose of a major party's national convention? a. to select the party's candidates for Congress b. to select the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates c. to draw attention away from the opposing party's activities d. to determine policy stands for all party candidates

b. to select the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates

Question 33 The Free Soil Party was primarily concerned about the spread of slavery. What kind of party was the Free Soil Party? a. a splinter party b. an ideological party c. a single-issue party d. an economic protest party

c. a single-issue party

Question 62 Which party has dominated the Federal Government in recent decades? a. the Democratic Party b. the Republican Party c. neither of the major parties d. a coalition of Democrats and Republicans

c. neither of the major parties

Question 60 Which party system exists in a nation ruled by a dictatorship? a. modified one-party system b. multiparty system--- c. one-party system d. two-party system

c. one-party system

Question 46 At the State and local levels, party structure is largely determined by a. customs adopted by the party over time. b. the governor of each State. c. federal law. d. State law.

d. State law.

Question 50 On what main issue did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree? a. The Articles of Confederation should be replaced. b. Political parties should be allowed to exist. c. The President and members of Congress should be elected. d. The National Government should be strong.

d. The National Government should be strong.

In general, party dominance has switched from one party to another a. when a splinter party has split the party in power. b. whenever a new party has emerged. c. when a President has died in office. d. during times of economic or political crisis.

d. during times of economic or political crisis.

Question 11 What is a reason that the two major political parties do not have a strong central structure? a. international influences b. the Constitution c. poor leadership skills d. federalism

d. federalism

Question 56 Which of the following is a contributor to the decentralized nature of the two major political parties? a. international influences b. poor leadership skills c. the Constitution d. federalism

d. federalism

Question 37 What one function most clearly sets parties apart from other groups in the political process? a. informing and activating supporters b. acting as a watchdog c. governing d. nominating candidates

d. nominating candidates

Question 30 Which party system is most common in a typical dictatorship? a. two-party system b. bipartisan system c. multiparty system d. one-party system

d. one-party system

Question 36 When a person volunteers to help with a presidential campaign, he or she is part of the a. party in government. b. party in the electorate. c. party platform. d. party organization.

d. party organization.

Question 29 What is a political party? a. a large gathering of people who enjoy discussing politics b. a set of political beliefs established by the Constitution c. elected officials who seek to soften the party's message d. people with shared ideas who seek to control the government

d. people with shared ideas who seek to control the government

When George Washington left office in 1796, he did not approve of the political parties that had just begun to form. Based on this quote, why was Washington concerned about political parties? Were his concerns justified? Why or why not?

...

Question 4 Which is true about the multiparty system? a. It tends to push parties into forming a coalition government. b. It is commonly found in countries run by a dictator. c. It has broad support among voters in the United States. d. It tends to make a more stable government than a two-party system.

a. It tends to push parties into forming a coalition government.

Question 5 What helped a two-party political system to develop? a. The battle over the Constitution gave rise to two political parties. b. A two-party system was required by law in most states. c. George Washington preferred two parties over many parties. d. A two-party system was encouraged by the Constitution.

a. The battle over the Constitution gave rise to two political parties.

Question 10 What is likely to happen when minor parties are successful? a. Their ideas are adopted by one of the major parties. b. They are more willing to compromise. c. They are able to elect their candidates to national offices. d. They become major parties.

a. Their ideas are adopted by one of the major parties.

Question 43 When minor parties are successful at gaining support for their proposals, what is most likely to happen? a. Their platforms are adopted by one of the major parties. b. They are more willing to compromise. c. They are able to elect their candidates to national offices. d. They become so popular that they evolve into major parties.

a. Their platforms are adopted by one of the major parties.

Question 23 What is one advantage minor parties have over the major parties? a. They can take clear-cut stands on controversial issues. b. They have a better chance of winning elections. c. They can usually raise much more money for their campaigns. d. They are better able to please more moderate voters.

a. They can take clear-cut stands on controversial issues.

Question 8 Which of the following is an example of an ideological party? a. the Socialist Party b. the Greenback Party c. the Free Soil Party d. the Progressive Party

a. the Socialist Party

Question 35 Theodore Roosevelt was once a Republican but broke away to start his own minor party for the presidential election of 1912. His party was called the Bull Moose, or Progressive, Party. The Bull Moose Party is considered to be what kind of party? a. a single-issue party b. a splinter party c. an ideological party d. an economic protest party

b. a splinter party

Question 3 Which is a reason the United States has a two-party system? a. because it is required by the Constitution b. because of single-member district elections c. because the Framers designed a two-party system d. because the major parties cannot form a coalition

b. because of single-member district elections

Question 17 Why do Democrats and Republicans take similar stands on many issues? a. because of the way the two-party system got started b. because the American people share many ideals and beliefs c. because there are so few cultures in the United States d. because of the lack of minor parties in American politics

b. because the American people share many ideals and beliefs

Question 13 What is the main purpose of a political party? a. to come up with new ways of organizing government b. to control government by winning elections c. to raise campaign funds d. to ask the government to make changes

b. to control government by winning elections

Question 6 What important change did Andrew Jackson's administration bring? a. expansion of the Federalists-- b. voting rights for white males c. the end of the spoils system d. expansion of the Republicans

b. voting rights for white males

Question 49 Which of the following is a true statement about the beginnings of political parties in the United States? a. The Framers knew parties would form and defined them in the Constitution. b. George Washington founded the first political party. c. The Framers wished to avoid the formation of political parties. d. Thomas Jefferson thought political parties were divisive and warned against them.

c. The Framers wished to avoid the formation of political parties.

Question 54 What is one advantage minor parties have over the major parties? a. They are usually able to raise considerably more money. b. They have a better chance of winning elections. c. They can take clear-cut stands on controversial issues. d. They are able to please more moderate voters.

c. They can take clear-cut stands on controversial issues.

Question 53 What usually happens to single-issue parties? a. They evolve into major parties. b. They choose new issues to fight for as old ones become less relevant. c. They fade into history as their one issue loses relevance. d. They win just a few elections before losing their power.

c. They fade into history as their one issue loses relevance.

Question 21 In general, when has control of the government switched from one party to another? a. when new ideas split the party in power b. whenever a new party became popular c. during an economic or political crisis d. when a President has died in office

c. during an economic or political crisis

Question 25 Which of the following is most likely to bring together a political party? a. local party organizations b. state central committees c. having a member of the party in the White House d. the nominating process

c. having a member of the party in the White House

Question 61 What was the main political goal of the Federalist party? a. to ensure equality for every person living in the United States b. to give more power to the States and to common people c. to build a stronger National Government d. to make the United States into a world power

c. to build a stronger National Government