polysci chapter 8

Which statements about the current state of politics in the United States are true?

-Congress currently has far fewer moderate members than it did historically. -Most states and congressional districts are lopsidedly Democrat or Republican. -Voters who show up to primaries are disproportionately the party's most committed voters

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 powerful interest groups to donate money to candidates.

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 groups are currently most likely part of the Democratic coalition?

18-29 year olds African Americans union members

Since 1968 the Republican Party has been weaker at the national level than it was in the decades after the Great Depression.

F

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

F

True or false: The Internet has overtaken television as the principal medium of election politics.

F

Which of the following states have closed/partially closed primaries?

Nevada North Carolina Florida

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.

The strongest reform party in U.S. history was the

Progressive Party.

Which of the following voting blocs was largely notable for its migration to the Republican Party during the 1980s?

Southern whites

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.

T

Which of the following are true of grassroots parties?

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

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.

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.

How did many of the founders of the United States view political parties?

They viewed political parties with suspicion.

Current election laws in the United States favor ______.

a two-party system

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.

Which of the following best describes the voting electorate after the expansion of voting rights during the era of Jacksonian democracy?

all white males

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

black Americans

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

candidate

A state that prevents members of one political party from voting for another party's nominees has which type of primary?

closed

The most important minor parties in the 20th century have been ______ parties.

factional

Third parties that break off from one of the two dominant parties are known as ______.

factional parties

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

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

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

Political parties began to emerge in the United States ______.

in spite of many of the founding fathers' mistrust of them

The largest expenditure in presidential campaigns is for which of the following?

media

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

media producers campaign strategists pollsters

To date, the Internet has proven itself to be better than television as a medium for which of the following political actions?

mobilizing supporters fundraising

Although state parties do not work full time, they are ______ likely to have full-time employees than local parties.

more

A ______ political system is made up of at least three political parties.

multiparty

Local party organizations operate

only during campaign periods.

A(n) ______ primary is one in which any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, may vote.

open

The highlighting of candidates' attributes is called

packaging

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

party coalition.

Until the early 20th century, the major party's nominees for president were selected via which method?

picked by the party organization

Organizations that nominate and seek to elect candidates to government office are known as ______.

political parties

A reason political parties have emerged whenever democracy has been established is that ______.

political parties provide individuals a way to join together in order to exercise their collective influence

Which of the following ranks the amount of media coverage of candidates from highest to lowest?

presidential candidates, Senate candidates, House candidates

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

prospective

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

raising funds pursuing wealthy patrons

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

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

split ticket

Many voters cast a ______, where they only vote for candidates of one party.

straight ticket

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

the condition of the economy

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

the national chair

America's plurality, or winner-take-all, system of electing candidates works to the disadvantage of ______.

third parties

The Civil War triggered a party realignment. What were the two major parties following this realignment period?

Democratic Party Republican Party

Which of the following are roles that national political parties have?

to raise money for congressional campaigns to raise money for presidential campaigns to seek media coverage of party positions and activities

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

-Hard money is subject to legal limits. -Hard money is money given directly to a candidate. -Hard money can be spent as the recipient chooses. -Hard money is money political parties give to candidates.

What purpose does party competition serve in American politics?

It narrows down options for voters. It allows groups of voters to act in unison.

Which type of third party arises from a belief that partisan politics is a corrupting influence that needs to be changed?

reform parties

True or false: Today's candidates are more likely than before to owe their nomination to the efforts of their political party organization.

F: Today's candidates are less likely to owe their political party's nomination to the party. Instead, candidates more often win the nomination themselves, by taking their campaign directly to primary voters.