Chapter 5 Government
During which period(s) of American history has the democratic party dominated the Federal Government?
1800-1860 and 1932-1968
Which is NOT a basic element of a major party?
Activists who protest the party's stand om issues
The statement that "Americans are an ideologically homogeneous people" refers to the fact that
Americans share basic political ideals
From 1800 to 1860, American government was dominated by which party?
Democratic
TorF: Once its candidates are elected, a political party has no interest in whether they perform well in office.
False
TorF: One of the most important functions of the party in power is the "watchdog" functions.
False
TorF: The adoption of the direct primary in the early 1900's strengthened party unity.
False
TorF: Wards are the units into which States are divided for the election of congressional representatives.
False
The automatic leader of the party in power is the
President
Which of the following groups was NOT part of the coalition that backed the post-Civil War Republican party?
Southerners
TorF: In recent decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of voters who regard themselves as independents.
True
TorF: Most federal appointments to executive offices are made on a partisan basis.
True
TorF: PAC's have made candidates less dependent on party organizations.
True
TorF: Split-ticket voting has increased in recent decades.
True
TorF: The function that most clearly sets political parties apart form other political groups operating in the United States is the nomination of candidates for elective office.
True
TorF: The two major parties in the Untied States are election-oriented rather than issue-oriented.
True
The party that developed in the opposition to the Jacksonian Democrats was the---.
Whig party
Consensus
a general agreement
Which of the following is a sign of weakened political parties?
a large number of independents
Which of the following statements about Federalists is TRUE?
a strong national government was of great concern to them
Coalition
a union of many persons of diverse interests
The function of informing the public and stimulating political debate is performed by
all of the above
The functions of the major parties in United States politics include
all of the above
The State party organizations
are generally independent of the national committee
Membership in either of the two major parties is
based on personal choice
Over time, the ideas first developed by minor parties---are by major parties.
borrowed
Minor parties have contributed MOST to United States politics by
causing major parties to adapt their ideas
the joining together of people with diverse interests for a common goal
coalition
The two-party system developed in the United States mainly because
conflicts about the Constitution created opposing viewpoints
a general agreement of various groups
consensus
Pluralistic society
culture composed of many distinct subgroups
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were the leaders of the---.
democratic-republican party
The fact that candidates for Congress do not need to win a majority of votes in order to win an election
discourages people from voting for minor-party candidates
Parties that want to express their disfavor with the current economy are known as---.
economic protest parties
populist party
economic protest party
The---expanded to include all white males during the Jacksonian era.
electorate
The---is made up of all the people who are eligible to vote in an election.
electorate
people who can vote in an election
electorate
A political party is a group of persons who join together in order to
ensure that nominees for public office are of good character
The function of the "loyal opposition" is to
ensure that the party platform is consistent with the party's principles
A one-party system
exists in nearly all dictatorships today
One-party system
for example, the "Solid South"
Although United States political parties focus on winning elections, most political parties also
have certain common principles they want adopted to government
An increasing number of Americans today
identify with neither political party
---, parties that hold a particular set of beliefs, have often supported Marxist thinking.
ideological parties
libertarian party
ideological party
In the 1996 presidential election, President Bill Clinton was the---.
incumbent
Single-member districts
institution that promotes continuation of the two-party system
A multiparty system
is composed of parties with special interests
The Republican party and the Democratic party are the two---in the United States.
major parties
the dominant political parties in the United States
major parties
democratic party
major party
The national chairperson of a major political party
manages the party's headquarters
Any party that has less support than one of the major political parties in the United States is a---.
minor party
Which of the following is a TRUE statement about splinter parties?
most of the important minor parties in the nation's history have been splinter parties
Between elections, the affairs of both major parties are handled by each party's
national committee
Unlike previous periods, during the period from 1968 to the present,
on party had controlled the presidency while the other has controlled Congress
The era of one-party domination that began in 1968 was different from past eras of one-party domination because
one party controlled Congress while the other controlled the presidency
The Era of Good Feeling was a period of---rule.
one-party
A---could more realistically be called a "no party" system.
one-party system
3 components of political parties
party as government, party as organization, and party as electorate.
Which of the following groups would be most likely to support the Democratic party?
people whose parents supported the Democratic party
consisting of several distinct cultures and groups
pluralistic society
the greatest number of votes cast for a single office
plurality
Which of the following was supported by the Democratic-Republicans?
policies designed to help farmers and planters
Multiparty systems tend to produce
political instability
A---is the smallest unit of election administration.
precinct
the smallest unit of election administration
precinct
The two-party system in America goes back to the
ratification of the Constitution
The critical election of 1896 was a---victory that signaled an end to divisive---conflicts.
republican, sectional
Most single-issue parties have been
short lived
The Free Soil party, the "Know Nothing" party, and the Right to Life party are all examples of
single-issue parties
types of parties that seek to affect one aspect of government policy
single-issue parties
---seek to cause a change on one public policy matter.
single-issue party
prohibition party
single-issue party
Contests in which only one candidate from the district is elected to each office on the ballot are known as---elections.
single-member district
parties that have broken off from a major party
splinter parties
bull moose party
splinter party
casting ballots for candidates from different parties for different offices in the same election
split-ticket voting
Unlike major parties, minor parties
take clear-cut stands on controversial issues
Minor parties are able to play a "spoiler role" in an election by
taking enough votes away from one of the two major parties to cost its candidate the election
Which factor does NOT add to the decentralization of both major parties?
the President in owner heads one of the major parties
Which of the following parts of the national party machinery works to reelect incumbents in the Senate and the House?
the campaign committees
The two main reasons that the major political parties are decentralized are
the divisiveness of the nominating process and the impact of federalism
That it is often difficult to distinguish the two United States political parties based on issues reflects
the idea that Americans are ideologically homogeneous
Under the system of separation of powers, political parties are usually the agents that prompt cooperation between
the legislative and executive branches
Which statement does NOT describe one type of minor party?
the members of a minor party support the platform of a major party
Which of the following is NOT one of the three main elements of the two major parties in terms of the roles of their members?
the party's media consultants
Party organizations have declined in recent years as a result of which of the following?
the use of television and direct-mail campaigns
The two major parties have members who take all of the following roles EXCEPT
those who regard themselves as independent
Which of the following is NOT a major function of either of the two parties in the United States?
to unite people who agree about public policy
Because the United States is a---, the only candidates who have reasonable chance of winning an election are either Republican or Democratic.
two-system party
Broadly based partied like those in the United Stats tend to reduce and moderate political conflict by
urging voters to "throw the rascals out"
People belong to a particular political party
voluntarily, because they made a personal choice
a part of a city divided for election of city council members
ward
Although ideological parties have not---, they have---.
won many elections, been long-lived
In the United States, a political party is made up of a group of people who
work to get candidates nominated to political offices