Government Ch.8 Quiz

political parties in the United States originated partly as a political feud between

Hamilton and Jefferson

the main reason for the high cost of american political campaigns is the cost of

paying for television ads

a(n) _________ party is a minor party that bases its appeal on the claim that partisan politics is having a corrupting influence on government and policy

reform

the first american political parties emerged from the conflict between

small farmers and states' rights advocates, and those favoring commercial and wealthy interests

negative campaigning in presidential elections was first used in

the early years of the country

it is relatively rare for a party nominee to get less than _______ of the partisan vote in a presidential or a congressional race

80%

which of the following is an example of a single issue party

Greenback Party

What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer?

Republican

the issue of slavery gave birth to the ________ Party as a major political party

Republican

explain how party coalitions in the US reflect the nature of party competition. Does coalition formation tend to moderate or radicalize parties

The overriding goal of a major American political party is to gain control of government by getting its candidates elected to office, which means that political compromise is essential. The major parties must appeal to different groups that may disagree on some issues, a reasonable amount of compromise is therefore necessary. The parties must also appeal to many of the same groups. The result is, in most circumstances though not all, moderate form a political conflict in which the parties coalitions overlap substantially in terms of the groups that comprise them.

all of the following are characteristic of a party realignment except

a very close electoral result.

which of the following are key players in the modern campaign

a. pollsters b. media consultants c. fundraising specialists d. campaign consultants (all are correct)

Local Party Organizations

are still important, but their role in congressional statewide, or presidential campaigns is secondary to that of candidates

National party organizations can dictate the day-to-day decisions of

neither local nor state party organizations.

Negative television campaign ads

now constitute the largest share of political ads

If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that

one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support

which of the following is true of political campaigns and party politics in the United States

party organizations are less powerful than they used to be because of the rise in television advertising

the winner-take-all system is also known as the ______ system

plurality

The history of democratic government is virtually synonymous with the history of

political parties

which of the following was not part of the democratic party platform in the 2018 midterm elections

privatizing social security

At the state level the central committees

provide only general policy guidance for the state organizations.

________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party

retrospective voting

Regarding state party organizations, the day-to-day operation is usually the responsibility of the

state chairperson.

which of the following is an indication of strong party loyalty

straight-ticket voting

The most obvious sign of the party realignment of recent decades has been the strong tendency of

the South to vote Republican.

which of the following represents the greatest blow to the organizational strength of the US parties

the direct primary

Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to

their ability to adapt to changing circumstances

what does it mean when the text suggests the parties are "linkage institutions"

they connect citizens with government

why have the Democratic and Republican parties been so durable since the Civil War

when a major party starts losing votes to a minor one the party has to adjust its platform to bring voters back. this basically means that the major party will adjust its platform to attract more voters.

proportional representation systems encourage the formation of smaller parties by enabling parties to

win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections

which of the following was not part of the republican party platform in the 2018 midterm elections

cuts in military spending

in 20th century American history, the most important minor parties were ______ parties

factional

Andrew Jackson's contribution to the development of political parties was the

formation of a new type of grassroots party organization

which of the following groups is not typically a part of the democratic coalition

fundamentalist Christians

ticket splitting was most recently prominent during which decade

1970s

during the 20th century, American parties lost their exclusive control over

-nominations -campaign financing -candidate platforms -the staffing of government jobs (all are correct)

The election of ________ was a realigning election.

1932

television first appeared as a tool for campaign ads during the

1950s

what is meant by a party realignment

A party realignment occurs when many significant social groups alter their voting behavior and switch their allegiance from one political party to another. Party realignments have four basic elements: The existing political order is disrupted; voters shift their support in favor of one party; a major change in public policy occurs as a result of the stronger party; and there is an enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of that party.

which of the following groups is most closely aligned with the Democratic Party, voting more than 80% democratic in presidential elections

African Americans

A candidate for which minor party in 1912 managed to earn more votes than one of his major party opponents?

Bull Moose

________ was the only Republican elected president from 1932-1964.

Dwight Eisenhower

________ warned Americans of the "baneful effects" of factions (political parties) in his 1797 farewell address

George Washington

how do European parties differ from American parties

In Europe, where there are no primary elections, parties are stronger and have much tighter control over nominations, campaigns, candidate funding, and elections. American parties, due to federalism and a tradition of individualism, remain loose associations of local, state, and national organizations. European parties tend to divide along class lines, while America's two-party system requires each party to accommodate a wide range of interests in order to gain the voting plurality necessary to win elections. The European proportional representation system also results in the viability of smaller parties than can get representation in legislatures even with a small proportion of the vote.

Explain why the single-member district system of elections tends to promote a two-party system.

In a single-member district system, each constituency selects only one representative for an office on the basis of which candidate receives a plurality of the vote. This system promotes a two-party system in America. It discourages minor parties because it is, essentially, a winner-take-all contest. For example, if a minor party receives 20 percent of the vote in each congressional district, it would win no seats in Congress. Despite the fact that one in five voters voted for the minor party, the winning candidate in each district would be the major-party candidate with the larger proportion of the remaining 80 percent of the vote. In contrast, a system of proportional representation is not a winner-take-all contest. In European democracies, for example, seats in the legislature are allocated according to a party's share of the popular vote. This system encourages minor parties; if a minor party wins 20 percent of the vote by way of illustration, it receives 20 percent of the legislative seats. America's single-member district system disadvantages minor parties and, therefore, promotes a two-party system.

________, a Populist, won electoral votes in six states in the presidential election of 1892.

James B. Weaver

______ is associated with the Era of Good Feeling

James Monroe

describe the advantages and disadvantages of the United States shift to candidate-centered campaigns

One advantage is that they bring the flexibility and new blood to electoral politics. They also encourage national office holders to be more responsive to local interest for personal support. A disadvantage is that campaigns are heavily influenced by the contributions of special interest. Another disadvantage is that officeholders accountability to the public is reduced because an incumbent can always blame other office holders for policy problems

what was especially unusual about the era of good feeling

President Moore ran unopposed in 1820

_______ does not have a competitive multiparty system

The United States

The most recent party realignment had a realigning election in

The most recent party realignment had no single realigning election

James Carville and Roger Ailes are both examples of

campaign strategists who have earned legendary reputations.

prospective voting is characterized by

choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected

which of the following is an accurate representation of the public's opinion about leaders and their accountability

most citizens have a low opinion of Congress as a whole but say they have confidence in their local representative in Congress

About 95% of all political activists in the United States work at

the Local level

the major reason for the persistence of the american two-party system is

the existence of single-member election districts.

Some analysts predict that soon the most important medium of election politics will be

the internet