POL 101: Chapter 8: Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter's Choice: SmartBook

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.

In general, political parties are made up of a ______ constituency of supporters.

broad

Political parties began to emerge in the United States

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

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

more

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.

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.

Today, political candidates tend to

set up and run their own campaign organizations.

Third parties formed to promote a stance on a particular issue are known as

single-issue parties.

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

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

Black Americans

The most electorally successful factional party in U.S. history was the

Bull Moose Party.

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

False

Since the 1980s, which group has voted most strongly for the Republican Party?

Fundamentalist Christians

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

Picked by the party organization.

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

Populist Party

Which party benefited from the 1896 realignment, which was triggered by an economic depression following a banking crisis under President Grover Cleveland?

Republican Party

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

Southern Whites

How many major political parties are there in the United States today?

Two

When does a national party committee defer to the president to chose a national chair?

When the party controls the White House.

Which of the following sum up the various functions of political consultants?

* Advising on how to run a successful campaign. * Producation of promotional materials. * Gathering voter opinions.

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

* Democratic Party * Republican Party

Which two political parties were competitive during the first party system?

* Federalists * Democratic-Republicans

Which of the following statements about negative ads and negative campaigning are true?

* 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.

The rise of candidate-centered campaigns has

* made it easier for political newcomers to win high office. * increased the importance of money in political campaigns.

Which of the following statements about televised debates in presidential campaigns are true?

They are usually part of presidental campaigns.

What is the purpose of a primary election (direct primary)?

To enable voters to select their respective party's candidates for a general election.

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

political parties.

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

1. Presidential Candidates 2. Senate Candidates 3. House Candidates

The clearest example of a party coalition are African Americans, nearly ______ percent of whom regularly vote for Democrats.

90

What percentage of party activists work within local political party organizations?

95 Percent

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

Media

Which of the following contributed to the decline of the old system of party organizations?

Primary Elections

What is another name for the plurality system?

Winner-Take-All System

All party organizations have a responsibility to

build support among voters.

Because of the increasing cost of political campaigns,

candidates must constantly work to raise funds.

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

factional parties.

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

Local party organizations operate

only during campaign periods.

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

prospective

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

the condition of the economy.

The U.S. government functions as a(n) ______ system.

two-party

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

* Campaign Strategists * Media Producers * Pollsters

Which of the following are true of grassroots parties?

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

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

False

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

Reform Parties

To date, the Internet has proven itself to be better than television as a medium for

* fundraising. * mobilizing supporters.

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.

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

third parties.

Which of the following statements describe how U.S. campaigns are both party centered and candidate centered?

* Candidates organize their own campaigns. * The same parties are represented nationwide.

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.

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 activites.

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. * enouraged the major parties to address issues introduced by the third party.

Primaries in which candidates of both parties are on the same ballot and the top-two finishers compete in the general election are called ______ primaries.

top-two