politics study guide

Which of the following are true of grassroots parties?

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

The party realignment in 1896 was in part caused by ______.

a banking crisis that led to a depression

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

coalition

______ incentives for joining an interest group include the satisfaction that you are participating in a worthy effort.

purposive

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

reform parties

Opposition to slavery gave rise to which party?

republican 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

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

straight ticket

Which of the following led to the political party realignment in the 1930s that benefited the Democratic Party?

the great depression

What is another name for the plurality system?

winner-take all system

What are the advantages enjoyed by a large interest group such as the AARP?

-It is well-financed, even though individual members' dues are low. -It can generate a large amount of mail to members of Congress. -It has a large staff that lobbies the federal government.

Which of the following describe most citizen's groups?

-they are open to anyone who agrees with the policy the group is advocating - they tend to focus on one issue, such as hun rights or the environment

Which of the following is an advantage that economic groups have over citizens' groups?

Economic groups can provide material benefits (such as jobs) to those who are part of the group.

In politics, what do linkage institutions do?

They connect citizens with government.

Countries with multiparty systems tend to have what kind of electoral system?

a proportional representation system

The interest-group system in the United States overrepresents ______.

business interests

Benefits that belong to everyone, not just the members of a group, are referred to as ______.

collective goods

Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?

giving money directly to candidates giving money directly to political parties

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

picked by a selected group of voters

In a proportional representation system, which of the following is true?

political parties win a number of seats in the legislature according the the percentage of the vote each party recieves

An interest group is an organization that ______.

seeks to influence government policy

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

single issue parties

Which of the following voting blocs migrated to the Republican Party during the 1980s and 1990s?

southern whites

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

third parties

True or false: The median voter theorem helps to explain why a party may lose an election when it veers too far from the middle of the ideological spectrum.

true

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

two party

Modern lobbyists primarily concentrate on providing lawmakers with ______.

arguments and evidence for their position

What group was most concerned about what Scammon and Wattenberg called the "social issue"?

conservative christians

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

the same parties are represented nationwide. candidates organize their own campaigns.

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

they viewed political parties with suspicion

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

Federalists Democratic-Republicans

In order to have the best chance to win in a two-party system, political parties have generally ______.

aligned themselves near the middle of the voting spectrum

Although party organizations still manage many tasks related to elections, the lead role in elections now lies with the_________

candidate

What has happened to the New England states since the 1980s?

they have shifted toward the democrats

Which of the following help interest groups participate more effectively in group politics?

contacts money skills

When a realignment in the electorate occurs, which of the following happens?

the parties reorganize themselves

Which type of interest group represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies?

trade association

Which of the following statements are true of young voters?

-Young voters who initially voted Democratic in presidential elections have remained loyal to the Democratic Party. -Voters under 30 have preferred the Democratic candidate for the past five presidential elections.

What three basic elements are usually involved in a party realignment?

-a shift in voters' partisan support in elections -an enduring change in the parties' policies and coalitions -unusually powerful and divisive issues

Which of the following are true of Hispanic voters in the United States? (Choose every correct answer.)

Hispanics tend to be liberal on economic issues and conservative on social issues. They lean heavily toward the Democratic Party, except for Cuban Americans.

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.

Whereas Jefferson's party had operated largely at the leadership level, Jackson sought a(n):

grassroots party

True or false: Those interest groups that are poorly organized run the risk of being ignored politically.

true

Which of the following groups are currently most likely part of the Democratic coalition?

union members 18-29 year olds african americans

Black Americans are an important part of the Democratic Party's coalition; nearly Blank______ percent of them regularly vote for Democrats.

90

Which is a reason that some scholars think we have moved into a new party alignment?

The Republican Party has become stronger in the South and the Democratic Party had become stronger in the Northeast

Political parties began to emerge in the United States

in spite of many of the founding fathers mistrust of them

What percentage of voters today cast a split ticket?

less than 20 percent

______ refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials.

lobbying

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

multiparty

When a political party makes a(n) ______ for an elected office, it selects a person to run as the party's candidate in the general election for that office.

nomination

_______ goods refer to benefits that are given directly to particular individuals as a result of belonging to an interest group.

private

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

republican party democratic party

How did the Democratic Party gain the confidence of the American people after winning the presidency in 1932?

through economic recovery programs

True or false: Rather than being the result of an abrupt shift in response to a single disruptive issue, the most recent party realignment was caused by gradual changes in response to several issues.

true