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