Chapter 7 Test Political Parties, Participation, and Elections

Which famous American, in his farewell address, encouraged his fellow citizens to shun partisan politics?

George Washington

Which of the following statements about parties in Congress is FALSE?

Only members of the majority party are allowed to take part in the election of the Speaker of the House.

Which of the following statements about partisan identification in the United States is most accurate?

Party identification varies significantly by income, race, and gender.

True or false: Most electoral districts in the United States are multimember districts

false

True or false: The Electoral College cannot elect any candidate who has not also won the popular vote

false

True or False: Each major party's national committee is responsible for nominating its party's candidates for all federal offices

false.

Three types of factors ________________________________ influence the decisions of voters at the polls:

partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates

How many party systems has the United States had since 1789?

6

Members of the House of Representatives are selected by

single-member districts.

If George W. Bush won the plurality of votes in Texas during the 2000 election, and Texas had thirty representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes from Texas did Bush win?

32

By 2012, there were approximately____________ PACs in the United States

5,500

What percentage of American voters went online for election information or to discuss politics in 2008?

50%

______ committees are an important part of the American political system because they are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their activities with a political party

527s

_______ are nonprofit independent groups that receive and distribute funds to influence the nomination, election, and defeat of a candidate

527s

Which of the following is NOT covered by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?

Individual contributions to 501c(4) and 527 committees

The _______ gives citizens greater access to political information and, at least potentially, a greater role in politics than ever before

Internet

The first party system was characterized by conflict between the ______ and the ______.

Jeffersonian Republicans; Federalists

How big of a role does money play in American politics compared to other countries?

Much more

Throughout American history, which of the following was NOT a common restriction the government placed on voting rights?

Occupational requirement

Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called

PACs

When voting __________ often provide a central cue for citizens to cast informed votes.

Political Parties

Which group is best adapted to organizing the lower classes?

Political party

Smaller and weaker parties are most likely to have electoral success under which system of elections?

Proportional representation

From 1896 to 1932, the ____________ was the nation's majority party

Republican Party

Since the Eisenhower presidency,

Republicans have paid much more attention to party building than Democrats

Which of the following best indicated the downfall of the New Deal coalition?

Richard Nixon's election in 1968

What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?

Slavery

What factor is most significant in informing our understanding of voting in elections?

Socioeconomic status and attitudes about politics

Which of the following statements about voting rights is correct?

Some states have laws restricting the voting rights of persons convicted of felonies.

Which of the following statements concerning third parties is FALSE

The earliest third parties in the United States arose as a result of the Great Depression

Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of:

a state legislator.

In 2008, volunteering for a political campaign was:

a less common activity than contributing money

Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with:

a petition campaign

By using donor lists or magazine subscription lists, candidates are able to engage in

direct-mail solicitations

An individual's psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party:

identification

The biggest influence on an individual's vote choice is

partisan loyalty.

Historically, political parties have been most useful for the _____________ class to achieve political power.

poor and working

Vigorous political parties _______ voter turnout

promote

Third-party candidates are better off under what system of election?

proportional representation

Politicians attempt to "balance the ticket" with members of many important groups because:

voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background

Which of the following politicians has been recalled from office?

California Governor Gray Davis (2003)

Which of the following is a reason for the low U.S. voter registration rate?

Citizens are responsible for registering themselves; the government does not do it for them.

True or False: Online politics lowers the barriers for entry, making it easier for people to participate in ways that require less effort

True

True or false: Contemporary campaigns are capital intensive, rather than labor intensive.

True

True or false: PACs can make larger campaign contributions than individuals are legally allowed to make.

True

For most citizens, which of the following is the most common form of political participation?

Voting

According to the authors, who benefits from the American system of private funding of campaigns?

Wealthy interest groups

Which of the following affects voters' ability to make choices on the basis of issue or policy preferences

Whether candidates focus their campaigns on policy matters.

Which of the following statements about youth participation in the 2008 presidential election is true?

Youth turnout rose in 2008 and most young people voted for Barack Obama.

Between the Civil War and the 1960s, the _____ was a Democratic stronghold

south

527s and 501 C (4)s are groups that play a significant role in American politics because they

spent more than $1 billion in the 2008 campaign.

As compared to other democracies around the world, voter turnout in America is

substantially lower

What were the two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s?

the Democrats and the Whigs

The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office is protected by

the First Amendment right of free speech

Which of the following is not part of a country's party system?

the parties' social and institutional bases within the country

The "Era of Good Feelings" was:

the period of one-party politics from the collapse of the Federalist Party until the 1830s

What is the maximum amount of money an individual may contribute to any one candidate in any single election?

$2,300

How many times in American history has the presidential candidate who won the most popular votes not been selected by the Electoral College?

3

Approximately ____ of eligible voters turn out for midterm congressional elections

1/3

In 1964, the Republican Party presidential nominee, _______ espoused a number of ideas, such as less taxation and less government regulation of the economy, that became major themes for the modern Republican Party

Barry Goldwater

_______ are the hallmark of political participation in a democracy

Elections

The __________ is the last example of indirect voting in national elections

Electoral College

True or FALSE: No sitting politician has been recalled from office since the 1930s.

FALSE

True or false: Education is not a good predictor of who participates in politics

FALSE

True or False: Most national elections in the United States use a system of proportional representation.

False

The majority of PACs represent:

business and professional groups

Which group was NOT a part of the New Deal coalition?

business leaders

The United States began its tradition of the ______________ during the early eighteenth century

two-party system

An election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only of the party in which they are enrolled, is a

closed primary

Which of the following is not a key factor in indicating one's level of participation?

geographic region

In 2003, Californians voted out Governor Gray Davis. This election was unusual because

he lost in a rare recall effort

It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws will:

increase voter turnout among younger people

According to the authors, online participation is

increasing.

The Presidential Election Campaign Fund is made up of contributions from

individual taxpayers

Individuals with limited resources often depend on _________ to promote their interests and policy preferences

interest groups

The Constitution:

is almost completely silent on the rules regarding how political parties must go about selecting a candidate to run for any elective office

State ballot access laws, such as registration fees and petition requirements, have the effect of

reducing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office

During the 1980s, under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, which two groups did the Republican Party add to their coalition?

religious conservatives and working-class whites

The New Deal coalition was severely strained and ultimately broken apart by:

the Vietnam War and the issue of civil rights

The Federalist Party disappeared forever as a result of:

the War of 1812

Non electoral forms of participation usually require more:

time, money, and effort than voting.

Which of the following was NOT a date of an electoral realignment?

1994

Throughout its history, American politics has been dominated by

2 party system

True or False: Participation in elections has decreased significantly since 2000.

False

True or false: Between the Civil War and the 1960s, the South was a bastion of support for the Republican Party.

False

Joe walks into his voting station and the election judge asks him which party's ballot he would like to vote on today. Joe is in an

open primary state