Chapter 9: Political Parties

Machines

strong party organizations in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century American cities. These machines were led by 'bosses' who controlled party nominations and patronage.

A party platform is

a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophy, principles, and positions on issues.

Platform

a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophy, principles, and positions on issues.

Two-party system

a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control.

In recent years, each of the two major parties have used ____________ as a critical resource in the process of searching for votes, contributions, and campaign help.

databases

Strong parties may provide an important link between government and

democratic participation

Since the 1930s, African Americans have identified as

democrats

Within the two major parties, ___________ are individuals who identify new ideas and programs that will expand their party's base of support.

policy entrepreneurs

When citizens go to the polls, _______________ often provide(s) a central cue for them to cast informed votes.

political parties

The assignment of individual members of Congress to committees and the selection of committee chairs is largely decided by

political parties in congress

Vigorous political parties ____________ voter turnout.

promote

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

proportional representation

Third parties are most successful under which of the following election systems?

proportional-representation

The nomination process is a party

selecting a single candidate to run for an elective office.

The contemporary American political system is defined by:

sharp partisan differences

One important reason for the United States' two-party system is

single member electoral districts

One important reason the United States has a two-party system is

single-member electoral districts.

In general, Democrats support

social programs and regulation of businesses.

Men in the United States are

somewhat more likely to support the republican party

Which of the following are critical in recruiting candidates for office and conducting voter registration drives?

state and local party organizations

Within the contemporary Congress, ______________ characterizes most voting.

strong partisanship

Divided government

the condition in American government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Party polarization

the division between the two major parties on most policy issues, with members of each party unified around their party's positions with little crossover.

After 36 years of dominating U.S. political life, the Republican Party lost power after ____________ began.

the Great Depression

Party organization

the formal structure of a political party, including its leadership, election committees, active members, and paid staff.

Minority party

the party that holds a minority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate.

Majority party

the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate.

Electoral realignment

the point in history when a new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the dominant political force; in the United States, this has tended to occur roughly every 30 years.

Which of the following is not an argument in favor of establishing a multiparty system in the United States?

No state has ever tried a multiparty system in the United States before

National convention

a national party political institution that nominates the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, establishes party rules, and writes and ratifies the party's platform.

Caucus (political)

a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters.

Most individuals who describe themselves as ________________ identify with the ___________ Party.

liberal; Democratic

Strong and often corrupt urban political party organizations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were called

machines

The original party system in the United States pitted the Federalists, supported by ____________ against the Jeffersonian Republicans, supported by ____________.

merchants; agrarian interests

Soft money

money contributed directly to political parties and other organizations for political activities that is not regulated by federal campaign spending laws; in 2002 federal law prohibited unregulated donations to national party committees.

Throughout its history, American politics has been dominated by

two major political parties

Which group is most likely to support the Republican Party?

the wealthy

The first party system was characterized by conflict between____ and the_____

Federalists; Jeffersonian Republicans

_______________ have always been central to the electoral process.

parties

Who selects the chairperson for the Republican and Democratic national committees?

the president if the party controls the White House, or the party committee if the party does not control the White House

Nomination

the process by which political parties select their candidates for election to public office.

Patronage

the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters.

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

upper-income Americans

Thinking Critically about the Role of Parties in a Democracy

1. Democracy depends on strong parties, which promote electoral competition and voter turnout and enable governance through their organizations in Congress. 2. The ties that parties have to the electorate are currently weak; the resulting "candidate-centered" politics has some negative consequences, including lower voter turnout, increased influence of interest groups, and a lack of effective decision making by elected leaders.

Parties and the Electorate

1. Individuals tend to form psychological ties with parties in "party identification." This identification often follows demographic, ideological, and regional lines. 2. The two major national parties do not draw equal support from members of every social stratum. A variety of group characteristics are associated with party identification, including race and ethnicity, gender, religion, class, ideology, region, and age.

Parties and Elections

1. Parties are important in the electoral process for recruiting and nominating candidates for office. 2. Though not so important today as in the past, parties also can make a big difference in convincing voters to vote. 3. Parties also help voters choose among candidates.

Party Organization

1. Party organizations exist at virtually every level of American government—usually taking the form of committees made up of active party members. 2. Although national party conventions no longer have the power to nominate presidential candidates, they are still important in determining the party's rules and platform. 3. The national committee and the congressional campaign committees play important roles in recruiting candidates and raising money.

What Are Political Parties?

1. Political parties are organizations that seek influence over government. Political parties as they are known today developed along with the expansion of suffrage, and actually took their shape from the electoral process. 2. In modern history, political parties have been the chief points of contact between governments and groups and forces in society. By organizing political parties, social forces attempt to gain some control over government policies and personnel. 3. Historically, parties originate through either internal or external mobilization by those seeking to win governmental power. Internal mobilization occurs when political conflicts break out and government officials and competing factions seek to mobilize popular support. External mobilization takes place when a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power. 4. Political parties, as coalitions of those with similar interests, are also important in making policy.

The Two-Party System in America

1. The United States has usually had a two-party system, meaning that only two parties have a serious chance to win national elections. 2. American third parties have always represented social and economic protests ignored by the other parties. 3. The United States has experienced five realigning eras, which occur when the established political elite weakens sufficiently to permit the creation of new coalitions of forces capable of capturing and holding the reins of government. 4. The structure of America's single-member districts and plurality voting limit the electoral prospects of third parties.

Parties and Government

1. The differences between the two parties reflect a general difference in philosophy but also an attempt to appeal to core constituencies. The policy agenda that party leaders adopt often reflect these differences. 2. Political parties help to organize Congress. Congressional leadership and the committee system are both products of the two-party system. 3. The president serves as an informal party head by seeking support from congressional members of the party and by supporting their bids for re-election.

A ______________ is a nonprofit independent group that receives and disburses funds to influence elections.

527 committee

Which of the following groups has the highest proportion of Democratic voters?

African Americans

Gender gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men.

Which of the following differentiates an interest group from a political party?

An interest group seeks to influence government on a narrow range of issues, whereas a party attempts to win elections.

Andrew Jackson was the founder of which political party?

Democratic

Currently, young people in America are most likely to support the _______________ Party.

Democratic

From the Civil War to the 1960s, the south was a stronghold for which political party?

Democratic

Jews are among the ____________ Party's most loyal constituent groups.

Democratic

Which political party was formed from a coalition of antislavery forces?

Republican

In contemporary American politics, solid support for the Republican Party comes from the

South and Mountain West.

Richard Nixon's ____________ strategy was aimed at attracting white southerners to the Republican Party.

Southern

The party that holds the majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives selects the

Speaker of the House.

A party caucus is

a closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters.

_______________ Americans are considerably more likely to affiliate with the Republican Party.

Upper-income

Party identification

an individual voter's psychological ties to one party or another.

Policy entrepreneur

an individual who identifies a problem as a political issue and brings a policy proposal into the political agenda.

Which of the following is the best description of a political party?

an organization that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office

In the early years of the Republic, political parties were seen as

factions that represented a threat to the social order of the country.

Presidents typically depend on their ___________ to get their policy proposals enacted in Congress

fellow partisans

_______________ represents a critical resource that the national party organizations provide to state and local party organizations.

financial resources

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

interest groups

Third parties are least likely to achieve electoral success in which types of elections?

national

The _____________ is the process by which a party selects a candidate to run for each elective office.

nomination

Which of the following is not accomplished at a party's national convention?

nomination of senate and house candidates

527 committees

nonprofit independent groups that receive and disburse funds to influence the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates. Named after Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which defines and grants tax-exempt status to nonprofit advocacy groups.

Political parties

organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices.

Women in the United States are

overwhelmingly committed to the Democratic Party.

Which of the following is critical for recruiting candidates for local, state, and national office?

parties

Third parties

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties.

Party activists

partisans who contribute time, energy, and effort to support their party and its candidates.

While all members of the U.S. House take part in the election of the Speaker of the House, the actual selection is made by the

party caucus that holds a majority of seats in the House.

____________ refers to how parties are organized, the balance of power between and within party coalitions, and the issues and policies around which party competition is organized.

party system

The power of political machines to make partisan appointments to government offices and to grant special favors to supporters is called

patronage

An election system that allocates to each political party representation in the legislature equal to its percentage of the total vote is called a ____________ system.

proportional representation election

Which of the following voters is most likely to support the Republican Party?

white male