Political Parties

On average, how much money must a U.S. senator raise every week of his or her six-year term in order to acquire enough money to launch a competitive bid for reelection?

20,000

Which of the following groups is most closely aligned with the Democratic Party, voting more than 80 percent Democratic in presidential elections?

African Americans

American party organizations

are still important, but their role in campaigns is secondary to that of candidates

Prospective voting is characterized by

choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected

Organizationally, the U.S. major parties are

decentralized and fragmented

Andrew Jackson's contribution to the development of political parties was the

formation of a new type of grassroots party organization

During the twentieth century, American parties lost their complete control over

nominations financing platforms the staffing of government jobs

If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that

one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support

The winner-take-all system is also known as the ________ system

plurality

Which of the following are key players in the modern campaign?

pollsters media producers fundraising specialists campaign consultants

A(n) ________ party is a minor party that bases its appeal on the claim that the major parties are having a corrupting influence on government and policy

reform

The issue of slavery gave birth to the ________ party as a major political party

republican

What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer?

republican

________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party

retrospective voting

Which of the following is an indication of strong party loyalty?

straight ticket voting

Which of the following represents the greatest blow to the organizational strength of U.S. parties?

the direct primary

The major reason for the persistence of the American two-party system is

the existence of single-member election districts and plurality (first-past-the post) voting

About 95 percent of all political activists in the United States work at

the local level

Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to

their ability to adapt to changing circumstances

Proportional representation systems encourage the formation of smaller parties by enabling parties to

win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections