Chapter 5 Worksheet

What is a minor or third party? Give an example.

A minor party id one of the many political parties without wide voter support in this country. An example of this is Earl Dodge, the candidate for the Prohibition party.

Explain the difference between a majority and a plurality.

A plurality is the largest number of votes cast for the office while the majority refers to more votes than the opposing party.

What is a political party? What are the two major parties in America?

A political party is a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office. The two major political parties in America are the Republican and Democrat parties.

What were the names of American's first two political parties? Why did they form? Give three characteristics of each party.

America's first two political parties were the federalists and anti-federalists. They formed because the conflicts of the time were not fixed by the Constitution. The federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton, represented the wealthy, and held a loose interpretation of the Constitution. The anti-federalists were run by Thomas Jefferson, represented the common man, and favored a strict representation of the Constitution.

(Interpreting Political Cartoons) Irony is saying the opposite of what one means. What is the irony of the caption in this cartoon?

Both parties want to help the economy, but are ultimately hurting it.

What are words and precincts? Describe how wards and precincts are part of the local party organization.

On the map, cities are divided into sections, called wards, for voting. These wards are divided even further into precincts.

Critical Thinking Picture on page 123

Silencing other political points of view could be a disadvantage for government because it could go against the ideas of the public. If their ideas contradict, the less likely they could conform.

What are single-member districts? Explain how single-member districts discourage minor parties.

Single-member districts are contests in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot. They discourage minor parties because only one winner can come out of each contest, and voters only face two viable options.

List and briefly explain five threats to the two major parties.

Some threats to the two major parties include more voters considering themselves independent, an increase in split-ticket voting, reforms which have made the parties more open, changes in technology, and the growth of single-issue organizations.

What is split-ticket voting? How has its increase contributed to the weakened state of the major parties?

Split-ticket voting is when people vote for candidates of different parties or different offices at the same election. This contributes to the weakness of major parties, as it detracts votes from their ballot.

Interpreting Tables on page 135

The American Independent party played a spoiler role by detracting the most votes away from the major parties.

Briefly explain the four major eras of the American party system.

The Era of the Democrats dominated all but two elections from 1800-1860, as the Republican party did not exist until 1854. For the rest of the 1800, the Democrats were disabled due to the Civil War. This led the Republicans to gain power from 1860-1932. However, after the Depression in 1932, the public wanted a change of ideas, therefore giving way to another era of Democrats (1932-1968). Finally from 1968 to the present, neither party has consistently held the presidency.

(IPC) What is the attitude of the cartoonist toward the economic policies of the Republicans and the Democrats?

The artist portrays the Democratic and Republican ideas as contradicting, since they are pulling the economy in two different directions.

Interpreting Political Cartoons on page 121

The cartoon implies that candidates would rather say what the people want them to say, rather than stay loyal to their party's ideals.

(IPC) Identifying Assumptions: Explain the assumption the cartoonist holds about the state of the U.S. economy.

The cartoonist assumes the economy is in a state of disrepair, and the political parties are not doing anything to help fix it.

What is the electorate?

The electorate are the people able to vote.

List and briefly explain four types of minor parties. Give an example of each.

The four types of minor parties are Ideological, Single-Issue, Economic Protest, and Splinter. The Ideological party is based on a particular set of beliefs (such as the Libertarian party). The Single-Issue parties focus on only one public policy matter (Green party). The economic protest parties are rooted in periods of economic discontent (the Tea Party). The Splinter parties are parties that splinter away from a major party (Reform party).

In what ways is American government conducted on the basis of partisanship?

The government is based on partisanship because most appointments to executive offices are made with an eye to party consideration. Political parties provide the channels through which the executive and legislative branches are able to work together.

List and briefly explain five functions of political parties.

The major function of a political party is to nominate candidates for public office. Parties inform the people, and activate their interest and participation in public affairs. In politics, a political party acts as a "bonding agent" to ensure the good preformace of its candidates and office holders. The party also prompt sits successful candidates to preform well in office. Political parties are a vital link between he people and their government.

Interpreting Tables on page 124

The minor party with the most specific platform is the America First Party.

Explain the function the party out of power serves in American government.

The party out of power criticizes the policies and behavior of the party in power. It plays the important role of being opposed to the party in power, but loyal to the people and the nation.

Briefly explain three important impacts of minor parties.

The spoiler role of a minor party refers to detracting votes away from the major parties. The critic role refers to taking a stand in controversial issues, and bringing attention to them. The innovator role includes attention to important issues, and proposing innovative solutions.

Partisanship

The strong support of their party and its policy stands.

What are the four main elements of major party organization at the national level?

The three main components of a party are the organization (those who run the party), the party in the electorate (those who vote for the party), and the party in the government (those who hold office in government).

Briefly explain four reasons why the U.S. has a two-party system.

The very fact that the nation began with a two party system has been the leading reason for the retention of a two-party system. Several features of the American electoral system tend to promote the existence of the two major parties, such as the prevalence of single-member districts.

Interpreting Charts on page 133

a) A Splinter party is the most closely related to a major party. b) The Economic protest party seems the most united because the people share a belief to strive for better times.

Interpreting Graphs on page 134

a) The Bull Moose party came in second. b) The minor parties detracted votes away from the otherwise popular major parties.

Interpreting Graphs on page 142

a) The Democratic party shows the biggest gain between 1964 and 2004. b) The Republican party lost the most support during this time.

Currently, which is the party in power in your state? Nation?

(as of 2015) Democrat

What are the major causes of the decentralized nature of political parties?

Decentralization in political parties is a result of the party out of power lacking a strong leader, the federal system distributing power too widely, and pitting parties against each other in the nominating process.

Name and briefly explain four factors that tend to influence party choice.

Family, economic status, age, and occupation tend to influence a voter's preference due to wide exposure to many ideas. Depending on who you grew up with and work around, their ideals could potentially sway your political views.

Interpreting Political Cartoon on page 141

I agree with the cartoon because although the parties claim to have different ideals, they must ultimately do what is best for the country, even if it means going against their party's beliefs.

(IPC) What will be the consequence of the actions of both parties?

If this happens, no work will get done to improve the country's economic standing.

What is an incumbent? Give an example of an incumbent politician.

Incumbent refers to the person currently holding office. Obama is an example of this.

Explain the difference between multiparty and one-party systems. Give examples where each is common. Why do some people favor a multiparty system for the U.S.?

Multiparty systems allow for broader representation of the people, whereas the one party system more closely resembles a dictatorship. In the U.S., a multiparty system is more common, and in Stalinist Russia there is a one-party system. People in the U.S. favor a multiparty system because it is more responsive to the people's ideas, and gives more choices at the polls.

In what ways do political parties tend to unify rather than divide the American people?

Political parties modify and encourage compromise among the contending views of different interests and groups to help unify the American people.