Chapter 8: Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns

Which two candidates for president lost in overwhelming landslide in part because they diverged too from the middle of the ideological spectrum?

-George McGovern -Barry Goldwater

What purpose does party competition serve in American politics?

1.It narrows down options for voters 2.It allows groups of voters to act in unison.

Which of the following statements about negative ads and negative campaigning are true?

1.Negative campaigning in presidential elections was used as long as when Thomas Jefferson ran for office 2.Abraham Lincoln was the target insulting comments about his appearance during election campaigns

Which of the following are true about grassroots parties?

1.They operate at the local level. 2.They are open to all citizens.

Which of the following statements sum up the various functions of political consultants?

1.advising on how to run a successful campaign 2. gathering voter opinions 3. production of promotional materials.

Even if a third party candidate fails to win an election, the candidate has still done which of the following to help the third party succeed?

1.drawn attention to an issue previously ignored by the two major candidates 2.encouraged the major parties to address issues introduced by the third party.

The rise of candidate centered campaigns has

1.increased the importance of money in political campaigns 2. made it easier for political newcomers to win high office.

Which of the following are roles that national political parties have?

1.to raise money for Congressional campaigns 2.to seek media coverage of party positions and activities 3.to raise money for presidential campaigns

State parties are involved with which of the following activities?

1.voter registration 2.election of U.S. senators

The clearest example of a party coalition are African Americans, ___ of whom vote for Democrats regularly.

80

Political party

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy

Which of the following voting blocs has moved heavily into the Democratic party since the 1960s?

Black Americans

Split tickets

Citizens vote for candidates from different party

The Civil War triggered a party realignment. What were two major parties following this realignment period?

Democratic party and Republican Party

Which two political parties were competitive during the first party system?

Democratic-Republicans and Federalists.

Since 1968 the Republican Party has been weaker at the national level than it was in the decades after the Great Depression.

False

Which president elected under his promise that he would do something about Great Depression?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The fact that more women than men vote for the Democratic Party is an example of what?

Gender Gap

A state that permits all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to vote in a primary election has what type of primary system?

Open.

The highlighting of candidates' attributes is called

Packaging

Organizations that nominate and seek to elect candidates to government office are known as

Political parties

Which of the following contributed to the decline of the old system of party organizations?

Primary elections

Which type of third party arises from a belief that partisan politics is a corrupting influence that needs to be changed?

Reform parties

Third parties formed to promote a stance on a particular issue are know as

Single-issue parties.

Which of the following led to the start of the political party realignment in the 1930s that worked to the benefit of the Democratic party?

The Great Depression

Which is a reason why some scholars think we have moved into a new party alignment?

The Republican Party has become stronger in the South and the Democratic Party has become stronger in the Northeast.

When a realignment in the electorate occurs, which of the following occurs?

The parties recognize themselves

In politics, what are linkage institutions?

They connect citizens with government.

America's plurality or winner take all system, of electing candidates works to the disadvantage of

Third parties

The US government functions as a ____________ system.

Two-party

Which of the following characteristics of political campaigns have undergone change?

focus of the campaign, length go the campaign, amount go money required

The national, state, and local organizations of the Republican and Democratic Parties are

relatively independent, that is each level does not have much control over the others.