Chapter 8: Political Parties
Which of the following is often a distinguishing characteristic of a party era?
A majority of voters identify with the party in power.
How is age related to party identification?
As people get older, they are more likely to identify with a political party.
Which factor often influences people's decision to identify as Independent?
Being Independent is considered socially desirable.
In 2016, the most frequent response to the American National Election Study's party identification question was __________.
Independent
Which of the following was a major consequence of the party realignment in the South?
It enabled Republicans to control Congress for many years between 1995 and 2020.
Which of the following is a key difference between multiparty systems of Europe and America's two-party system?
Multiparty systems are more fluid.
Why does proportional representation lead to multiparty systems?
Parties can win seats with a relatively small percentage of the vote.
How do the Republican and Democratic parties differ on the issue of immigration?
Republicans generally oppose the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, while Democrats support it.
How do the Republican and Democratic parties differ on the issue of same-sex marriage?
Republicans oppose the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, while Democrats support it.
Suppose Democratic, Republican, and Green Party candidates all run for the U.S. House of Representatives. In the general election, the Democrat earns 51 percent of the vote, the Republican earns 41 percent of the vote, and the Green Party candidate wins 8 percent of the vote. What is the outcome?
The Democrat wins.
Which of the following, if true, would violate the responsible party model?
The Democrats and Republicans take similar positions on trade policy.
How does the nature of the American party system limit the scope of government?
The lack of party discipline makes it difficult to pass major legislation.
Since the 1950s, what trend has occurred in party identification in the United States?
The percentage of Democrats has decreased.
Which statement best reflects research on presidential candidates' campaign promises?
They are more often kept than broken.
Why are third parties important in American politics?
They bring new groups into the electorate.
Why do party organizations favor closed primaries?
They enable parties to collect information about voters' party identification.
Which of the following is an advantage of open primaries?
They help to widen political participation.
What is required of political parties under the responsible party model?
They must have internal cohesion and discipline.
Which statement summarizes the relationship between congressional Democrats and the Obama administration?
They usually agreed with one another, but congressional Democrats disagreed with President Obama on some issues.
George Wallace's American Independent Party in 1968 was what type of political party?
a splinter party
The Democratic Party state chairperson is part of the party __________.
as an organization
Party platforms are best described as __________.
blueprints for specific actions
How can any individual become a member of a political party in the United States?
by claiming to be a member of a party
A diverse set of individuals and groups supporting a party is called its __________.
coalition
The __________ nature of American political parties makes it difficult for them to fulfill the terms of the responsible party model.
decentralized
The organization of American political parties is best described as __________.
decentralized and fragmented
The New Deal coalition counted on which of the following for substantial support?
labor unions
On the liberal-conservative spectrum, Independent voters are most likely to be __________.
moderate
One likely consequence of party dealignment is that __________.
parties are unable to govern effectively
A patronage job is awarded on the basis of __________.
politics
What most contributed to the decline of party machines?
reforms that placed jobs under the merit system
What issue led to the formation of the Republican Party?
slavery
The main role of state party organizations is usually to __________.
supplement candidates' own campaign organizations
Which presidential election could be classified as a critical election?
the election of 1896
One consequence of ticket splitting is that __________.
the minority party has a chance of winning at least some offices
A critic of the responsible party model would likely observe that __________.
the model is too simple to account for the diversity of American society
Which is the largest component of American political parties?
the party in the electorate
Party image consists of __________.
the voter's perception of what parties stand for
The Whig Party coalition was held together by what common goal?
to oppose Democratic policies
What is the primary role of linkage institutions?
to transmit inputs from the public to policymakers
Rational-choice theory assumes that a political party will select positions that are __________.
widely supported
Unlike interest groups, political parties seek to __________.
win elections
A major task of party delegates at the national convention is to __________.
write the party's platform