ch. 8 Political Parties

Question 1

the Battle of the parties for control of public offices. Ups and downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American politics.

Answer 1

party competition

Question 2

Accoding to Anthony Downs, a “team of men [and woman] she cute to control the governing apparatus by getting office in a duly constituted election.”

Answer 2

political party

Question 3

the channels through which peoples concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions including elections, political parties, interest groups, and media.

Answer 3

linkage institutions

Question 4

the voters perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism and liberalism

Answer 4

party image

Question 5

a popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.

Answer 5

Rational-choice theory

Question 6

a citizen’s self proclaimed preference for one party or the other.

Answer 6

party identification

Question 7

voting with one party for one office with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior.

Answer 7

ticket splitting

Question 8

a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern

Answer 8

party machines

Question 9

one of the key inducement used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, a contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.

Answer 9

Patronage

Question 10

elections to select party nominees in which many people who have registered in advance with the party can go for that party’s candidate, that’s encouraging greater party loyalty.

Answer 10

closed primaries

Question 11

elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests.

Answer 11

open primaries

Question 12

elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates for all the parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and Republicans if they like

Answer 12

blanket primaries

Question 13

the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform.

Answer 13

National Convention

Question 14

one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The National Committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.

Answer 14

National Committee

Question 15

the National chairperson is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party and is usually handpicked by the presidential nominee.

Answer 15

National chairperson

Question 16

a group of individuals with a common interest upon which everything political party depends.

Answer 16

coalition

Question 17

historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections.

Answer 17

party eras

Question 18

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalition’s replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Critical election periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis aand may require more than one election to bring abouta new party era.

Answer 18

critical election

Question 19

the displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during the critical election period.

Answer 19

party realignment

Question 20

a coalition forged by the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, the southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.

Answer 20

New Deal coalition

Question 21

the gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.

Answer 21

party dealignment

Question 22

a term used to describe the fact that many Americans were indifferent with the two major political parties.

Answer 22

party neutrality

Question 23

electoral contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unusual, but they rarely win elections.

Answer 23

third parties

Question 24

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In American presidential elections, the system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state.

Answer 24

winner take all system

Question 25

an electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.

Answer 25

proportional representation

Question 26

when two or more parties join together to form a majority in the national legislature. This form of government is quite common in the multi-party system of Europe.

Answer 26

coalition government

Question 27

A view favored by some political scientists about how parties should work. According to the model, partys should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use those choices as cues to their own preferences of candidates. Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises.

Answer 27

responsible party model