Chapter 16 Quiz Flashcards
Whenever political parties are mentioned, most Americans automatically think of __________ and ___________
Republicans and Democrats.
The history of the American one-party system dates to our earliest struggles as a nation. (T/F)
false, two-party
What produced two political camps—the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?
Partisan struggles and personality conflicts
The Republicans won seven of the ten presidential elections from _____ to _____.
1952 to 1988
Most elections held in the United States are single-member district elections. (T/F)
true
Single-member district elections are used in a ____________ system based on a candidate’s receiving a _______, or the largest number, of votes cast for an office.
winner-take-all; plurality
The two major parties come together in a bipartisan manner to shape laws that make it difficult for a third-party candidate to get on the ballot. (T/F)
true
bipartisan
a spirit of two-party cooperation
America’s diversity is mirrored in its ___ major parties.
two
This is why opposing candidates might sound quite similar on a number of issues…
they are trying to reach the same voters—those in the middle.
party platform
a formal statement of a party’s position on current issues
A party platform is drafted at a party’s national convention every four years and provides evidence of these distinctions. (T/F)
true
A 1980 survey of the Democratic National Committee revealed that ___ percent of its members described themselves as liberal
36%
What is one whose political view seeks to change the political, economic, and social status quo
liberal
On the other hand, ___ percent of the Republican National Committee members described themselves as conservative.
63%
What is one whose political view defends against major changes in the political, economic, and social institutions
Conservative
Party membership is a matter of formal obligation. (T/F)
false; personal identification
The single most influential factor in most people’s choice of a party or political philosophy is…
their family background
The two-party system provides more stability than a multiparty system. (T/F)
true
coalition
a temporary alliance of several groups
Coalitions are formed to make new friends. (T/F)
false, gain a majority
Having two parties provides an open forum for competing ideas, and that requires pliability to meet the demands of democratic government. (T/F)
true
Identify the characteristics of the two-party system.
diverse support, broad appeal, similarities between the parties on certain issues, different ideologies, party membership by personal identification, stability, and flexibility
How does the electoral system encourage a two-party system?
through single-member districts and election law
Why does a two-party system provide more stability than a multiparty system?
In multiparty systems, many factions divide the electorate, making it difficult for one party to win a majority. Coalitions between these parties do not always hold together.
Union victory in the ____ ____ ensured Republican success until well into the twentieth century.
civil war
the election of Democrat who snapped the Republican hold on the presidency and Congress.
Franklin Roosevelt
But since ____________ 1952 election, the Republicans have dominated the highest office.
Eisenhower’s
The Republican Party made history in ____ by winning control of the Senate and expanding its control of the House.
2002
The Jeffersonian victory in 1800 swept the ____________ out of power and began a long period of one-party domination.
Federalists
Andrew Jackson’s victory in 1828 produced several notable results for political parties…
- organized competition(voting)
- nomination process was expanded through the use of the convention
- patronage- the practice of giving jobs to friends and other supporters
- political campaign- an organized effort by a political party or candidate to attract voter support
delegates
party representatives
Before the advent of the convention, a party’s nominees were chosen by a homie. (T/F)
false; caucus
caucus
a small meeting of a party’s top leaders and legislators in Congress
demands for reform of the entire nominating process brought about another important change in party development—____________
the primary
a state election in which voters select the candidates who will run on each party’s ticket in the general election
primary
A ___________ ________ is a state-run election to select the party nominees for most local, state, and national offices.
nominating primary
In a _____________ __________, voters elect the state party’s delegates, who will go to their political party’s national convention to select the party’s candidate.
presidential primary
In this system, common in most European democracies, several major and many minor parties compete for public offices.
multiparty system
Each party is based on a specific interest, such as…
religious belief, political ideology, economic class, or section of the country
Multiparty systems require coalitions. (T/F)
true
Most of today’s dictatorships have a multiparty system of government in which many political parties are allowed. (T/F)
false, one-party system
What was possibly the single most influential factor in building party organization after 1828? Why was it so influential?
Patronage, or the spoils system; the spoils system gave a person greater incentive to get involved in a party and to encourage voter turnout for his candidate.
How have primaries weakened political parties?
by shifting the power focus from the party organization to the campaign organization and by making the party the servant and not the master of candidates and incumbents
The key point that distinguishes political parties from groups that are simply politically oriented is that political parties are organized to gain respect by winning elections. (T/F)
false; power
How long have the republicans and democrats been around?
two centuries
What word means to name?
nominate
How are party candidates chosen? (Hint: 3 processes)
convention, caucus, state primary
Strong devotion to a political party is…
partisanship
The behavior and policies of the party in power are watched carefully and reported on, so that party is more accountable to the people. What is this demonstrating?
watchdog
What is the chief benefit of having political parties?
avoids extremists and seeks to find common ground
________ parties are third parties that spring up around a single burning issue—often one that the major parties find too hot to handle.
Issue
Parties that rise from political and social ideas outside the mainstream are called _______________ parties.
idealogical
_________ parties are minor parties that split from major parties, generally over policy but sometimes over personality conflicts.
Splinter
_________ parties are minor parties that split from major parties, generally over policy but sometimes over personality conflicts.
Splinter
In the 1912 election, _____________ ______________ Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party, which splintered from the Republican Party, divided that party’s votes and delivered Democrat Woodrow Wilson an electoral landslide.
Theodore Roosevelt’s
Third parties draw attention to specific issues that major parties do not take a strong position on or simply ignore. (T/F)
true
What are the four causes for a third party to start?
issue, ideology, economic depression, splinter(disagreement)
Which constitutional amendments resulted from specific third-party issues?
the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments
A party’s effectiveness at any level often depends on the ____________ and ________________ of its membership
strength; motivation
The basic goal of the two major parties is to gain control of government by winning elective office. (T/F)
true
_____________ ______________ is an important party function that is essential to the electoral process.
Nominating candidates
The Republican National Committee (RNC) includes _________ state party chairmen.
several
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) includes _________ party chairmen.
many
In large cities, the districts are divided into _______ for the purpose of city council elections, then subdivided into precincts
wards
__________ are the smallest units of election districts and party administration.
Precincts
Identify the two major purposes of a party’s national convention.
to nominate the party’s candidates for president and vice president and to approve the party platform
What group manages national-party activities during the time between national conventions? Who is the nominal party leader during that time?
the national committee; the national chairman
What are three factors that contribute to the fragmented nature of political parties?
membership strength, federalism, and the nominating process
In the early twentieth century, reformers introduced the _________ to open up the nominating process to broader participation
primary
In _____, the violence and charges of corruption surrounding Democrat Hubert Humphrey’s nomination sparked widespread campaign reform.
1968
The reform movement has resulted in greater party involvement by ____________ ________ (groups formed around a particular issue or agenda).
interest groups
There has been a dramatic decrease in the number of independent voters. (T/F)
false; rise
voting for candidates of both parties for different offices
Ticket splitting
How did widespread protests at the 1968 party conventions spark campaign reform?
They led to an increase in the number of presidential primaries and an increased number of national delegates drawn from those primaries.
