Chapter 5,6,7 Test Flashcards
selecting candidates; the activity that sets political parties apart from other political groups
nominating
informing and activating supporters; inform people and activate their interests in public affairs; parties share this function with ______________ and __________ groups
media, interest
governing; helps _______ and executive branches work together; most appointments to executive branches are made on basis of ______, or allegiance to a political party
legislative; partisanship
____________; party that is ________________ criticizes the party that controls the government; the loyal opposition urges votes to _________
watchdog; out of power, throw the rascals out
all _________ can be defined as groups of persons who join together because they want to gain control of the government through winning elections
political parties
allegiance to a political party is known as __________
partisanship
in the united states, the major ____________ are the Democrats and the Republicans
parties
the party that controls the executive branch is known as
party in power
(true/false) the two major parties in the united states and election oriented rather than issue oriented
true
(true/false) most federal appointments to executive offices are made on a partisan basis
true
a political party is a group of persons who join together in order to
gain control of the government through the electoral process
broadly based parties like those in the united state tend to reduce and moderate
encouraging conflicting groups to agree to compromise solutions
5 roles/functions of political parties
- nominating candidates for public office
- inform/activate supporters
- establish issues and set goals for government
- to serve as watchdogs of the government/keep eye on other party
- provide day to day leadership in government
what is consensus
general agreement
what is pluralistic society
culture composed of many distinct subgroups
the two party system in america goes back to the
ratification of the constitution
the statement that “americans are an ideologically homogeneous people” refers to the fact that
americans share basic political ideals
multiparty systems tend to produce
political instability
which of the following groups would be most likely to support the democratic party
people whose parents supported the democratic party
in the 1996 presidential election, president bill clinton was the (in the 2012 election, barack obama was the same)
incumbent
which of the following was supported by the democratic-republicans
polices designed to help farmers and planters
what are the names of the two major political parties in the united states
democrats and republicans
the smaller political parties are usually called __________ parties
third (minor/independent) parties
people who don’t want to register as a member of a political party can register as
nonpartisan (independent)
name three things that activate party members do during a campaign to get votes for their candidate
- make phone calls
- knock on doors
- film videos for friends
- work to register voters
- drive people to polling parties
what are the 4 minor parties
- ideological parties
- single issue parties
- economic protest parties
- splinter parties
what are ideological parties and list an example
based on a particular set of beliefs - a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
examples: libertarian party
what are single issue parties and list an example
focus on only one public policy matter
examples: right to life party
what are economic protest parties and list 2 examples
they have proclaimed their disgust with the major parties and demanded better times, and have focused their anger on such real or imagined enemies as the monetary system, “wall street bankers,” the railroads, or foreign imports
examples: the populist party and tea party
what are splinter parties and list an example
those trial have split away from one of the major parties
examples: “bull moose” progressive party of 1912 (t. roosevelt)
what tends to happen to single issue parties
fade away into history, themes fail to attract voters
which type of minor party has been the longest lived
ideological parties
what useful functions have minor parties performed in american history
national conventions; draw attention to problems ignored by major parties
(single issue party, economic protest party, or splinter party) the “free choice” party is formed by people intent on legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes
single issue party
(single issue party, economic protest party, or splinter party) a group of democrats, dissatisfied with the party’s moderate nominee, decides to form a new “people’s rights” party to back their more liberal leader, henry j smith
splinter party
(single issue party, economic protest party, or splinter party) a group of angry midwestern farmers and laborers forms the “working people’s” party, calling for higher tariffs, higher farm subsidies, and congressional term limitations
economic protest party
(single issue party, economic protest party, or splinter party) the “socialist justice” party calls for a complete overhaul of the american political, economic, and legal systems
ideological party
(single issue party, economic protest party, or splinter party) the “equity” party works for an end to affirmative action programs
single issue party
libertarian party
ideological party
democratic party
major party
populist party
economic protest party
bull moose party
splinter party
prohibition party
single issue party
the free soil party, the “know nothing” party, and the right to life party are all examples of
single issue parties
which of the following is a TRUE statement about splinter parties
most of the important minor parties in the nation’s history have been splinter parties
unlike major parties, minor parties
take clear cut stands on controversial issues
what is a political party
a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office
what are major parties
includes republican and democratic party (since 1884)
what is party in power
the party that controls the executive branch of government - the presidency at the national level of the governorship at the state level
what is plurality
the largest number of votes cast for the office, election includes 2 or more people
what is bipartisan
two major parties find common ground and work together
what is pluralistic society
one consisting of several distinct cultures and groups
what is consensus
a general agreement among various groups - on fundamental matters
what is multiparty
a system in which several major and many lesser parties exit, seriously competing for, and actually win, public offices
what is an incumbent
current officeholder
what is an electorate
people eligible to vote
what are ideological parties
those based on a particular set of beliefs - a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
what are single issue parties
focus on only one public-policy matter
what are economic protest parties
have been rooted in periods of economic discontent
what are splinter parties
those that have split away from one of the major parties
what is party out of party
party that doesn’t control the executive branch
constitution 1789
white male property owners over 21
constitution 1850 (dropped religious and property qualifications)
almost all adult white males
constitution 1870 (15th amendment)
adult males including african males
constitution 1920 (19th amendment)
women given the right to vote
constitution 1971 (26th amendment)
include 18,19,20 year old meant and women
during the last 200 years, americans have broader the right to vote by eliminating barriers based on ________ belief, ____________ ownership, _____________ payment, race, and ______________
religious, property, tax, sex
the right to vote
franchise and suffrage
the potential voting population
electorate
(true/false) in the first decades after ratification of the constitution, some states denied voting rights to people based on their religious beliefs
true
(true/false) the 23rd amendment allowed residents of the district of columbia to vote in presidential elections
true
the fifth and latest expansion of the american electorate came in 1971 when suffrage was extended to
persons 18 and above
under the constitution, the power to set suffrage qualifications belongs to
the states
the voting rights act of 1965 was an effort to ensure voting rights for
african americans
who can vote today
eighteen, citizen, resident of state, and registered
groups of citizens who could vote in 1800
white men over 21 who owned property
what is an electorate
the body of persons entitled to vote in an election
what is ratified
to approve
what is poll tax
a fee paid to vote
14th amendment
white men who don’t own property
15th amendment
black men over 21
19th amendment
women
23rd amendment
residents of washington dc
26th amendment
18 to 20 year olds
what are the two reasons that states adopted residency requirements
- to prevent the importing of enough people to fix the outcome of an election
- to ensure that voters have time to inform themselves about candidates and issues
what is the oldest minimum age a state can set for voters
18
what kinds of information are voters usually asked to give when they register to vote
name, age, place of birth, present address, length of residence
why were literacy tests abolished
they were used to discriminate against people based on their race
in what region of the country was the poll tax once used? why was it abolished?
in the south; because it was used to discourage african americans from voting
what groups of persons are widely barred from voting
people in mental hospitals, those who are legally found to be mentally incompetent, and those conceited of serious crimes
__________ is the ability to read or write
literacy
_________ was a sum of money that had to be paid by the voter at the time he or she cast a ballot
poll tax
election officials are regularly supposed to _______ their ________ of the names of those who no longer meet voting requirements
purge, poll books
what is registration
procedure of voter identification
what is literacy
ability to read or write
what is transient
person who lives in a state for a short time
what are poll books
list of a precinct’s registered voters
what is purge
remove from a list of legal voters
no states allows ___ to vote
mentally incompetent persons
the youngest age at which qualified citizens are allowed to vote in primary elections is
17
voter registration laws have been criticized in recent years for
discouraging poor and uneducated persons from voting
literacy tests were banned by ____ because they were ____
congress; used to discriminate against african americans
the _______ was ratified in 1870. it states that no citizen can be denied suffrage on the basis of ____, color, or previous condition of ______
15th amendment, race, servitude
the _________ forbade discriminatory _________ requirements
civil rights act of 1964, registration or literacy
the ___________ attacked the use of the __ tax and _____ tests
voting rights act of 1965, poll, literacy
in 1975 the law was extended to cover states and counties in which more than 5% of the adult population belongs to the following groups
hispanics, asian americans, native americans, inactive americans
(true/false) today ballots must be printed in a second language in areas where language minorities make up more than 5% of the population
true
the law that made the 15th amendment a truly effective part of the constitution was the
voting rights act of 1965
the law that outlawed discrimination in job related matters and banned the discriminatory use of registration requirements was the
civil rights act of 1964
(true/false) about 75% of those eligible to vote did so in the 2000 presidential election
false
(true/false) the “time zone fallout” problem has to do with the fact that polls on the eastern seaboard often close before most people leave work in the evening
false
(true/false) independents are people who have strong party affiliation
false
(true/false) this process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions is known as political socialization
true
the largest of the following groups that cannot vote is
resident aliens
which of the following persons is most likely to vote
a 48 year old college professor in chicago
in the long term, ____ account(s) for how an individual votes most of the time, but in a given election, _____ may be more important
party identification, candidates and issues
what is registration
the process of officially filling out the paperwork and signing up to vote. (procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting)
what is purging (the voter registration records)
the removal of registered voters that are no longer eligible to vote, should happen every 2-4 years in order to remove those who have moved, died, or is convicted of a felony and sent to prison
what are poll books
the official lists of qualified voters in each precinct
what is off year election
the elections that take place in even numbered years between presidential when congressional elections take place (2014, 2018 off year)
what is political socialization
the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions
what is party identification
the loyalty of people to a particular political party (party identification is the single most significant predictor of how a person will vote)
what is straight ticket voting
the practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election
what is split ticket voting
the practice of voting for candidates of more than one party in an election (cross over voting)
what is an independent
a term regularly used to identify those people who have no party affiliation
what is political action committees (PACs)
the political arms of special interest groups
what are subsidies
grants of money from federal and/or state treasuries
what is soft money
money given to state and local party organizations for such “party building activities” as voter registration or party mailings and advertisements; money given to state and local organizations for voting related activities
what is hard money
money that is subject to reporting requirements and amount limits; campaign money that is subject to regulations by the FEC
the nominating process
narrows the field of possible candidates for an election
voters select government officials during the
general election
in a closed primary
generally only registered party members may vote (CA is a closed primary)
the election process is largely governed by
state law
congress has set the day for national elections as
the tuesday after the first monday in november in even numbered years
the place at which voters actually vote is a
polling place
an australian ballot
is printed at the public’s expense, lists the names of all candidates, and is given out only at the polls
which of the following is an example of soft money
money given to a major party for a television ad about the party’s goals
self announcement
a candidate files paperwork officially with the intent of running for office; candidate themselves or friend notifies the public
convention
elected delegates select party’s nominees
direct primary
party members vote for candidates from their party on a ballot that has both parties
closed primary
only declared parties members can only vote for candidates of their own party
open primary
qualified voters in/out of a party can vote
why is the nominating process particularly important in a two party system
narrows person’s choices from 17 to 1
(true/false) nomination means the naming of candidates who will seek office
true
(true/false) in a nonpartisan election, candidates are not identified by party
true
what is nomination
naming of candidates for office
what is caucus
like minded group that meets to select candidates for office
what is blanket primary
primary in which a voter may vote to nominate a candidate from either party
what is open primary
primary in which any qualified voter can take part
what is closed primary
primary in which a voter may vote only for those candidates within the party of which he or she is a member
write in candidates use the nominating process of
self announcement
the most recently developed method of selecting candidates for office is
the direct primary
national convention (term or when it takes place)
every 4th year in presidential election
national convention (role)
to nominate the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates, adoption of party s rules and the writing of its platform
national committee (role)
handles party’s affairs, staging party’s national convention, and prepares next national convention
national chairperson (term or when it takes place)
4 year term
congressional campaign (term and when it takes place)
2 year term
congressional campaign (role)
reelect incumbents, makes sure that seats given up by retiring party members remain in the party unseat incumbents of any party
the party out of power operates at a disadvantage because it has no leader comparable to
president
in recent years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of voters who identify themselves as
independents
what is ward
a unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members
what is precinct
smallest unit of election administration; voters in each report to 1 polling place
what is split ticket voting
voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election
(true/false) split ticket voting has increased in recent decades
true
(true/false) wards are the units into which states are divided for the election of congressional representatives
false
(true/false) in recent decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of voters who regard themselves as independents
true
the automatic leader of the party in power is the
president
between elections, the affairs of both major parties are handled by each party’s
national committee
Main Idea A
candidates spend a great deal of money on political campaigns
main idea A (2 examples)
- the presidential election eats up by far the largest share of campaign dollars
- television accounts for the largest share of spending, with other money spent on etc
main idea B
private donors come in many different shapes and sizes
main idea B (2 examples)
- non party groups, such as PACs and temporary fund raising groups
- temporary organizations formed for the specific campaign
main idea C
laws that the federal election commission (FEC) enforces cover four areas
main idea C (2 examples)
- limits on campaign contributions
- limits on campaign expenditures
main idea D (there are three major loopholes in campaign finance laws) (2 examples)
- soft money contributions can easily be filtered into presidential and congressional campaigns
- campaign money can be spent on issue ads that plug a candidates viewpoint without mentioning the candidates name
(true/false) by far the largest sum spent in political campaigns goes to buying television time
true
(true/false) neither corporations nor labor unions are allowed to make direct contributions to candidates for federal office
true
(true/false) soft money operates as a loophole in election laws because it is given to political parties rather than to political candidates
true
most of the money used in political campaigns comes from
large donations by private givers
political action committees (PACs) are
special interest groups that have a major stake in public policy
list 3 reasons why do many citizens choose not to exercise their right to vote
- citizens do not care
- they do not feel represented by any candidate or party
- citizens believe their vote doesn’t count
the right to vote is also known as
suffrage
4 voting requirements in california
- US citizen
- resident of california
- 18 years or older on election day
- not currently imprisoned or on parole or mentally incompetent
3 reasons why some groups were denied the right to vote
- had mental illness
- currently imprisoned
- on parole
voters should be well-___________ of the issues and candidates before the vote
informed
6 sources you could use to gather information to decide how you will vote
- internet (candidate’s website)
- social media
- speeches
- debates
- books
pick 2 sources and explain why you consider those sources reliable
I consider the speeches and candidate’s website 2 sources that are reliable. for one, the speeches serve as information coming directly from the candidate and their websites is a platform that informs people on what they stand for
national chairperson (role)
directs work of the party’s headquarters and its small staff in washington, strengthen party and its fortunes leader of national committee
