Chapter 5-6 Test Flashcards
what function of political parties is this: the activity that sets political parties apart from other political groups
nominating canidates
what function of political parties is this: inform people and activate their interests in public affairs
informing and activating supporters
what function of political parties is this: tries to choose candidates who are both qualified and of good character
bonding agent
what function of political parties is this: helps legislative and executive branches work together
governing
what function of political parties is this: party that is out of power criticizes the party that controls the government
acting as watchdog
what are groups of persons who join together because they want to gain control of the government through winning elections?
parties
what is allegiance to a political party called?
partisanship
the Democrats and Republicans are what?
major parties
the party that controls the executive branch is known as the what?
party in power
how did historical basis contribute to the stability of the two-party system?
two-party system started with Federalists and Anti Federalists
how did tradition contribute to the stability of the two-party system?
there has always been a two-party system, no one has seen different
how did the electoral system contribute to the stability of the two-party system?
you can either vote for a candidate of the party holding office or the candidate’s best replacement
how did ideological consensus contribute to the stability of the two-party system?
most Americans have near the same beliefs
what does minor party?
without wide voter support
what does two-party system mean?
only republican and democrat have a chance
what does single member district mean?
contests in which only one is elected
what does plurality mean?
largest number of votes cast for office
what does plurastic society mean?
one consisting of several groups/cultures
what does consensus mean?
general agreement among different groups
what does multiparty mean?
lesser known parties compete and win
what does one-party system mean?
dictatorship
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the federalists?
1) strong before 1800
2) rich, educated persons
3) hamilton
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the Jeffersonian republicans?
1) 1800-1820s
2) common people
3) Jefferson, Madison
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the Jacksonian Democrats?
1) 1800-1860
2) small farmers, pioneers
3) Andrew Jackson
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the whigs?
1) 1829-1837
2) bankers, merchants, planters
3) clay, harrison, webster, taylor
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the republicans?
1) 1860-1932
2) african americans
3) lincoln, taft, t. roosevelt, mckinley
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the post-civil war democrats?
1) ?
2) south
3) bryan, wilson
what is the 1) period of dominance 2) supporters 3) leaders of the new deal democrats?
1) 1952-1968
2) south, small farmers
3) FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson
what was the major issues with the era of the democrats?
split into factions
what was the major issues with the era of the republicans
could only get 1 in the white house
what does incumbent mean?
current officeholder
what does faction mean?
conflicting groups
what does electorate mean?
people eligible to vote
what does sectionalism mean?
devotion to the interests of a particular region
what are ideological parties?
those based on a particular set of beliefs and having a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
what are some examples of ideological parties?
communists, socialists, socialist labors, socialist workers, and libetarians
what are single issue parties?
parties that focus on a single public policy issue
what are some examples of single issue parties?
american “know nothing” party, free soil, right-to-life party
what are economic protest parties?
parties that protest economic hard times, blaming perceived enemies and proclaiming disgust with major parties
what are some examples of economic protest parties?
greenbacks, populists
what are splinter parties?
parties that split away from one of the major parties
what are some examples of splinter parties?
progressive “bull moose” party, progressive parties (1924, 1948), american independent party, dixiecrat party
what tends to happen to single-issue parties?
they fade away, or their policies are adopted by one of the major parties
which type of minor party has been more successful at winning votes?
splinter parties
which type of minor party has been the longest lived?
ideological parties
what useful functions have minor parties performed in American history?
they have drawn attention to problems ignored by the major parties, and they ave played “spoiler roles” in close elections
what is a national convention?
every fourth year, the summer before presidential elections, nominates candidates for President and VP; adopts party rules and platform
what is a national committee?
between conventions, mainly prepares for the next national convention
what is a national chairperson?
for a 4 year term, leads a national committee, directs party headquarters, works to strengthen party
what is a congressional campaign?
two years during a term for Congress, works to reelect incumbents and to unseat the other party’s incumbents in each house
what does ward mean?
unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members
what does precinct mean?
the smallest unit of election administration; the voters in each precinct report to one polling place
what does split ticket voting mean?
voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election
who had the right to vote after the Constiution?
white male property owners
who had the right to vote after dropped religious & property qualifications?
white males
who had the right to vote after the 15th amendment?
black males
who had the right to vote after the 19th amendment?
women
who had the right to vote after the civil rights movement?
all black people (without poll taxes and literacy tests)
who had the right to vote after the 26th amendment?
all persons 18 and up
what does electorate mean?
the potential voting population
what does franchise/suffrage mean?
the right to vote
according to the constitution, can aliens vote?
yes
do any state governments today allow aliens to vote?
yes, except two can question natural born or alien
what are the two reasons that states adopted residency requirements?
1) to keep a political machine from importing enough outsiders to affect the outcome of local elections
2) to allow new voters at least some time to become familiar with the candidates and issues in an election
what is the longest period of residence that any State today requires before permitting new residents to vote?
some don’t require any time, about a forth require 30 days or less
what is the oldest minimum age a state can set for voters?
18
what kinds of information are voters usually asked to five when they register to vote?
name, age, place of birth, present address, length of residence, etc
why do some people argue that voter registration ought to be abolished?
they see qualification as a bar to voting, especially by poor and less educated
why do some people believe registration is important?
necessary defense against fraud
what were the three provisions of the Motor Voter Law?
1) allow all eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply for or renew a drivers license
2) provide for voter registration by mail
3) make registration forms available at the local offices of any social service agency
why were literacy tests abolished?
they were used unfairly in many places to prevent or discourage certain groups from voting, kept african americans from voting
in what region of the country was the poll tax once used?
south
why was the polltax abolished?
discouraged uneducated former african american slaves
what groups of persons were widely barred from voting?
african americans, uneducated
what does literacy mean?
the ability to read or write
what does poll tax mean?
a sum of money that had to be paid by the voter
what does registration mean?
a procedure for voter identification
when was the 15th amendment ratified?
1870
what did the civil rights act of 1957 set up?
US Civil Rights Commission
what does gerrymandering mean?
The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group.
what does injunction mean?
A court order that forces or limits the performance of some act by a private industrial or by a public official.
what does preclearance mean?
Mandated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the prior approval by the Justice Department of changes to or new election laws by certain States.
what type of election years have the highest voter turnout?
presidential election years
what is “ballot fatigue’?
voters lose their patience while going down a ballot
what is the largest group of “cannot-voters”?
resident aliens
why do some non voters choose not to vote?
they think their vote will not have an effect on the government
what is “time-zone-fallout”?
the news media predicts election winners when the polls in the East and Mideast close, resulting in lower voter turnout in the west where the polls are still open
what is the cheifreason nonvoters don’t vote?
lack of interest
what does off-year election mean?
Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years.
what does political efficacy mean?
One’s own influence or effectiveness on politics.
what does political socialization mean?
The process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions.
what does gender gap mean?
Measurable differences between the partisan choices of men and women today.
what does party identification mean?
Loyalty of people to a political party.
what does straight ticket voting mean?
The practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election.
what does split ticket voting mean?
Voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election.
what does independents mean?
A term used to describe people who have no party affiliation.
