Chapter 8

Question 1

Party polarization

Answer 1

The growing gap between the stands of the parties on policy issues. On the negative side, polarization makes compromise more difficult, whereas on the positive side, clear differences between the parties make politics easier to understand for voters.

Question 2

Political party

Answer 2

In the words of economist Anthony Downs, a “team of [people seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.”

Question 3

Linkage institutions

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Rational choice theory

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Party identification

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Ticket splitting

Answer 6

Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices.

Question 7

Closed primaries

Answer 7

Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty.

Question 8

Open primaries

Answer 8

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

Question 9

National convention

Answer 9

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

Question 10

National committee

Answer 10

One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. It is composed from the states and territories

Question 11

National chair person

Answer 11

The person responsible for running the ongoing activities of the national party organization

Question 12

Critical election

Answer 12

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party.

Question 13

Party realignment

Answer 13

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

Question 14

New deal coalition

Answer 14

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, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.

Question 15

Party dealignment

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Winner take all system

Answer 16

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the
candidates who come in first in their constituencies.

Question 17

Proportional representation us doesn’t have this

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Responsible party model

Answer 18

A view about how parties should work, held by some political scientists.
According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters and once in office, should carry out their campaign promises.

Question 19

Nomination

Answer 19

The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party. Generally, success in the nomination game requires momentum, money, and media attention.

Question 20

Campaign strategy

Answer 20

The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaigns.

Question 21

National party

Answer 21

The supreme power within each of the parties. The convention meets every four years to nominate the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates and to write the party’s platform.

Question 22

Superdelegates

Answer 22

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the democratic party’s national convention

Question 23

Single member district

Answer 23

A single-member district is an electoral district from which a single legislator is chosen, usually by a plurality vote. This system of representation is used in the U.S. House of Representatives and in most state legislatures.

Question 24

Invisible primary

Answer 24

The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.

Question 25

Caucus

Answer 25

A system for selecting convention delegates used in about a dozen states in which voters must attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference.

Question 26

Presidential primaries

Answer 26

Elections in which a state’s voters go to the polls to express their preference for a party’s nominee for president.
The vast majority of delegates to the national party conventions are chosen this way.

Question 27

Front loading

Answer 27

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

Question 28

Pros and cons of caucus

Answer 28

STRENGTH-Forces electorate to choose more viable candidate

STRENGTH-Weakens special interests

WEAKNESS-Reduce democratic legtimacy

WEAKNESS-Favour candidates who only appear popular

Question 29

Party platform

Answer 29

A political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate’s strength. It is the best formal statement of a party’s beliefs.

Question 30

Campaign contributions

Answer 30

Donations that are made directly to a candidate or a party and that must be reported to the FEC. As of 2020, individuals were allowed to donate up to $2,800 per election to a candidate and up to $35,500 to a political party.

Question 31

Independent expenditures

Answer 31

Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate’s campaign.

Question 32

Federal election campaign act

Answer 32

A law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal Election Commission and provided for limits on and disclosure of campaign contributions.

Question 33

Federal election commission

Answer 33

A six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1974. The Federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws.

Question 34

Hard money

Answer 34

Money contributed directly to a specific candidate is known as hard money

Question 35

pac

Answer 35

Political action committee, organization offshoot of labor union or idealogicslly printed

Question 36

Campaign reform act

Answer 36

a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were senators Russ Feingold and John McCain

Question 37

Bucky v Valero

Answer 37

The Court upheld a system of voluntary government funding of campaigns, including limits on spending by candidates who choose to accept government subsidies. The Court struck down the system by which members of Congress directly appointed Federal Election Commission commissioners.

Valero won

Question 38

Soft money

Answer 38

Political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grassroots level or for generic party advertis-ing. For a time, such contributions were unlimited, until they were banned by the McCain-Feingold Act.