Chapter 9-10 Studying Flashcards
what are third parties also known as
minor parties
why was the republican party founded in 1854
to oppose slavery
true or false: members of congress are limited to two terms in the senate and three terms in the house of representatives
false
true or false: it is possible in the US for a candidate to run for office without having an opponent
true
why is the US considered as a two party system
we have two parties that dominate almost every election
duverger’s law
states that a two party system is necessary for a party to get a majority vote
what is a single issue party
a party whose whole existence is due to one political issue
what party wanted to abolish alcohol
prohibition party
ideological party
a party based around a set of ideas
what is more popular than a two party system
multi-party system
multi-party system
a system in which three or more parties regularly compete for power with a realistic chance of winning
what is an advantage of multi party systems
people exercise their choice mor honestly
what is a disadvantage of multi party systems
one party rarely gets a majority, causing more cooperation to be necessary (proportional representation)
what function essential to democracy do political parties serve
giving people a choice
why do the major parties not differ regarding all issues
they are not required to disagree regarding all issues and they often find common ground
national committee
the group that organizes a party’s national activity and sets up its national conventions
what is the major thing that occurs at national conventions
the nomination of the president and vice president
why are there different levels of party organization and what do they each do
major parties are too complex to only be managed at a national level. Lower levels help parties to better meet voter’s needs in specific areas. each coordinates for its level of party activity
how is campaigning different at the local government level
campaigning is more personal
how does someone join a political party
register
purpose of direct primary elections
to give people more of a choice in determining candidates for a position
how are propositions and initiatives related
propositions are when voters vote directly on a piece of legislation and initiatives start that process
how is a state’s number of electoral votes determined
by the population every 10 years/number of representatives in the House + number of Senators
what ways to political machines gain and hold power
graft, political favors, election fraud, voter intimidation
what states that you can register to vote while renewing or getting your drivers liscence
the voter registration act of 1993 or the motor voter act
what practice do we follow in the US to discourage or eliminate voter intimidation or fraud
secret ballot
how often are representatives in the House up for re-election or election
every two years
how often are senators up for election or re-election and how many of them
every two years, 1/3 of them
what amendment places a two term limit for the president and vice president
22nd
name two blue, red, and purple states
who was the most successful third party candidate (from texas in 1992)
Ross Perot
federalist party summary
alexander hamilton, strong national government, loose interpretation of constitution, “rule by the best people”
who founded the democratic-republican party
thomas jefferson
the whig party summary
split from democratic-republican party, henry clay, opposed andrew jackson
populist party summary
farmers and laborers, 8hr work day, direct election of senators
progressive party summary
bull moose, theodore roosevelt, child labor, women’s suffrage
national committee summary
1 per party, organize national convention, organize party’s platform
national convention summary
every 4 years, nomination of president and vice president, nominees chosen through primaries and caucuses, raise money, elect members to committees
state committees summary
50 per party, elect candidates to state office, consists of city, town, country committees
country committees
both parties have, largest unit within a state, depends on ward leader for grassroot level
most famous example of political machine
Tammany Hall in NYC
Graft
corruption where money is charged to get government positions
how do unaffiliated candidates get on the ballot
petition
where are returns taken to
state election boards
how long are senators terms
6 years
midterm elections
elections held between presidential election years
primary vs general election
choosing the candidate vs electing the president and vice president
how does the US compare to similar democracies (voter turnout)
middle ground
L or C: Liberatarian
C
L or C: Green
L
L or C: Constitution
C
L or C: Socialist
L
L or C: Reform
Centrist
L or C: No Labels
Centrist
What year did the Democrats and Republicans become the two major parties
1854
which third party wants to replace capitalism with worker owned factories
communist
