Chapter 9 Flashcards
These are groups of people with similar interests who work together to create and implement policies
political parties
This important document stated that self-interested groups (or factions) were inevitable in any society, and that they should be contained so as to dissipate their effect
Federalist No. 10
Which of these is a reason for the prominence of the national organization as it relates to party politics?
More Americans are interested in the topics discussed at the national level than at the local and state levels
The growing divide in the American system of governance exhibited cultural dualism between the industrialist North and the agriculturally-based South. This was met with increasing tension and led to the rise of this party, also known as the Grand Old Party
Republican Party
This is a common problem of the majority/minority system in the American form of government in which one party controls one house of the legislature while the other party controls the other house. Additionally, one party may control both houses while the other party controls the presidency. What is this type of government?
Divided government
Which of these is a characteristic that scholars of voting behavior have suggested is likely to influence party outcomes?
a. The Electoral College
b. Demobilized ethnicity
c. Campaign and election laws
d. All of the above*
Third parties are those parties that attempt to draw votes from the two major parties as a reaction to what they consider to be domination of society by big business. While they typically receive little of the overall vote (such as the Green Party or Libertarian Party), one third party in particular was a force to be reckoned with. According to the text, the party that drew a substantial portion of the popular vote in an election year was which party?
Bull Moose Party, Progressive Party
The early Democratic Party could perhaps be considered one of the first populist parties in American Government. It focused on building direct relationships with voters rather than promoting specific issues. What is this sort of political maneuvering known as
personal politics
The procedure to call for a vote on an issue and thereby stop a hold is known as ______________, and requires 60 votes
Cloture
Oftentimes, the issues of the party system can be muted by ___________, otherwise known as cooperation through compromise
Bipartisanship
The American system of governance is dominated by a ___________ in which politics is dominated by two major political parties
Two-party system
After President Washington’s term of office, two factions emerged
The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans
Oftentimes, especially during primary season, political moderates tend to find themselves alone. Over the years, the parties have grown farther apart ideologically to the point where one must generally find themselves in one camp or the other, even if they don’t agree with every position. This is a consequence of the two-party system of governance and is known as ______________.
Party polarization
The American Second Party System began with the three-way election cycle of Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Clay. This Second Party System involved a split between a national party and revolved around what two new political parties?
Democrats and Whigs
Historically, over ________ of American voters have called themselves “Republican” or “Democrat” when asked how they identify themselves politically
1/2
Over time, the United States has become more socially ________________
liberal
This is the manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate
Gerrymandering
This simplified system of voting is found most commonly in the United States and requires the winner receive either the majority of votes or the plurality of votes in an election. What is this system?
First-past-the-post
This is the party that controls less than half of the seats in one of the two chambers of Congress
Minority party
These are the members of the voting public who consider themselves to be part of a political party and/or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other
Party-in-the-electorate
a process of cooperation through compromise
bipartisanship
an election that represents a sudden, clear, and long-term shift in voter allegiances
critical election
a condition in which one or more houses of the legislature is controlled by the party in opposition to the executive
divided government
a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast, also known as plurality voting
first-past-the-post
the manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate
gerrymandering
a type of election in which the winning candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes, even if a run-off election is required
majoritarian voting
the legislative party with over half the seats in a legislative body, and thus significant power to control the agenda
majority party
the legislative party with less than half the seats in a legislative body
minority party
an individual who falls in the middle of the ideological spectrum
moderate
individuals who represent themselves in public as being part of a party
party identifiers
the formal structure of the political party and the active members responsible for coordinating party behavior and supporting party candidates
party organization
the collection of a party’s positions on issues it considers politically important
party platform
the shift of party positions from moderate towards ideological extremes
party polarization
a shifting of party alliances within the electorate
party realignment
party identifiers who have been elected to office and are responsible for fulfilling the party’s promises
party-in-government
members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other
party-in-the-electorate
a political style that focuses on building direct relationships with voters rather than on promoting specific issues
personal politics
the election rule by which the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of vote share
plurality voting
an organization that secures votes for a party’s candidates or supports the party in other ways, usually in exchange for political favors such as a job in government
political machine
organizations made up of groups of people with similar interests that try to directly influence public policy through their members who seek and hold public office
political parties
the lowest level of party organization, usually organized around neighborhoods
precinct
a party-based election rule in which the number of seats a party receives is a function of the share of votes it receives in an election
proportional representation
the reallocation of House seats between the states to account for population changes
reapportionment
the redrawing of electoral maps
redistricting
a district drawn so members of a party can be assured of winning by a comfortable margin
safe seat
the process in which voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position
sorting
political parties formed as an alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties, also known as minor parties
third parties
a system in which two major parties win all or almost all elections
two-party system
Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties?
Georgia Washington
Which of the following was not a third-party challenger? A. Whig Party B. Progressive Party C. Dixiecrats D. Green Party
A. Whig Party
Why were the early U.S. political parties formed?
Early parties were electoral coalitions of elites, mostly in the U.S. Congress. They were mostly designed to help win House elections and the presidency, but they quickly expanded activities to the state level.
What techniques led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s?
personal politics
In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?
proportional representation
Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment?A.demographic shifts
B. changes in key issues
C. changes in party strategies
D. third parties
D. third parties
What impact, if any, do third parties typically have on U.S. elections?
Third parties bring important issues to the attention of the major parties. They also often serve as spoilers in the elections they enter.
In what ways do political parties collude with state and local government to prevent the rise of new parties?
election laws make it harder to get on the ballot, the Electoral College makes it harder for third parties
Which level of party organization is most responsible for helping the party’s nominee win the presidency?
national
How do members of the party organization differ from party identifiers? What role does each play in the party as a whole?
The party organization are active members in supporting party behavior and candidates, party identifiers are mostly citizens and voters who identify with the party
Why is winning votes so important to political parties? How does the need to win elections affect party structures?
Parties can’t influence and enact policy without winning. They must organize at each level at which elections take place in order to contest elections and develop candidates
What are the positives and negatives of partisan polarization?
Positive: Provides voters with distinct choices
Negative: Moderates aren’t voting or participating in government, amplifies into party conflict
What is the sorting thesis, and what does it suggest as the cause of party polarization?
The sorting thesis says that voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position. It suggests that polarization is a function of voters’ paying more attention to national politics and voting more consistently.
Does gerrymandering lead to increased polarization?
yes
How have the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street Movement affected partisan politics?
They have pulled their respective parties further to the ideological poles and have changed the issues parties consider. They may also have made compromise more difficult.
