Chapter 9: Political Parties

Question 1

A process of cooperation through compromise

Answer 1

Bipartisanship

Question 2

An election that represents a sudden, clear, and long-term shift in voter allegiances

Answer 2

Critical election

Question 3

A condition in which one or more houses of the legislature is controlled by the party in opposition to the executive

Answer 3

Divided government

Question 4

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

Answer 4

First-past-the-post

Question 5

The manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate

Answer 5

Gerrymandering

Question 6

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

Answer 6

Majoritarian voting

Question 7

The legislative party with over half the seats in a legislative body, and thus significant power to control the agenda

Answer 7

Majority party

Question 8

The legislative party with less than half the seats in a legislative body

Answer 8

Minority party

Question 9

An individual who falls in the middle of the ideological spectrum

Answer 9

Moderate

Question 10

Individuals who represent themselves in public as being part of a party

Answer 10

Party identifiers

Question 11

The formal structure of the political party and the active members responsible for coordinating party behavior and supporting party candidates

Answer 11

Party organization

Question 12

The collection of a party’s positions on issues it considers politically important

Answer 12

Party platform

Question 13

The shift of a party positions from moderate towards ideological extremes

Answer 13

Party organization

Question 14

A shifting of party alliances within the electorate

Answer 14

Party realignment

Question 15

Party identifiers who have been elected to office and are responsible for fulfilling the party’s promises

Answer 15

Party-in-government

Question 16

Members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other

Answer 16

Party-in-the-electorate

Question 17

A political style that focuses on building direct relationships with voters rather than on promoting specific issues

Answer 17

Personal politics

Question 18

The election rule by which the candidate with the most votes win, regardless of vote share

Answer 18

Plurality voting

Question 19

An organization that secures votes for a party’s candidate or supports the party in other ways, usually in exchange for political favors such as a job in government

Answer 19

Political machine

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Political parties

Question 21

The lowest level of party organization, usually organized around neighborhoods

Answer 21

Precinct

Question 22

A party-based election tule in which the number of seats party receives is a function of the share of votes received in an election

Answer 22

Proportional representation

Question 23

The reallocation of House seats between the states to account for population changes

Answer 23

Reapportionment

Question 24

The redrawing of electoral maps

Answer 24

Redistricting

Question 25

A district drawn so members of a party can be assured of winning by a a comfortable margin

Answer 25

Safe seat

Question 26

The process in which voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position

Answer 26

Sorting

Question 27

Political parties formed as an alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties, also known as minor parties

Answer 27

Third parties

Question 28

A system in which two major parties win all or almost all elections

Answer 28

Two-party system

Question 29

CC

A party system is

Answer 29

The different historical eras as defined by which parties were active at the time.

Question 30

CC

How did the framers feel about parties?

Answer 30

They were afraid of parties

Question 31

CC

How many party systems have there been in US history?

Answer 31

5 or 6, depending on who you ask

Question 32

CC

Which of the following statements about third parties is true?

Answer 32

They almost never win, but they do matter

Question 33

CC

The goal of a political party is to

Answer 33

Win elections

Question 34

CC

Which of the following are reasons that parties exist?

Answer 34

• To facilitate collective action in the electoral process
• To facilitate policymaking
• To deal with the problems of politicians’ ambition

Question 35

CC

Which of the following contains examples of what political parties actually do?

Answer 35

Recruit candidates and get out the vote

Question 36

CC

______ are held to choose candidates who will then run in the later general election.

Answer 36

Primary elections

Question 37

CC

In a(n)_______ you can only vote for the party for which you are registered.

Answer 37

Closed primary