Chapters 5 and 9

Question 1

a group of people who seek to control the government through winning of elections and holding public office

Answer 1

political parties

Question 2

the range of political views

Answer 2

political spectrum

Question 3

the strong support of their party and its policy stands

Answer 3

partisanship

Question 4

electoral district from which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot

Answer 4

single member district

Question 5

largest number of votes cast for the office

Answer 5

plurality

Question 6

50% plus one

Answer 6

majority

Question 7

the two major parties find common ground to work together to shape election laws

Answer 7

bipartisan

Question 8

a general agreement among various groups

Answer 8

consensus

Question 9

temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and to control a government

Answer 9

coalition

Question 10

the current office holder

Answer 10

incumbent

Question 11

competing groups

Answer 11

faction

Question 12

the practice of awarding public offices, contracts, and other governmental favors to those who supported the party in power

Answer 12

spoils system

Question 13

people eligible to vote

Answer 13

electorate

Question 14

emphasizes a devotion to the interests of a particular region

Answer 14

sectionalism

Question 15

those based on a particular set of beliefs (comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters (ex. socialist party, communist party)

Answer 15

ideological parties

Question 16

parties the focus on a single public question (ex. free soil party)

Answer 16

single issue parties

Question 17

they have no clear cut ideological base, however they have proclaimed their disgust with the major parties and demanded better times. (rooted in periods of economic distress) (ex. populist party)

Answer 17

economic protest parties

Question 18

those who have split away from one of the major parties. (ex. progressive party, Dixiecrat party)

Answer 18

splinter parties

Question 19

a unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members

Answer 19

ward

Question 20

the smallest unit of election administration; the voters in each precinct cast their ballots at one polling place located within their precinct

Answer 20

precinct

Question 21

a collection of people who share certain views on public matters and work to shape public policy to their benefit

Answer 21

interest groups

Question 22

includes all of the goals that a government pursues in the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved

Answer 22

public policy

Question 23

those issues and events that concern the people at large

Answer 23

public affairs

Question 24

segments of the business community that have their own interest group

Answer 24

trade association

Question 25

an organization of workers who share the same type of job or who work in the same industry

Answer 25

labor union

Question 26

an organization that works for the best interests of the overall community rather than the narrower interests of one segment

Answer 26

public interest groups

Question 27

the process by which organized interests attempt to affect the decisions and actions of public officials

Answer 27

lobbying

Question 28

those people who try to persuade public officials to do those things that interest groups want them to do

Answer 28

lobbyist

Question 29

consists of written arguments presented to a court in support of one side of a dispute (friend of the court)

Answer 29

amicus curiae brief

Question 30

pressures from members of an interest group or from the people at large, often beginning at a very basic level

Answer 30

grass roots pressures

Question 31

The two major parties are made up with what three elements?

Answer 31

the party organization, the party in government, and the party in electorate

Question 32

identify the reasons that the US has a two party system

Answer 32

historical basis, force of tradition, the electoral system tends to promote the existence of two parties

Question 33

how does a majority differ from a plurality

Answer 33

a plurality is the largest number of votes cast for office and majority is 50% plus one

Question 34

what third party candidate had an influence on the 1912 election and how did it effect it

Answer 34

Theodore Roosevelt’s bull moose party and it split the vote between him and Taft

Question 35

what does divided government mean

Answer 35

neither party holds both president and congress

Question 36

how are economic interest protest parties different from single issue parties?

Answer 36

Single-issue parties focus on a single public question, while economic protest parties just demand a better time and do not have a single focus

Question 37

how do minor parties act as critics to the major parties

Answer 37

they remain willing to take quite clear cut stands on controversial issues and bring them to the public’s attention

Question 38

how does the nomination process contribute to intraparty conflict

Answer 38

the nominations are made within the party and the nomination process can be and often is a division it pits one member of the same party against another

Question 39

what do the national committees do between presidential elections

Answer 39

they work to strengthen the party and its fortunes promote party unity, raise money, recruit new voters, and prepare for the next presidential campaign

Question 40

describe the role of the congressional campaign committee for each party

Answer 40

these committees exist in each house of congress and work to reelect party members and make sure that open seats remain in the party and each group takes a hand in trying to unseat incumbents from the other party

Question 41

where do interest groups operate

Answer 41

they operate at all levels of the government

Question 42

how do interest groups raise awareness of public affairs

Answer 42

they raise awareness mostly by developing and publicizing those policy positions they favor and by opposing those they see as a threat

Question 43

what is the role of the interest groups in the american political system

Answer 43

create public awareness of an interest of public affairs, represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than geography, provide useful, specialized, and detailed information to the government,provide for political participation, and regularly compete with each other in the public arena

Question 44

why are business groups formed

Answer 44

to get the government to promote and protect its interests

Question 45

how do professional associations differ from business, labor, and farm groups

Answer 45

professional associations are not nearly as large, well-financed, or effective as most business, labor, and farm groups. many professional associations also provide more extensive training as well as government licensing

Question 46

what factors distinguishes an interest group from other associations or organizations

Answer 46

interest groups try to influence the actions of government in order to promote its own goals and associations are more specific in their action

Question 47

why do lobbyists target the executive branch

Answer 47

a vast amount of public policy is made by the executive branch (day to day enforcement of measures are left to be worked out in the executive branch)

Question 48

how does the indirect approach to lobbying differ from the direct approach

Answer 48

the direct approach is face to face with the policy maker. indirect is mobilizing the people at home using things like letters, emails, etc.