Exam 2 Ch 6

Question 1

Factional Splits

Answer 1

Groups that struggle to control the message within a party; ex: party may split into competing regional factions

Question 2

History of major political parties

Answer 2

1820-1940 - political parties constituted leading organizing force in this country

Question 3

Did Major political parties play a bigger role at state or national level?

Answer 3

State level

Question 4

Since the 1850’s, what were the two main political parties? Did the country start with parties?

Answer 4

Democratic and Republican

No, factions developed soon after like the Federalists and Democractic-Republicans

Question 5

Why did the Democratic Party Split

Answer 5

Over slavery
North - opposed
South - support

Republican party formed in 1854 in opposition (GOP)

Question 6

State parties are like

Answer 6

consortia of local parties

And each national parties is a consortium of state parties

Question 7

Superdelegate

Answer 7

Unpledged delegate to Democratic National Convention who is automatically seated and can vote for whoever they want

-usually party leaders and elected officials
-not allowed to vote in first round unless someone received enough delegates since 2018

Question 8

In 2020, the DNC…

Answer 8

required candidates to meet minimum thresholds in # of donors and support in polls to qualify for televised debates

Question 9

Except in this state___, all state legislatures are organized by party

Answer 9

Nebraska

Question 10

Political/Party machines

Answer 10

Organizations controlled by small # of people and run for partisan ends. These orgs controled party nominations for public office and rewarded supporters with government jobs and contracts in 19-20th century

Question 11

Rhode Island through the 20th century was dominated by…

Answer 11

Democratic party, leaders controlled 2800 jobs

Question 12

Nonpartisan ballots

Answer 12

Ballots that don’t list the candidate’s party affiliation, used in local elections

Question 13

Because of primary elections…

Answer 13

State parties lost much of their influence

Question 14

General elections

Answer 14

Decisive elections where all registered voters cast ballots for preferred candidates for a political office. In primaries, voters select who they want to represent party in generals.

Question 15

Party conventions

Answer 15

Meetings of party delegates called to nominate candidates for office and establish party agendas. Used before primaries were common

Question 16

Closed Primary

Answer 16

Nominating election where only voters belonging to that party can participate

Question 17

Open Primary

Answer 17

Anyone can vote regardless of party

Question 18

Crossover Voting

Answer 18

Person of another party voting in a different party’s primary. Not allowed in all states

Question 19

Runoff Primary

Answer 19

If no candidate receives majority of vote during regular primary, election held where top two finishers face off in runoff to determine who is in the generals.

Question 20

California Democratic Party vs. Jones (2000)

Answer 20

California’s blanket primary violates a political party’s First Amendment right of Association

Blanket - all candidates form all parties listed on one ballot, voters allowed to mix and match primaries they participate in

Question 21

Which state conducts a Jungle Primary and what is that?

Answer 21

Louisiana - all candidates run in same primary regardless of party and will have runoff if no majority reached

Question 22

Which state(s) uses ‘top two’ primary systems

Answer 22

Washington State and California - candidates from all parties appear together on single ballot, and top two finishers regardless of party go to general

Question 23

Super PACs

Answer 23

Political action committees that can spend unlimited funds on behalf of political candidates but cannot directly coordinate their plans with those candidates

Question 24

Citizens United Vs. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Answer 24

Under the 1st Amendment, made it possible for lightly regulated independent groups to spend unlimited sums on political campaigns

Question 25

During the 2010s dark money groups…

Answer 25

spent more than $1 billion on politics

Question 26

In 2018 polling by Gallup, how many Americans were independent?

Answer 26

42%

Question 27

What did Ross Perot, Texas computer billionaire in 1992 do?

Answer 27

Most successful independent presidential candidate in decades, took 19% but didn’t carry a single state

Question 28

Green Party went from being on __ in 2016 to only __ in 2020.

Answer 28

44 ballots
30 ballots

Question 29

How many governors during the past 50 years were not Democrat or Republican?

Answer 29

Seven/7

Question 30

What are the four nationally-organized third parties?

Answer 30

Libertarian Party,
Green Party
Constitution Party
Working Families Party

Question 31

In 2015, lobbyists spend nearly twice as much money trying to…

Answer 31

influence the legislature in Pennsylvania as the state paid to operate the legislature itself.

Question 32

Interest Groups and Lobbies

Answer 32

40,000 lobbyists are working in state capitals

Lobbying in the states now a billion-dollar business every year, nearing 1.7 billion in both 2017 and 2018

California alone spent over 350 million on lobbying

Question 33

“Should parties have more say in picking presidential candidates?

Answer 33

Support from party leaders had once been essential for candidates seeking to raise money from donors or garner media attention

But voters are put off by any attempt by party officials to try to dictate whom they should support

Party leaders - including officials with the state and national parties, play considerable role in helping guide voters towards preferred choice

Question 34

Contract Lobbyist

Answer 34

Work for different causes for different clients

Question 35

Cause Lobbyist

Answer 35

Person who works for organization that tracks and promotes an issue

Question 36

Direct Lobbying

Answer 36

Form which lobbyists deal directly with legislators to gain their support