Government Test 2

Question 1

Elections

Answer 1

a principal decision-making mechanism whereby a group of enfranchised (permitted to vote) inviduals decide on policy, procedures, usually of a governmental nature, and/or the appropriateness of candidates to hold political office.

Question 2

Landslide Elections

Answer 2

These elections feature a significant voter support for one candidate over another. An election that features over 55% for one candidate usually is considered a landslide election

Question 3

Warning Elections

Answer 3

This type of election results in a minimal victory for a candidate who receives a slender majority or a plurality. By virtue of this nominal victory the candidate should become concerned with the results and re-evaluate his or her position on issues.

Question 4

Electoral Defeat

Answer 4

Electoral Defeat is what all candidates hope to avoid. The result is a denial of the office sought or a removal from the office. The second most important thing for elected officials is to get re-elected. Of course, the most important is to get elected.

Question 5

Political Party

Answer 5

This is an organized group of people who seek to control governmental policy by occupying the posistions of authority in government, either by force or through legitimate elections.

Question 6

Party organizations

Answer 6

The organization is the formal structure of a political party. It consists of party professionals and voluntary workers for the party.

Question 7

Party in government

Answer 7

there are party members who are serving in an official capacity in the government.

Question 8

Party in the electorate

Answer 8

This involves those who support a political party, primarily in an election.

Question 9

The degree in public’s identification and loyalty to political parties

Answer 9

The majority of Americans identify with one or the other major political party. This is the case especially during elections. Not that in ascending order there are people who do volunteer work, those who do campaign activity or those who run for office. Only 1% of the American electorate works in a politically related capacity that dominates their day to day life. Many of these are paid workers.

Question 10

Presidential Election Process

Answer 10

The election for president and for vice-president is the only at-large election in the U.S. At-large means that the voters in the entire U.S. are allowed to vote for president and vice-president

Question 11

Presidential Primary

Answer 11

This is a statewide primary in which member of a party choose delegates to go to the national party convention and choose the nominee who will be the party’s candidate for president.

Question 12

Presidential caucuses

Answer 12

This is a meeting of party members to choose delegates to the national party convention and the party’s nominee for the presidency.

Question 13

The National Convention

Answer 13

The national convention, which meets for only about four or five days every 4 years, is theoretically the supreme legislative organ of the national party. It also theoretically nominates the presidential candidates and drafts a platform that states the party’s program and ideals.

Question 14

Final Race

Answer 14

After receiving the nomination of his or her political party, the candidate tries to attain the highest elected office in the land-the presidency. Throughout this 3-month period candidates may benefit by their marketability, that is, their ability to be sold to the public, by a name that is familiar to the electorate, by their image or visual perspective on the president and by their ability to obtain the money necessary to carry out the campaign, such as TV advertising.

Question 15

Popular Vote

Answer 15

the Popular vote is the direct vote for the president. However, this vote is not the president and the vice-president. The voters choose electors who then receive the responsibility to cast the official vote for the president and vice-president.

Question 16

Electoral Vote

Answer 16

This vote is the official vote for the presidency. Electors chosen by the popular vote cast their votes. The organization chosen for this event is the Electoral College. Initially by the framers of the Constitution to be the best and the brightest among us. They are today delegates chosen by a political party to represent that party at the election. The party that wins the popular vote of each state wins that state’s electoral votes. The number of votes each state has is based on the number of representatives that state has in Congress.

Question 17

Multi-Party systems

Answer 17

In a multi-party system there are three or more major political parties competing for control of government and, therefore, for control of its policies. Sometimes in order to control the policies of government two or more of these parties will form a coalition. Two nations that have used this system are France and Italy. Most parlimentary systems have a multiparty system.

Question 18

Two-Party System

Answer 18

The two-party system features two major political parties. A two party system does not mean that there are just two political parties, but rather than no more than two political parties have a realistic chance of winning a majority in the government. Although somewhat functionally different, the United States, Canada and Great Britain are examples of countries with a two party system.

Question 19

One-Party System

Answer 19

A one party system is a single party system. If there is opposition is usually mimimal. Dictatorships illustrate this sytem. In such a system it is very difficult to determine where the party organization begins and wherethe government organization ends. One party systems are not always dictatorships. Mexico had a one party system for most of the twentieth century. In 1999 Mexicans ended the overall majority of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) by defecting both the political right and the polical lef. A center left party gained control of some major metropolitan areas, and a center right party gained control of the presidency. In 2012, the PRI regained the presidency. Today Mexico there are three reasonably viable political parties

Question 20

The Two-Party System in the United States

Answer 20

There are reasons why the two party system became established and remained strong in the U.S. This sytem is based on tradition. U.S. History illustrates how the two party system remained in power since the inception of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. electoral system is based on single member, winner take all elections. This system features one victorious candidate per district. The major political parties have often functioned as coalitions within their own structures. (In multi-party systems parties often unite to form coalitions). These coalitions incorporate a variety of social and economic groups within each party. From an ideaological standpoint the parties are mainly centrist or center-right or center-left. Finally, they practice co-optation by taking some of the more adoptable minor parties’ ideas and eventually turning them into their own proposals.

Question 21

The First System (1789-1824)

Answer 21

This system featured the Federalists and the Democratic-Republican as the two major parties. The origins of the parties exist in the philosophical and constitutional debates between founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. The former favored a strong central government and an industrial/commerical urban base. The latter believed in a weak central govenment and supported a rural agricultural base. Toward the end of this period the Federalists all but ceased to exist, making the Democratic-Republicans the sole political party.

Question 22

The Second System (1824-1860)

Answer 22

This system is featured the rise of the Democrat Party, after the Democrat-Republican Party factionalized, under the leadership of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. This party reflected the growing enfranchisement of voters. The new opposition called itself the Whig Party. It never was as well organized as the Democrats, and, in fact, it owed its existence to its strong dislike of the leadership of President Andrew Jackson.

Question 23

The Third System (1860-1896)

Answer 23

With the demise of the Whig Party and the emergence of the Republican Party under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, we have the third system. The Democrat System remained the other major party. Due to the Civil War and the Reconstruction that followed both parties secured control of regions within the country especially the growth of the Democrat party in the South. While hte Republican Party may have had a slight edge, the Democrat Party remained highly competitive.

Question 24

The Fourth System (1896-1932)

Answer 24

The system featured the rise of the Republican Party as the party of dominance, especially in the growing and affluent Northeast. The Democrats maintained a stronghold on the South to such an extent that this region became known as the Solid South. The Democrats also began to make gains in the central cities, where they appealed to a growing immigrant population.

Question 25

The Fifth System (1932-1968)

Answer 25

This system featured a reversal of fortunes, as the Democrats became the overwhelming dominant party. Bolstered by the Great Depression Democrat President Franklin Roosevelt established the most famous of all political coalitiions- the New Deal Coalition. It featured Southern whites, Northern industrial worker (many of whom were highly unionized), immigrants, urban dwellers, Catholics, Jews, and blacks. The Republican party, mainly the minority party during this period, came primarily from upper income whites, Protestants, suburbanites and small business owners.

Question 26

The Sixth System (1968-present)

Answer 26

This system reveals a decline in the dominance of Democrats, particularly in the South, a gradual Republican rise in strength in this region. While the New Deal Coalition crumbled, Republican alternatives arose, such as the potential Reagan (after Republican President Ronald Reagan) Coalition. Party realignment has taken place, but never long enough to ascertain a trend. Perhaps one laternative is the concept of de-alignment, which argues that both political parties are losing support. There seems to be indiifference or ambivalence toward both political parties. This has often resulted in a wide array of mixed governments. However, it is safe to say that the major parties are trying hard to restructure themselves with a renewed sense of purpose. Today, there is significant plurality of independents, and a strong ideological base within both major parties.

Question 27

Maurice Deverger

Answer 27

He offered the majority bent hypothesis that argues that multiparty systems, which do not feature parties with a majority bent, will usually fractionalize into coexisting major and minor parties that often form coalitions with one another.

Question 28

Seymour Martin Lipset

Answer 28

He focused on multi-issue orientiation, contending that single issue parties, a label justly applied to a number of third parties, failed to attract voters because of the multi-issue orientation of American politics. Major parties through co-optation incorporate much of their progressive ideas. (Others see the third party moderate proposals also becoming co-optated).

Question 29

V.O. Key

Answer 29

Key suggests that majority parties use incorporation and fusion. Major parties will incorporate within their programs many of the more plausible concepts introduced by minor parties. The use of fusion takes place when majority parties engage in a united electoral effort to defeat the minority party(ies). He also wrote the parties of economic protest perform a necessary funciotn during a perio dof political realignment

Question 30

Interest Groups

Answer 30

These are public, voluntary organizations formed to influence the programs and policies of governmental insitututions. They may be divided into groupts that focus on certain programs and policies. Most interest groups are some what narrow in focus. Those that confine themselves to one social problem are called Special Interest Groups. The most narrow, those that focus on one issue, are called Single Interest Groups.

Question 31

Political Action Committes (PACs)

Answer 31

These are voluntary organizations that donate money to political campaigns. The primary goal of a PAC is to either directly or indirectly influence the preference of voters for a political candidate. Interest groups, by their very nature, concentrate on policies and programs of governemnt officials, whether elected or unelected. PACs focus on the election process itself. PACs fuel elections by providing a very necessary monetary ingredient. Of course, all money that flows into election does not come from PACs, though that is becoming an increasingly important campaign element. Over the las decade the three most dominant PAC’s have been the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Question 32

Business Interest Groups

Answer 32

These are interest groups that are affiliated with the U.S. business establishment. The three examples of PACs mentioned above are also represented by interest groups that put forth policy recommendations that are friendly toward real estate firms, manufacturers, bankers, and small-business entrepreneurs.

Question 33

Labor Interest Groups

Answer 33

These interest groups represent some salaried and many wage and hourly workers. Mos of the numerous organizations that fit this category are labor unions. In the U.S., unions were formed throughout the mid and late nineteenth century and twentieth centuries, in order to help workers attain the best wages and working conditions. The most significant labor conglomerate in the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (the AFL-CIO). In the 50s and 60s, labor unions represented 35% of the workforce. Hence, it was a true force in American politics. Today less than 15% of the workforce is unionized, and only 7% of all workers in the private sector belong to unions. As one can see, this represents a major problem for unions in influencing labor-friendly policies and programs

Question 34

Public Interest Groups

Answer 34

These interest groups are committed to resolving broad-based societal interests held in common by a significant portion of the people. In many cases these groups are reformist in nature, and are devoted to making the political establishement more responsive to public needs. One of the first such groups was established by John Gardner, who seved in President Dwight Eisenhower’s cabinet. In 1970 Gardner founded Common Cause, a political watchdog group that focused on, among other things, reforming the methods by wihch we elect public officials. Perhaps the most noted consumer watchdog, Ralph Nader, organized Public Citizen in 1971. That group mobilizes around a variety of issues, including consumers rights, voting rights, and enviornemental concerns. A noted recently established publish interest group in Move On, in which left-of-center individuals take an activitist role against what they perceive to be recalcitrant ruling class.

Question 35

Professional Association Interest Groups

Answer 35

These interest groups represent various professions and further their interest among legislatures. Their role has a two fold purpose: to make sure that legislators approve laws that are positive for their cause, and to make sure that they defeat laws deemed hostile to it. Among prominent professional association interest groups are the American Bar Association, the American Bankers Association, and the American Medical Association (AMA). In the recent health care debate, the AMA played an uncharacteristically low-key role, nominally approving of many of the reforms. However, in the past the AMA has been a strident opponent of major comprehensive medical reforms. Beginning in the late 1940s, for exampple it victoriously fought such efforts, initially referring to them as bringing about “socialized medicine.”

Question 36

Ideological Interest Groups

Answer 36

These interest groups are, as the term “ideological” suggests, tied to a particular belief system. (First, letsnot that the idelogy refers to broad, systematic viewpoints. Here we most envision a wide view that explains one’s attitudes on a variety of issues. Think about all the views you may have on social, political, and economic issues. In many cases, observers may discover a pattern in your opinions, which affords them the oppertunity to see theoretical consistencies in your arguments. Consequently, they may be able to determine that you are very conservative, or slightly liberal in your perspective. Finally, observesrs are able to say that you are liberal, a conservative, a moderate, a revolutionary, or even a reactionary. One of those classifications will be your ideology -your belief system.)

Question 37

Lobbying the Legislatures

Answer 37

When one lobbies, one is engaged in direct efforts to the work of interest groups does not take place in lobbying, however. Often interest groups apply pressure through less-direct means, such as letter/email writing or making telephone calls to legislators’ officers. On the other hand, lobbyists go directly to the legislators, thereby making a noted physical presence. Lobbyists cajole, badger, and buttonhole legislators. They freqently seek, and obtain, an oppertunity to testitfy at legislative hearings concerning legislation in which they have a distinct interest. While it is true that some lobbyists have abused their posision, it is worth noting that they frequently offer a great deal of expertise on pending legislation. Some have gone so far as to say they are indispensible to the democratic process. In truth, they have become an intricate part of that process, forming a triangular structure in the policymaking apparatus of government. The three components of this Irong Triangle are the lobbyists, the Congress (at the national level where it is most profound), and the permananet government bureaucracy.

Question 38

Court litigation

Answer 38

Often interest groups have turned to the courts to influence policy throug litigation. There are 3 ways in which this is accomplished: (1) sponsoring a lawsuit on behalf of a social group, (2) filing a lawsuit on behalf of one or more individuals, and (3) filing an amicus curiae(friend of the court) brief.

Question 39

Most Noted areas in which interest groups have engaged courts with conerns of matters of race and gender issues

Answer 39

Interest groups have played a dynamic role in putting an end to legal racial segregation. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) originated the litigation fo rthe landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education. Various feminist and abortion-rights interest groups petitioned on behalf of anonymous women, challenging the laws of various states that banned the consideration of the practice of legal abortion, which resulted in another landmark decision that this time legalized women’s right to an abortion, called Roe vs. Wade. Since the Roe decision there have been numerous challenges to this right, involving even more court cases. In cases such as Webster v. Reproductive Health Services and Planned Parenthood v Casey, various interest groups filed amicus curiae briefs from both sides of the argument.

Question 40

Grassroots mobilization and direct action movements

Answer 40

Interest groups often take their case outside the confines of insitutional government. They typically organize grassroots surrounding a multitude of issues. While the NAACP attacked racial segregation through the courts, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organized mass demonstrations and acts of civil nonviolent disobedience to accomplish the same goals. Todaythere are numerous grassroots organizations that take on interest group functions. We will list a few of them here and discuss their role and impact in a discussion format. There are numerous in their ideological perspective. The Tea Party arose from the political right, and later the left responded with the Occupy Wall Street Movement. In recent years those who have taken a position defending the traditional definition of marriage have been met by others supporting gay marriage. Today we have activists in many diverse areas of interests, such as animal rights, alternative energy, health care, and cosumer protection, to name just a few.