Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

US politics > Parties > Flashcards

Parties Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards
1
Q

What is an ideology?

A

A collectively held set of beliefs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is generally the ideology of Democrats?

A
  • have a progressive attitude on social and moral issues e.g. crime
  • support greater government intervention in the national economy
  • support government provision of social welfare
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is generally the ideology of republicans?

A
  • have a conservative attitude on social and moral issues
  • advocate more restricted governmental intervention in the national economy
  • have a preference for personal responsibility
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Give evidence for the increasing polarisation of parties in the USA

A

When asked ‘do you think there are any important differences in what republicans and democrats stand for?’ In 2012 81% said yes 18% said no - a significant drop from when it was asked in 1972 and 44% said no

When asked ‘is one party more conservative than the other?’ (2012) 73% said yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the democrat factions within the party?

A

Liberals
Moderate
Conservatives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What do Liberal Democrats generally support?

A
  • progressive
  • seen as radical wing of the party
  • push for social justice & greater welfare
  • increased taxes on the wealthy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What do moderate democrats generally support?

A
  • centrists (middle ground)
  • willing to compromise with republicans
  • willing to accept some limitations on social issues e.g. abortion, anti terror laws
  • biggest group in terms of votes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Give an example of a moderate democrat

A

Joe Biden

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What do Conservative democrats generally support?

A
  • socially conservative on moral issues (religion, guns etc) while disagreeing on the republican party’s conservative views on trade and tax
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Give evidence of conflict between moderate and liberal democrats

A

The 2020 presidential democratic primary saw conflict in terms of ideology between moderate Biden and the more liberal Warren and Sanders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

In 2015 __ conservative democrats supported extra screening of Iraqi & Syrian refugees

A

47

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the three republican factions?

A

Moderate
Social
Fiscal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do moderate republicans generally support?

A
  • traditional conservative economic policies e.g. low taxation, limited govt
  • more socially liberal than social conservatives e.g. abortion support
  • accept higher taxes & more govt programmes to support social harmony
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Give an example of a moderate republican

A

George Bush - increased govt expenditure & pushed for more liberal immigration reform

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do social republicans generally support?

A
  • conservative on social, moral & religious issues e.g. in 2016 only a few republicans voted for gays rights legislative was amended in support of the nuclear family
  • tend to support official conservative republican platform on economy and foreign affairs
  • have an increased dominance in the party
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What do fiscal conservatives generally support?

A
  • smaller govt - a laissez fair economy
  • most support abolition of inheritance tax, reduction in other taxes & cuts in federal expenditure
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What 5 categories is a party’s support split under?

A
  • geographic region
  • religion
  • race
  • gender
  • class and education
18
Q

What is the gender gap?

A

the gap between the support given to a candidate by women and the support given to them by men

19
Q

Why do republicans have a trend of poor showing amongst women voters?

A

Due to policy difference between the two major parties i.e. the Democratic Party tends to take policy positions more favoured by women

20
Q

What was Trump’s gender gap in the 2020 presidential election?

A

53% = male voters
42% = women voters

21
Q

What was Biden’s gender gap in the 2020 presidential election?

A

57% = women voters
45% = male voters

22
Q

Why is the Democratic Party generally more popular with women voters?

A

They tend to take policy positions more favoured by women e.g. support abortion rights & gun control etc

23
Q

Which minority groups are the most significant in terms of the numbers who vote?

A

Black Americans
Hispanic/Latinx people

24
Q

Who do minority groups tend to give their vote to?

A

The Democratic Party

25
Q

What percentage of black American votes did Biden receive in the 2020 presidential election?

A

87%

26
Q

What percentage of Hispanic/ Latinx votes did Biden receive in the 2020 presidential election?

A

32%

27
Q

Which group of voters made up over one third of the 2016 electorate?

A

White, non college educated voters

28
Q

What percentage of white, non college educated voters voted for Trump in 2016?

A

66%

29
Q

Why did Trumps receive a surge of white, non college educated voters in 2016?

A
  • they felt neglected by Washington politicians who had made promises to them during their campaign and failed to deliver
  • after the 2008-9 economic crash they believed the government bailed out banks & big business whilst they were left unemployed & unsupported
  • they felt that the USA in which they grew up was fast disappearing & so they were attracted by his ‘make America great again’ slogan
30
Q

Who do Protestants vote predominantly for?

A

Republicans e.g. in 2020 62% of Protestants voted for the rep party

31
Q

Although Jewish & Muslim voters make up a small share of the electorate which party do they tend to favour?

A

The Democratic Party

32
Q

What percentage of Jewish and Muslim voters voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential election?

A

68% of Jewish voters
64% of Muslim voters

33
Q

What do commentators call the nation’s divide?

A

‘Blue America’ v ‘Red America’

34
Q

In which regions is the Democratic Party most popular?

A

The Northeast & the west

35
Q

In which regions is the Republican Party most popular?

A

The south has become solidly republican in the last 3 decades

Swathe of states running from Idaho to Missouri are increasingly solid for republicans

36
Q

What are the characteristics of typical voters in ‘Red America’ ?

A
  • predominantly white
  • rural, small town or suburban
  • fiscally & socially conservative
  • pro guns, life & traditional marriage (nuclear family)
  • viewers of Fox News
37
Q

What are the characteristics of typical voters in ‘Blue America’?

A
  • a racial rainbow of white, black, asian, Hispanic/latinx etc
  • urban
  • socially liberal
  • pro choice & LGBTQ+ rights
  • viewers of CNN
38
Q

Give evidence that the democratic are in a much weaker position than they were when Obama was first elected

A
  • they lost the presidential election in 2016 even though their candidate won 3mil votes more than her opponent
  • from 2008 to 2016 they lost 10 seats in the senate and 61 in the House losing control of both chambers
  • from 2008 to 2016 the number of democrat governors fell from 29 to 16
39
Q

Give evidence that the Republican Party is divided

A

The tea party movement (2009) -Members of the movement called for lower taxes, a reduction of the national debt & federal budget deficit via reduced government spending

The freedom caucus - its members were influential in ending the speakership of republican Boehner in 2015 / influential in numerous key house votes e.g. the repeal and replacement of Obamacare

The establishment v Trump debate showed itself in numerous issues e.g. immigration control - Trump’s controversial policy ‘build a wall’ & that he did not represent a single coherent ideology

40
Q

What is a two party system?

A

A party system in which two major parties regularly win the vast majority of votes

41
Q

Give evidence that the US is a two party system

A
  • in all of the last 7 presidential elections the two major parties have won more than 80% of the popular vote
  • After the 2020 election the two major parties controlled 533 of 535 seats in congress
  • every president since 1853 has either been democratic or republican
  • By 2017 49 of 50 state governors were either democrats or republicans - they control state governments
42
Q

Give evidence that the US isn’t a two party system

A
  • Third parties have played a significant role in some elections e.g. 2000
  • some states are virtually one party states e.g. Massachusett’s for the democrats, Wyoming for the republicans (federalism prevents two party system)
  • It is possible for minority parties to gain influence e.g. Tim Waltz is the Minnesota state governor & is a part of the democratic farmer Labour Party

US politics (13 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions