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Political Parties Flashcards

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1
Q

What did Mark Shields say about political parties in the 1980s?

A

At present the US has two political parties separated by the issue of abortion

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2
Q

What have republican presidents tried to do?

A

Pack the courts to overturn abortion

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3
Q

Which party is the party of big government and centralisation?

A

Democrats

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4
Q

What is the party of states rights?

A

Republicans

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5
Q

Which is the low tax party?

A

Republicans

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6
Q

Which is the party of individual rights?

A

Republicans

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7
Q

Why couldn’t Biden pass Build Back Better?

A

Joe Manchin didn’t like it - too socialist

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8
Q

Which is the party of climate solutions?

A

Democrats

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9
Q

What did Denis Brogan say?

A

Political Parties are like two bottles with two labels, both empty

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10
Q

Who were the initial winners in terms of the form of government?

A

Confederacy - highly decentralised form - 1781

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11
Q

What happened at the Philadelphia conference?

A

Federalists won - wanted centralised government

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12
Q

Why did the federalists want?

A

Merchants wanted centralised government

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13
Q

Who wanted more decentralised government?

A

Jefferson and Maddison - represented agricultural and land-owning interests

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14
Q

Who renamed the Democratic-Republican party?

A

Jackson - named it the Democratic party - immigrants and minority groups

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15
Q

Who was originally the party of the South?

A

Democrats

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16
Q

What did they argue for?

A

Continuing the virtues of slavery - Pierce and Buchanan followed policies that spelled a poor future for business and commercial interest - slavery contained to the states south of the Mason Dixon line.

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17
Q

What did SCOTUS rule in 1857?

A

Dred Scott v Sandford - slavery could not be limited to the Southern States

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18
Q

When was the Republican Party founded?

A

1854 - anti-slavery party of the North

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19
Q

Who was running in the 1860 election?

A

Democrat Douglas against Lincoln.

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20
Q

What happened after Lincoln won?

A

Southern states announced they were leaving - thus starts the Civil War

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21
Q

What do the Republicans originally represent?

A

Big business and industrialists - free enterprise

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22
Q

What did the Democrats represent?

A

Small farmers, urban workers and immigrants.

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23
Q

What did for the Republicans that the Civil War did for the Dems?

A

Great Depression - out into the political wilderness for 40 years

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24
Q

Why did the Great Depression screw the Republicans?

A

Party of big business - presided over the federal government with Harding, Coolidge and Hoover - boom went to bust.

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25
Q

What saw the resurrection of the Dems?

A

1932 election and FDR - change of tact - became the party of big federal governemnt

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26
Q

How many of the 9 elections between 1932 and 1964 did the Republicans win?

A

2 - both Eisenhower

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27
Q

Who supported the New Deal?

A

Southern white conservatives and northern eastern liberals, city dwellers, blue collar workers, Catholics, Jews and ethnic minorities.

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28
Q

Who did the Republicans gain support from?

A

More rural Midwest and Plain states, WASPS and white collar workers.

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29
Q

What shaped America’s political parties in the 1950s and 1960s?

A

Civil rights

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30
Q

What blew apart the New Deal coalition?

A

Brown v Board

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31
Q

What do Democrats favour?

A

Affirmative Action

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32
Q

What did Republicans favour?

A

Policy should be colour blind

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33
Q

What did the Dems do?

A

Dems push forward legislation to help advance those previously disadvantaged groups - appointed judges who would make decisions which permitted affirmative actions programmes to withstand judicial scrutiny - African Americans gave their overwhelming support in federal, state and local races.

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34
Q

What did Nixon and Reagan do?

A

Curb the power of the federal government. Smaller federal government - the movement towards decentralised government was given a further boost - Republican takeover of congress in 1995.

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35
Q

What did Clinton say?

A

Era of Big Government is over

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36
Q

What don’t political parties have?

A

A clear leader - reflects the separation of powers and the federal framework of the USA - broader political culture

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37
Q

Who is the Republican leader in the Senate?

A

Mitch McConnell

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38
Q

Who is the Dem leader in the Senate?

A

Chuck Schumer

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39
Q

Who is the Dem leader in the House?

A

Nancy Pelosi

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40
Q

Who is the Republican leader in the House?

A

Kevin McCarthy

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41
Q

Why was Trump unable to pass healthcare reforms?

A

Congressional opposition

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42
Q

Where does most of Trump’s support come from?

A

Grassroot members - lawmakers staying loyal out of fear

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43
Q

What is the local dems name on the ticket in Minnesota?

A

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

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44
Q

What are the DNC and RNC?

A

National party organisations - main roles are to organise the national convention that formally nominates the presidential candidate and to draw up the party’s national platform - beyond that their role is limited - no power over candidate selection.

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45
Q

Who is the chair of the DNC?

A

Jaime Harrison

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46
Q

Who is the chair of the RNC?

A

Ronna McDaniel

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47
Q

What is the Hill Committee?

A

Aim to get their members of their party elected to Congress

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48
Q

Examples of Hill Committees?

A

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee.

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49
Q

What do committees coordinate?

A

Campaigns and donors - direct supporters donations to target seats or to shore up vulnerable incumbents. Sometimes run ads and campaigns, attacking opponents.

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50
Q

What did the NRSC do in 2020?

A

Ran a billboard campaign - change the name of the democrat candidate to reflect the individual state.

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51
Q

How many members are there of the Democratic Socialists of America?

A

50,000

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52
Q

Who were endorsed by the DSA?

A

AOC and Rashida Tlaib

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53
Q

What is the Tea Party?

A

Conservative/populist/libertarian.

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54
Q

What happened in 2020?

A

Steve King lost primary - racist - became largely ostracised by Republican House Leadership.
McConnell said King’s comments were unworthy of his elected position. King also removed from House committee assignments - Agriculture - important sector for his widely rural district - seen to have lost his voice. Lost several important endorsements - conservative evangelical leaders in the state - seen as electorally vulnerable. Rare example of primaries being used to select less polarising and extreme candidates.

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55
Q

Who are the moderate republicans?

A

Main Street Partnership - fiscally conservative - more willing to compromise on budgets - vote alongside Dems on social issues like abortion and same sex marriage.

56
Q

Who are the Conservative Republicans?

A

Republican Study Committee - fiscally and socially conservative - increasingly unwilling to compromise on conservative goals, as seen in the shutdown and debt ceiling debate.

57
Q

Who are the Libertarian Republicans?

A

Fiscally very conservative but may vote alongside Dems on foreign policy, cuts to defence spending, sentencing reform and some social issues like same sex marriage.

58
Q

Who are the Liberal Democrats?

A

Progressive Caucus - influenced by big gov policies of New Deal and Great Society - further on healthcare reform and regulation of the banking industry but had to compromise.

59
Q

Who are the Centrist Democrats?

A

New Democrats - third way between conservative and liberal extremes - influenced by the economic policies of Reagan - much more likely to compromise on fiscal and social issues e.g. workfare, tax cuts, NAFTA, don’t ask don’t tell and DOMA

60
Q

Who are the Conservative Democrats?

A

Blue Dog Coalition - elected in conservative red states - challenge Democrats on fiscal and social policy - large membership after 2008 that was able to influence Obamacare and the stimulus - faced heavy loss since.

61
Q

What is a realignment election?

A

Changing the way people choose who they support

62
Q

How do you vote?

A

How you shoot

63
Q

What happens as America gets richer?

A

More likely to vote Republucan

64
Q

What was Hoover’s approach to economics?

A

Laissez-faire economics

65
Q

How did Roosevelt change government?

A

Layer cake federalism to marble cake federalism

66
Q

Who started to support the Dems?

A

Jews, Black people, Catholics, Irish - northern. states become Democrat - Dixiecrats get annoyed

67
Q

Why did the Dixiecrats vote for Kennedy in 1960?

A

Because they can cope with them but can’t trust Nixon.

68
Q

Why did Dixiecrats vote Republican in 1964?

A

Dems had evolved - endorsed the end of segregation was so awful to the Dixiecrats that they wouldn’t support the Dems.

69
Q

What was the Second realignment?

A

Nixon, Humphrey and Wallace

70
Q

How did Nixon absorb the Republicans?

A

May not be able to tell the SCOTUS how to think - start to desegregate at your own pace.

71
Q

What happened to the Reps?

A

Corollary - get a bit of racism and a little bit of Jesus - WASP beliefs

72
Q

What made the Reps the party of anti-abortion?

A

Roe vs Wade

73
Q

What are parties?

A

Internal Coalitions

74
Q

Who is a part of the voter coalition of the Dems?

A

Women, Ethnic minorities, Jewish people, Post graduate and college grads, Urban dwellers - more diverse - more densely populated - more likely to work in the city and therefore likely to be more educated.

75
Q

What is the voter coalition of the Reps?

A

Men, White people, White Evangelical, Protestants and Catholics, Less educated, Rural dwellers - more likely to be less educated and less diverse states and therefore this explains this.

76
Q

What has happened to voting?

A

Less bipartisan - major policies passed with very little support from the opposing party

77
Q

Who did Johnson rely on?

A

Republicans - ivil Rights Act 1964 and VRA 1965

78
Q

Who was more in favour of the CRA in the Senate?

A

Republicans - 81% vs 69% of Dems

79
Q

How many Republicans broke rank in 1974?

A

7/17 - voted to impeach Nixon

80
Q

What happened in Trump’s impeachment?

A

Not one of the 195 Republican lawmakers sided with the Democrats with Trump.

81
Q

How is ideology a main divide?

A

Elected representatives stand politically within their party - moderate, mainstream or extreme - huge influence over how they vote.

82
Q

How is geography a divide?

A

Where they come from influences their vote.

83
Q

How does personality affect divides?

A

Many internal divides reflect loyalty and support for prominent figures within each party.

84
Q

How does context affect party unity?

A

Parties and individuals most loyal when seeking party nomination - nearly all of the most loyal and partisan Democrat senators - Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren - sought the 2020 nomination.

85
Q

When are lawmakers more likely to work together?

A

Lawmakers most often willing to work together in the lead-up to congressional elections to prove to their voters that they can “govern and deliver”.

86
Q

When are lawmakers likely to have less loyalty?

A

Second half of a two-term - lame duck period - can also see reduced levels of party loyalty - legislators have less incentive to keep in with the president.

87
Q

Who intensified the unity of parties?

A

Trump

88
Q

How much did the Reps stick to their party?

A

91% in 2018

89
Q

How much did the Dems stick to their party?

A

89% in 2018

90
Q

When was Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America?

A

1994

91
Q

What happened in Feb 2020?

A

Senate passed a resolution to limit Trump’s power to order military action against Iran without first seeking Congress’ permission. 8 Reps joined the Dems to pass the measure.

92
Q

What was a recent bipartisan bill?

A

CARES Act March 2020

93
Q

How many House Reps voted to impeach trump in Jan 2021

A

10

94
Q

What has party unity votes dropped from and to?

A

69% in 2017 to 50% in 2018 - lowest since 2002

95
Q

Why do Reps want to cut prison numbers?

A

Save money

96
Q

Why do Dems want to cut jail numbers?

A

Favour rehab

97
Q

What do the Libertarian Party promote?

A

Civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism and limiting the size and scope of government.

98
Q

When was the Libertarian Party formed?

A

1971

99
Q

What prompted the founding of the Libs?

A

Prompted due to concerns over Nixon, Vietnam and the introduction of fiat money.

100
Q

Who was Gary Johnson?

A

Party’s presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016 - more culturally liberal than the Dems and more fiscally conservative than Republicans.

101
Q

What are their economic policies?

A

Lower taxes, abolishing the IRS, decreasing the national debt, free trade and free movement, allowing people to opt out of Social Security and eliminating the welfare state - utilizing private charities.

102
Q

What are their social policies?

A

End prohibition of illegal drugs, advocating criminal justice reform, open immigration, separation of church and state, neutrality in diplomatic relations, supporting same-sex marriage, ending capital punishment and supporting gun ownership rights.

103
Q

Where did they gain a seat?

A

Wyoming House of Reps

104
Q

How many voters are registered as Libertarian?

A

693,634

105
Q

Who was the first female candidate to receive an electoral vote?

A

Tonie Nathan in 1972

106
Q

What was the Dallas Accord?

A

Implicit agreement at the 1974 Libertarian National Convention to compromise between the larger minarchist and smaller anarcho-capitalist factions - adopting a platform that explicitly did not say whether it was desirable for the state to exist.

107
Q

What does the Prohibition Party stand for?

A

Opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages - integral part of the temperance movement.
Oldest existing third party and third longest active party.

108
Q

When did the party last receive over 100,000?

A

1948

109
Q

When did the party last receive over 10,000 votes?

A

1976

110
Q

What is the Prohibition party’s platform today

A

Liberal on economic issues - supports Social Security, animal rights and free education. More conservative on social issues - temperance, school prayer and a consistent life ethic - anti abortion - no capital punishment - anti-assisted suicide.
Opposed to porn, prohibition on gambling and abolition of all state lotteries.

111
Q

What elections did third parties affect the outcome?

A

1968, 1992, 2000

112
Q

How much of the popular vote did third parties get in 2012 and 2016?

A

2%
6%

113
Q

What cost Al Gore the presidency?

A

Nader’s 2.7% for the Green Party - nearly 100,000 votes in Florida - Bush won by 537

114
Q

How much did Nader get in New Hampshire and how much did Bush win by?

A

7,000 - 22,000

115
Q

In the 5 House elections between 2008 and 2016, how much was the combined vote for third parties?

A

Never exceeds 3.6% in 2012 - Senate averaged 2.5% - highest in 2010 with 6.6%

116
Q

How much did the Green Party get in South Carolina?

A

9.4%

117
Q

How much did the Constitution Party get in Utah?

A

5.7%

118
Q

How much did the Libs win in Indiana?

A

5.4%

119
Q

How many EC votes did Wallace get?

A

45 on 13% of the vote - concentrated votes in the south

120
Q

How many EC votes did Ross Perot get?

A

0 on 19% of the vote - widely spread

121
Q

Who was excluded from TV debates in 2016?

A

Jill Stein and Gary Johnson

122
Q

What was co-opted in 2000?

A

Perot’s policy on the budget deficit - led to the Reform Party’s vote had fallen from 19% to 0.4%

123
Q

Why do Ballot Access laws impact minor parties?

A

Laws in each state regulate how third party candidates can qualify - Tennessee - straightforward 0 25 signatures on a petition. New York and California - much more demanding. NY must gain a certain number of signatures in every county. California - number of signatures must be equal to 1% of the electorate in the state.

124
Q

What happened in 2014?

A

Nevada voted to remove these oppositions in May 2014. Focus on different issues.

125
Q

What are parties?

A

Big tents

126
Q

What was the impact of the McGovern Fraser Commission?

A

Recommended far greater transparency over how states choose their delegates, giving all members, and the public, a say in the selection.
Led to primaries for selecting candidates - big impact on the influence of party leadership.

127
Q

What did Alison Lundergan Grimes do?

A

Democratic Senate candidate for Kentucky - emphasised her opposition to Obama’s energy policies - important issue in Kentucky - source of a lot of jobs.

128
Q

What has TV allowed?

A

Allowing candidates to take control of their own campaign without the need for the party leadership - harder for them to control the messaging

129
Q

How is it different to the UK?

A

UK voters vote for a party - US is more candidate and issue focussed - have to compete with other members of their party - build on their brand and on key issues

130
Q

What are donations to political parties limited to?

A

$32,400

131
Q

What are donations to candidates limited to?

A

$5000

132
Q

What does the government match?

A

First %250

133
Q

What did the FEC Act 1979 do?

A

Allowed individuals, unions and corporations to give unlimited donations to parties, as long as it wasn’t used for elections - unregulated donations = soft money.

134
Q

What is the Broder thesis?

A

Parties have largely abdicated their role in formulating policy and positions in the area of foreign policy and too much has been left to the experts - Kissinger, Rostow.

135
Q

What has led to the decline of purple America?

A

Gerrymandering

USA Government and Politics (7 decks)

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