Political Parties

Question 1

a closed meeting of political party members

Answer 1

caucus

Question 2

the type of early political parties that were formed by legislative members (as a caucus) around common issues of concern

Answer 2

cadre parties

Question 3

the type of political parties that originated in social groups (outside legislatures) seeking representation (e.g. labor/workers parties)

Answer 3

mass parties

Question 4

the type of politicial parties that week to obtain electoral support wherever it can be found; they seek to govern in the national interest, instead of just as representatives of a specific social group; both the Democratic and Republican parties are catch-all parties

Answer 4

catch-all parties

Question 5

the first U.S. political party that was prominent from 1789-1801; it supported greater federal government power and favored the normalizing of relations with the British; notable members were Alexander Hamilton and President John Adams; it significantly weakened after losing the 1800 elections and dissolved in the years following the War of 1812

Answer 5

Federalist Party

Question 6

political party established by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison during the 1790s to oppose the Federalist Party, especially its policies to expand federal government power and its foreign policy leanings favoring the British over the French; both Jefferson and Madison were members of the party during their presidencies; it became the dominant party after the elections of 1800

Answer 6

Democratic-Republican Party

Question 7

political party established during the 1820s through the evolution of the Democratic-Republican Party and its consolidation by Andrew Jackson; the party’s original platform opposed a national bank, supported territorial expansion, and opposed the abolition of slavery

Answer 7

Democratic Party

Question 8

political party established in response to the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson as President; these party members strongly opposed Jackson’s character, his policies, and the expansion of presidential power during his presidency

Answer 8

Whig Party

Question 9

political party established during the 1850s in opposition to the Democratic Party; its original platform supported the abolition of slavery and pro-business policies; the GOP won the House in 1858 and the presidency in 1860 (Abe Lincoln)

Answer 9

Republican Party (GOP)

Question 10

protest party established during the 1890s in response to the socioeconomic problems of the Gilded Age (ex: banking panics, economic recession, declines in crop prices, rising debt, and rising unemployment); its political strategy entailed popular appeals to a base of small farmers and non-industrial laborers

Answer 10

Populist Party

Question 11

a short-lived third party established by Theodore Roosevelt after he failed to win the 1912 Republican presidential nomination; the party supported progressive reforms (e.g. fair business competition, labor rights, environmental conservation, anti-corruption policies)

Answer 11

Progressive “Bull Moose” Party

Question 12

terms used to describe an era and Republican Party members who generally supported popular New Deal policies from the 1930s to 1960s; Me-tooism ended after the 1968 presidential election of Richard Nixon

Answer 12

Me-tooism and “Me-too” Republicans

Question 13

process by which public officials provide rewards, benefits, and jobs in exchange for political support

Answer 13

patronage

Question 14

hierarchial organizations that control politics based on patronage and dominance of nomination processes; New York City’s Tammany Hall was a longtime political machine; powerful Tammany bosses included William “Boss” Tweed and George Washington Plunkitt

Answer 14

political machines

Question 15

rules that structure elections (includes ballots, vote conversion to seats, and districting)

Answer 15

electoral system

Question 16

electoral system in which a single legislative member represents a defined constituency; a candidate simply needs to obtain the most votes in an election to win (there is no requirement of a majority of >50%); SMP is the electoral system primarily used for U.S. congressional elections

Answer 16

Single-member plurality (SMP)

Question 17

electoral system requiring a candidate to secure greater than 50% of the vote in the first round to win outright; if no candidate secures greater than 50%, then a second round “runoff” will be held between the two strongest first round candidates

Answer 17

Majority (two-round or “runoff”)

Question 18

electoral system in which legislative seats are assigned in proportion to the number of votes won; the number of votes each party wins determines how many candidates are elected from each party; PR systems can also establish multi-member constituencies

Answer 18

Proportional representation (PR)

Question 19

French political scientist who proposed “Duverger’s Law,” a theory that asserts that the single-member plurality (SMP) electoral system likely produces a two-party system, while proportional representation. (PR) electoral systems likely produce a multiparty system

Answer 19

Maurice Duverger

Question 20

the term used to describe political conflicts over the nation’s morality

Answer 20

culture wars