Unit 4: Chapter 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Political Party

Answer 1

an organization that recruits, nominates, and elects party members to office in order to control govt

Question 2

platform

Answer 2

the formal statement of a party’s principles and policy objectives

Question 3

Grassroots organizing

Answer 3

tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters

Question 4

Responsible Party model

Answer 4

political scientists’ view that a function of a party is to offer a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances diff from those of rival parties

Question 5

party in electorate

Answer 5

individuals who identify with or tend to support a party

Question 6

party identifier

Answer 6

individuals who identify themselves as a member of one party or the other

Question 7

independent

Answer 7

a voter who does not belong to any organized political party; often used as a synonym for an unaffiliated voter

Question 8

Tea party movement

Answer 8

a grassroots, conservative protest movement that opposed recent govt actions, includ. economic stimulus spending and health care reform

Question 9

Great Depression

Answer 9

a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II.

Question 10

party organization

Answer 10

the formal party apparatus, includ. committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers

Question 11

loyal opposition

Answer 11

a role that the party out of power plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the govt in power

Question 12

soft money loophole?

In what court case?

Answer 12

• Buckley V. Valeo
• supreme court interpretation of campaign finance law that enabled political parties to raise unlimited funds for party building activities such as voter registration drives and get out the vote (GOTV) efforts

Question 13

Party in Govt

Answer 13

the partisan identifications of elected leaders in local, county, state, and federal govt

Question 14

Truncated govt

Answer 14

when one chamber of congress is controlled by the same party that controls the white house, while the other chamber is controlled by the other party

Question 15

divided govt

Answer 15

the situation that exists when congress is controlled by one party and the presidency by the other

Question 16

characteristics of political parties

Answer 16

• Political parties are organized to support and advance a particular platform, or group of principles
• Each party typically has national, state and local organizations which help choose, fund and support party candidates in various elections.
• They help to shape public opinion

Question 17

What are the three faces of parties (Party organization)

Answer 17

1. party in govt (elected officials)
2. party org (party workers)
3. party in the electorate (party identifier)

Question 18

Describe what parties do and variety of functions

Answer 18

• encourage civic participation
• foster cooperation between divided interests and factions
• foster effective govt
• make govt more effective and have provided important cues for voters

Question 19

Party system

Answer 19

the categorization of the number and competitiveness of political parties in a polity

Question 20

realignment

Answer 20

a shift in party allegiances or electoral support

Question 21

populism

Answer 21

a philosophy supporting the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites

Question 22

Spoils system

Answer 22

the practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs

Question 23

political machine

Answer 23

big-city party organization that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters

Question 24

patronage

Answer 24

system in which a party leader rewarded political supporters with jobs or govt contracts in exchange for their support of the party

Question 25

New Deal

Answer 25

Franklin roosevelt’s broad social welfare program in which the got would bear the responsibility of providing a “safety net” to protect the most disadvantaged members of society

Question 26

New Deal Coalition

Answer 26

the group composed of southern Democrats, northern city dwellers, immigrants, the poor, catholics, labor union members, blue-collar workers, african americans, and women that elected FDR to the presidency four times

Question 27

Dealignment

Answer 27

the situation in which fewer voters support the two major political parties, instead identifying themselves as independent, or splitting their ticket between candidates from more than one party

Question 28

ticket splitting

Answer 28

the situation in which voters vote for candidates from more than one party

Question 29

candidate ocmmittees

Answer 29

organizations that candidates form to support their individual election

Question 30

third party

Answer 30

a party org as opposition or an alternative to the existing parties in a two party system

Question 31

winner-take-all

Answer 31

electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins that office, even if that total is not a majority.

Question 32

Proportional representation system

Answer 32

an electoral structure in which political parties win the number of parliamentary seats equal to the percentage of the vote the party receives

Question 33

Straight ticket voting

Answer 33

when a voter votes for all candidates from one party

Question 34

superdelegates

Answer 34

an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party’s national convention.

Question 35

explain the development of the 5 party systems in U.S. history

Answer 35

1st party system : 1789-1828
*federalists and anti-federalist
2nd party system: 1828-1860
*the democrats rise to power…the jacksonian democrats
3rd party system: 1860-1896
*the republicans’ rise to power…Grand Old Party (GOP)
4th party system: 1896-1932
*republican dominance
5th party system: 1932-1968
*democratic dominance…because of great depression

Question 36

why do two parties dominate politics and govt

Answer 36

*there is naturally two sides of an argument
*there are cleavages
*fed and anti fed created two party system
*election laws favor two party system because they are written by parties
*because people usually inherit the ideologies of their parents meaning there is only republican or democrat
*

Question 37

arguments that parties are in decline?

Answer 37

• elimination of political patronage through the requirement of civil service qualifications for govt employees has hurt parties ability to reward loyal followers with govt jobs
• govts increased role over time in providing social welfare
• media now gives info not IG
• campaigns are more candidate centered campaigns

Question 38

list the types of third parties

Answer 38

1. issue advocacy parties (focus on particular issue-short lived)
2. ideologically oriented parties
3. splinter parties (split from main two parties)

Question 39

how do third parties influence political systems?

Answer 39

• influence electoral outcomes
• provide people who are disgruntled with the two major parties the ability to join or form another political party
• put a variety of issues on the national political agenda

Question 40

an example of a third party in 21st century

Answer 40

• tea party movement

- -believe in less govt, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, states’ rights, and national security