Unit 7: Political Parties

Question 1

(T/F) Political parties are formally sanctioned in Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

What was the underlying cause for the shift from the fourth to the fifth American party system?

Answer 2

the Great Depression

Question 3

(T/F) A system of proportional representation encourages the development of a two-party system.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Party alignment occurring in 1 or 2 elections

Answer 4

Critical Realignment

Question 5

A durable shift in patterns of party support

Answer 5

Realignment

Question 6

Party alignment occurring over 3 or more elections

Answer 6

Secular realignment

Question 7

An organization that sponsors candidates for office

Answer 7

Political party

Question 8

Durable pattern of competition for office between 2 or more parties

Answer 8

Party system

Question 9

A term from political science and political history describing a dramatic change in the political system.

Answer 9

Critical election

Question 10

The executive branch and the legislative branch is split between two parties, and in semi-presidential systems, when the executive branch itself is split between two parties.

Answer 10

Divided government

Question 11

Part of the nominating process of candidates for United States presidential elections.

Answer 11

State primary

Question 12

All of the following activities occur at the party’s national convention except _________.

Answer 12

choosing the party’s congressional leaders

Question 13

Which of the following is true of third parties in the American political system?

Answer 13

They have forced the major parties to address important issues.

Question 14

A statement of a political party’s proposed program

Answer 14

Platform

Question 15

“Winner-Take-All Plurality Voting” helps explain why the United States has a…

Answer 15

Two-party system

Question 16

The __________________ Commission proposed major rules changes to the delegate selection process for the Democratic National Committee Convention (these changes included encouraging states to hold primaries and to make the primaries binding on the delegates, reducing the number of convention seats going automatically to elected officials, and developing quotas for women and minority delegates).

Answer 16

McGovern Fraser

Question 17

The congressional election system in the US is called “first past the post” because

Answer 17

the candidate with the most votes wins even if she did not win a majority of the popular vote

Question 18

one of the two main US political parties which follows a broadly liberal programme

Answer 18

Democratic Party

Question 19

one of the two main US political parties which follows a broadly conservative programme

Answer 19

Republican Party

Question 20

A meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.

Answer 20

State Caucus

Question 21

An organization that seeks to influence public policy

Answer 21

Interest group