Unit 8

Question 1

What is a political party?

Answer 1

A coalition of people seeking to control the government by contesting elections.

Question 2

Where can elections occur?

Answer 2

On all levels—local, state, and national.

Question 3

Who can you elect on the state level?

Answer 3

Judges, senators, governors.

Question 4

Who can you elect on the national level?

Answer 4

President, state representatives (for the House of Representatives).

Question 5

Who can you elect on the local level?

Answer 5

Local officials such as the mayor, town/city council members, council commissioners, etc.

Question 6

Party Electorate

Answer 6

The largest component of an American political party; represents and constitutes the voters or the people who identify with a party.

Question 7

Party Polarization

Answer 7

The growing gap between the stands of the parties on policy issues.

Question 8

What is the positive effect of party polarization?

Answer 8

Polarization makes clear differences between the parties, which makes politics easier to understand for voters.

Question 9

What is the negative effect of party polarization?

Answer 9

Polarization makes compromise more difficult, as it brews conflict.

Question 10

Who were wary of the effects of political parties on the United States?

Answer 10

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington; both were against the formation of political parties, believing it would lead to corruption and national divisiveness.

Question 11

What is Federalist #10?

Answer 11

An essay written by James Madison for the Federalist Papers, which addresses concerns about factions and how a Republican form of government is an effective way to maintain factions while still promoting freedom of thought.

Question 12

Party in the Organization

Answer 12

Has a national office, full-time staff, rules and bylaws (self-regulatory laws), and budgets. It is made up of people who organize party elections and makes rules.

Examples include: state chairpersons, precinct leaders, officials in the party’s Washington office.

Question 13

Party in Government

Answer 13

Consists of elected officials who claim to be members of the party. Leaders are the main spokespersons for the party; they must convince their own party members to vote for their policies.

Examples include: presidents, members of Congress, governors, and lesser officeholders.

Question 14

What are the functions of linkage institutions?

Answer 14

It translates input from public opinion to outputs from policymakers. Are channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda.

Question 15

What are the four main linkage institutions?

Answer 15

1. Parties
2. Elections
3. Interest Groups
4. Media

Question 16

What functions should political parties perform in order to become effective linkage institutions?

Answer 16

1. Nominates/Recruits candidates (seeks party leader)
2. Run campaigns
3. Give cues to voters (symbolic and psychological)
4. Articulate/Simplifies policies
5. Coordinate policymaking/Help organize the government
6. Links people to the government
7. Strategic mobilization; develops emotional bonds between voters
8. Provide alternatives for policy issues/”Loyal opposition”
9. Provide accountability (side with policies that align with their party label)

Question 17

What is rational-choice theory?

Answer 17

A theory developed by Anthony Downs that explains the actions of voters and politicians. Assumes that individuals act on their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.

Question 18

What is a party image?

Answer 18

The voter’s perception of what Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as Conservatism or Liberalism.

Question 19

What is party identification?

Answer 19

A citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party over another.

Question 20

Define bipartisanship.

Answer 20

Cooperation between the people and government, or cooperation between different parts of government.

ie. Democrats and Republicans have to work together in the House of Congress in order to pass legislation.

Question 21

Define gridlock.

Answer 21

Where no progress is being made because rival parties are controlling different parts of government.

Question 22

What is split-ticket voting?

Answer 22

Where a voter votes for a member contrary to one’s political party into office, as well as voting for their own respective party member into another office.

Question 23

What is the national committee?

Answer 23

An institution that keeps the party operating between each National Convention (a meeting of party delegates every four years) and is composed of representatives from each state/territory.

Question 24

What is a coalition?

Answer 24

A group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends on.

Question 25

True or False: Political parties always follow the proposed policies they advocate on.

Answer 25

False. Voters vote for these political parties because they push for the policies they want to see in office; however, party leaders don’t always fall through.

Question 26

What issue positions do both major parties argue on?

Answer 26

Foreign policy, immigration, abortion, health care, environment, taxes, rising college costs.

Question 27

What were the party eras?

Answer 27

Historical periods in which the majority of voters tend to cling to the party in power, which tend to win a majority of elections.

Question 28

What is a critical election?

Answer 28

It is an electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace the old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority (also known as Party Realignment).

Question 29

What is party realignment?

Answer 29

The displacement of a majority party by a minority party, often occurring during a critical election period and often associated with a major crisis or trauma in the nation’s history.

Question 30

What was the New Deal Coalition?

Answer 30

A coalition forged by Democrats. Its basic elements include the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and jews, the poor, southernors, African Americans, and intellectuals/labor unions.

Question 31

Who proposed the New Deal Coalition?

Answer 31

Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Question 32

What is party dealignment?

Answer 32

The gradual disengagement of people from the parties (usually caused by shrinking party identification).

Question 33

What are third parties?

Answer 33

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties and rarely win elections.

Question 34

What type of third parties are there?

Answer 34

1. Parties that promote certain causes or take a relatively extreme ideological position such as socialism or libertarianism.
2. Splinter parties, or offshoots of a major political party. (ie. Teddy Roosevelt’s Progressives in 1912)
3. Parties that are merely extensions of a popular individuals with presidential aspirations. (ie. John Anderson and Ross Perot offered voters an alternative option for when they didn’t agree with the Democratic or Republican candidates)

Question 35

Winner-Take-All System

Answer 35

An electoral system in which legislative seats are only awarded to the candidates who come in first in their constituents. (Guarantees a two-party system)

Question 36

Why is it difficult for smaller third parties to win in United States elections?

Answer 36

1. The electoral system involves a single-member plurality electoral district.
2. It goes by a winner-takes-all system.
3. Elections are won by plurality vote.
4. It is also won via majority vote for presidency.

Question 37

Proportional Representation

Answer 37

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislatives seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election. (Guarantees a multiparty system)

Question 38

Coalition Government

Answer 38

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature.

Question 39

Duverger’s Law

Answer 39

The principle that in a democracy, single-member districts and plurality voting tend to favor a two-party system.

Question 40

Responsible Party Model

Answer 40

Parties should offer clear choices to the voters and, once in office, should carry out their campaign promises.

Question 41

What conditions does the Responsible Party Model require?

Answer 41

1. Parties must present distinct, comprehensive programs for governing the nation.
2. Each party’s candidates should be committed to its program and have the discipline to carry out its program.
3. The majority party must implement its programs, and the minority party must state what it would do if it were in power.
4. The majority party must accept responsibility for the performance of the government.