Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Gov & Politics > US Political Parties > Flashcards

US Political Parties Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Government Basics flashcards AP® U.S. Government flashcards
1
Q

What do Democrats believe about the role of government?

A

Large government with extensive welfare programmes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What do Democrats believe about taxation?

A

High taxes on the wealthiest are necessary to fund social welfare programmes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Examples of a Democratic immigration policy

A

DREAM Act introduced by Obama would allow illegal immigrants to apply to become citizens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What do Republicans believe about the role of government?

A

Limited government to allow individual Americans to work for themselves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What do Republicans believe about taxation?

A

Lower taxes, instead believing in trickle-down economics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Organisation of US political parties

A
  • Lack of clear leader
  • Federal structure
  • Pressure groups have significant roles in parties
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why do US political parties not have a clear leader?

A

Due to the separation of powers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Who is leader of the Democrats in the Senate?

A

Chuck Schumer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Who is leader of the Republicans in the Senate?

A

Mitch McConnell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Who is leader of the Democrats in the House?

A

Hakeem Jeffries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Who is leader of the Republicans in the House?

A

Kevin McCarthy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How do parties have a federal structure?

A

Each party has its own party in each state (e.g. California Democratic Party). These state parties often have different ideologies to each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What role do state parties play?

A

Organising primaries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the two national party organisations?

A
  • Republican National Committee (RNC)
  • Democratic National Committee (DNC)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Roles of national party organisations

A
  • Organise national convention
  • Formally nominate presidential candidate
  • Draw up party’s national platform
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the four ‘Hill Committees’?

A

Democratic:
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)

Republican:
- National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
- National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Role of the four Hill committees

A
  • Coordinate electoral campaigns
  • Run ads (particularly attacking opponents)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Example of a group closely associated with the Democrats

A

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Membership: 50,000
Campaign to help progressive Democrats win seats

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Examples of candidates the DSA has endorsed

A
  • Rashida Tliab
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Example of a group closely associated with the Republicans

A

the Tea Party Movement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is factionalism?

A

Different groups within the same party competing for power and influence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Main 4 ways parties have changed in the last 50 years

A
  • Geography
  • Ideology
  • Demographics
  • Cohesiveness
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What geographical regions do each party currently hold

A

Democrats: East and West coasts
Republicans: The south

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

When was the last time a president won the South?

A

Jimmy Carter, 1976

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

When did the Republicans last win in California?

A

George HW Bush, 1988

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How have the parties ideologically shifted?

A

Republicans become more conservative
Democrats become more liberal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What was the ‘Southern Strategy’?

A

In the 70s and 80s, Republican candidates deliberately targeted disillusioned white southerners who were ‘left behind’ following the expansion of Civil Rights

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Examples of southern conservative Democrats who switched party in the late 1960s

A
  • Jesse Helms
  • Strom Thurmond
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What characteristics would a typical Republican voter have?

A

White, rural, Church-going, less educated

30
Q

What characteristics would a typical Democrat voter have?

A

Urban, diverse backgrounds, less religious, higher educated

31
Q

How has the cohesiveness of parties changed over time?

A
  • Less bipartisanship
  • Increased internal party unity
32
Q

How did parties vote on the 1965 Civil Rights Act in the Senate?

A

81% Republicans and 69% Democrats backed - introduced by a Democratic president, shows parties used to often work together

33
Q

How many Republicans voted to impeach Trump in 2019?

A

0

34
Q

Are the US parties united? - YES

A
  • Congressmen nearly always vote with their party
  • Parties are ideologically cohesive
  • Congressmen rarely speak out against their party
35
Q

Are the US parties united? - NO

A
  • Bipartisan votes can occur
  • Party rebellions can occur
  • Separation of powers allows Congress to be independent from President
36
Q

In 2018, what percentage of Congressmen voted with their party on average?

A

Republicans - 91%
Democrats - 89%

37
Q

Example of a recent bipartisan bill

A

CARES Act (Covid response)

38
Q

How many Republicans voted to impeach Trump in 2021?

A

Ten (in the house)

39
Q

What is pork barrelling?

A

When elected officials use their influence to ensure their district receives extra funding to help their re-election chances

40
Q

3 Democrat factions

A
  • Blue Dog coalition
  • New Democrat coalition
  • Congressional Progressive Caucus
41
Q

3 Republican factions

A
  • Tuesday Group
  • Republican Study Committee
  • Freedom Caucus
42
Q

Ideology of Blue Dog coalition

A

‘Fiscal responsibility’, neutral on social issues, willing to find common cause with Republicans

43
Q

Examples of Blue Dog members

A
  • Stephanie Murphy
  • Lou Correa
44
Q

Ideology of New Democrat coalition

A

Centre-left

45
Q

How many members are there in the New Democrat coalition?

A

104 in 2020

46
Q

Example of a member of both the New Democrat coalition and Blue Dog coalition

A

Henry Cuellar

47
Q

How many members are in the Congressional Progressive caucus?

A

98 in 2020

48
Q

Ideology of Congressional Progressive caucus

A

Progressive left

49
Q

Ideology of the Tuesday Group

A

Moderate/centrist Republicans, willing to compromise with Democrats

50
Q

How many House members does the Tuesday Group have?

A

15

51
Q

Ideology of the Republican Study committee

A

Limited government, high defence spending, traditional values

52
Q

How many Republicans are in the Republican Study committee?

A

147 (3/4 of all House Republicans)

53
Q

Ideology of the Freedom Caucus

A

Far right social conservatism, small government

54
Q

Who chairs the Freedom Caucus?

A

Scott Perry

55
Q

What is party decline?

A

Argument that parties have become weaker over time

56
Q

What is party renewal?

A

Argument that parties have grown in relevance and importance in recent years

57
Q

Arguments that parties are in decline

A
  • Growth of primaries (parties have less control over candidates)
  • Campaigns focus on individuals over parties
  • Split ticket voting is still common
58
Q

Arguments that parties are in renewal

A
  • Candidates’ ideologies usually closely align with their party
  • Few independents elected
  • Split ticket voting has significantly decreased
59
Q

What was the only state in 2020 which split its Senate and presidential vote?

A

Maine

60
Q

What are some weaknesses of American parties?

A
  • Power is dispersed and messaging from different branches of a party can be contrasting
  • Pressure groups and PACs are extremely influential
  • Primaries give the party little power over their candidates
61
Q

Who are the two independent senators?

A
  • Angus King
  • Bernie Sanders
    Both caucus with the Democrats
62
Q

When was the last time a third party/independent candidate won any votes in the Electoral College?

A

1968

63
Q

In 2020 what percentage of people voted for the two main parties?

A

98%

64
Q

Arguments that third parties are significant in the US

A
  • Can ‘spoil’ election outcomes
  • Independents can be elected to Congress
  • Their policies can be adopted by major parties
65
Q

Arguments that third parties are insignificant in the US

A
  • They rarely make an impact on the final outcome of presidential elections
  • FPTP is the electoral system in most of the US
  • Lack media coverage and rarely invited to participate in televised debates
66
Q

How did the Libertarian party impact the 2020 election?

A

Their candidate gained more votes in some states than Biden’s margin of victory
Example: In Georgia, the party received 62,000 votes whereas Biden only won by 8,000

67
Q

Similarities of UK and US two party system

A
  • Large ‘big tent’ parties with a range of ideologies
  • Contrasting left-wing and right-wing parties
  • Both benefit from the electoral system in place
68
Q

Differences between UK and US two party system

A
  • Conservatives are much more socially progressive than Republicans
  • Party unity is generally lower in the US
  • The UK has many parties in its legislature
69
Q

Cultural comparison of third parties

A
  • UK third parties have much stronger histories (e.g. Liberal Party prominent in 19th century)
  • UK has prominent nationalist parties due to devolved nature
  • Both countries struggle to take third parties seriously
70
Q

Structural comparison of third parties

A
  • FPTP limits third party chances
  • US has much stricter requirements to get on the ballot making it harder for third parties
  • Harder for third parties to get on televised debates in US
71
Q

What year were the Libertarians founded?

A

1971

72
Q

Requirements to get on the ballot in the US compared to UK

A

In US (Oklahoma):
- $35,000 upfront cost

In UK
- £500 refundable deposit
- 10 signatures

Gov & Politics (23 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions