openstax Ch. 9 Political Parties Quiz

Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties?

• John Adams

• Alexander Hamilton

• James Madison

• George Washington

Which is the best description of a Party Platform

• party identifiers who have been elected to office and are responsible for fulfilling the party’s promises

• members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other

• the formal structure of the political party and the active members responsible for coordinating party behavior and supporting party candidates

• the collection of a party’s positions on issues it considers politically important

Which of the following was not a third-party challenger?

• Whig Party

• Progressive Party

• Dixiecrats

• Green Party

What techniques led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s?

• They focused heavily on pro-choice policies

• They focused focused on building direct relationships with voters rather than on promoting specific issues

• They opposed the expansion of slavery, and focused on helping to stabilize the Union

• They focused on economic development, and ignored issues that had remained divisive in Congress

In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?

• Proportional representation

• first-past-the-post

• plurality voting

• majoritarian voting

Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment?

• demographic shifts

• changes in key issues

• changes in party stratiegies

• third parties

What impact, if any, do third parties typically have on U.S. elections?

• Third parties bring important issues to the attention of the major parties. They also often serve as spoilers in the elections they enter.

• Third parties are competitive in smaller states and so require candidates to campaign where they otherwise would not.

• Third parties often provide a 'feeder system" that encourages unlikely voters to turn out, but who in the end vote for a more traditional candidate.

• Third parties have no effect on elections in the United States.

Which level of party organization is most responsible for helping the party’s nominee win the presidency?

• precinct

• county

• state

• national

Why is winning votes so important to political parties?

• Parties must win to raise more and more money required to stay in office.

• Parties do not want to look foolish.

• Parties can’t influence and enact policy without winning.

• Parties are more interested in promoting their interests than they are in winning elections.

what does the sorting thesis say?

• It states that voters will vote along the lines that their parents support.

• It suggests that voters choose parties based on deeply held values, like religion, and are unlikely to change positions.

• That voters will be sorted according to house by the sorting hat, but that no one wants to be in Hufflepuff.

• It suggests that polarization is a function of voters’ paying more attention to national politics and voting more consistently