Political Parties

Which of the following is a linkage function primarily associated with interest groups?

• Interviewing citizens

• Presenting poll results

• Lobbying policy-makers

• Endorsing party platforms

Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties?

• Raising funds for candidates’ campaigns

• Educating voters on upcoming elections

• Eliminating the patronage system in the bureaucracy

• Reducing voter fraud in elections

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the linkage function that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) would have with regard to a recently passed federal law protecting home buyers?

• Sponsoring a new candidate and mobilizing voters to unseat the author of the legislation in the next election

• Investigating and reporting possible corruption in the passage of home buyer protection legislation

• Sharing research and constituent preferences for enforcing the law at a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hearing

• Submitting an amicus curiae brief for the federal district court to review and overturn the recently passed law

**Which of the following statements describes the role political parties within Congress play to promote their party’s public policy agenda?

• The minority party controls the rules and calendar, ensuring they are favorable to their party’s policy agenda

• The majority party appoints staffers in the executive branch, including the bureaucracy, who promote the party’s legislative priorities

• The minority party recruits candidates for government office when there is a special election

• The majority party selects committee chairs who promote the party’s legislative priorities