US Gov Ch9 Sec 3 Political Parties

What is the origin of the today’s two major U.S. political parties?

• Constitution

• Federalist Papers

• a party split

• Bill of Rights

Which of the following best describes a political party’s ideology?

• set of proposals for new laws to be passed

• list of candidates chosen to run for office

• campaign statement on how tax burden should be addressed

• ideas about the proper goals of government

A significant difference between political parties and interest groups is that

• political parties tend to focus on a single overriding issue, such as taxes.

• political parties pressure government from the outside.

• the main goal of political parties is to elect their members to public office.

• interest groups operate in all areas of the country.

What party system is the most common party system?

• one-party

• two-party

• third-party

• multiparty

In the 2000 presidential election, Ralph Nader ran as the candidate of the Green Party. Which of the following best describes the role he took?

• independent candidate

• multiparty candidate

• write-in candidate

• third-party candidate

In the 2000 presidential election, which party was hurt more by Ralph Nader’s candidacy?

• Green Party

• Democratic Party

• Republican Party

• Federalist Party

Which of the following is a principal reason that a political party would sponsor an affiliated organization, such as the National Federation of Republican Women?

• bolstering party fund-raising

• winning over specific groups of voters

• filtering out extremist candidates

• helping elect the parties’ congressional candidates

How does the fact that parties provide a political “brand name” help a political party?

• Most voters join one of the two major parties.

• White conservative men tend to vote for Republicans.

• Office seekers are more interested in the good of the party than their own success.

• Voters may vote for an unknown candidate because they support the party’s views.

In our two-party system, each major party tries to

• form a coalition with the other.

• focus on one overriding issue.

• appeal to as broad a base as possible.

• avoid catering to special constituencies.

Compared with political parties in multiparty systems, what are parties in our two-party system more likely to do?

• support extremist ideas

• engage in corruption

• lack party unity

• fulfill campaign promises