American Politics Quiz

Which of the following was a common practice of political machines in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century to maintain their power and control over local politics?

• Providing free education to constituents

• Hosting public debates

• Offering patronage and bribes to constituents

• Running social media campaigns

Which of the following is a way in which party polarization impacts Congress in the United States?

• By creating the issue of party-line voting and extremist views in Congress

• By promoting bipartisanship and compromise in Congress

• By increasing the overlap between the two major parties

• By reducing the influence of political parties in Congress

• By increasing the number of independent candidates in Congress

Which of the following accurately describes the Jeffersonian Republicans and their beliefs?

• They were a party in the late 18th and early 19th century, who believed in a stronger national government

• They were a party in the early 18th, who believed in a monarchy

• They were a party in the late 18th and early 19th century, who believed in a weaker national government

• They were a party in the late 18th and early 19th century, who believed in a one-party system

Duverger’s law holds that plurality voting rules in singe member districts will result in

• Ideologically polarized parties

• A system that favors small parties

• A one-party system

• A two-party system

• A system that favors populist candidates

The practice of tailoring campaign messages to individuals in small, specialized groups is referred to as

• Indexing

• Winnowing

• Micro-targeting

• Voter mobilization

Which of the following best describes the role of factions within major parties?

• Factions exist within parties because parties are coalitions of people who represent many diverse interests

• Factions do not exist; party members largely agree about all issues in a party’s platform

• Parties are usually divided into no more than two factions

• Factions are relevant only during elections; they are not relevant among officials who have already been elected

• Factions nearly always result in major parties being split up into smaller parties

In What way are interest groups different from a political party?

• Political parties try to influence government while interest groups rig elections

• Interest groups influence government while parties try to control it through electing officials

• Interest groups are small groups that work to besmirch an elected official’s reputation, while parties seek to influence government through lobbying

• Interest groups are terrorist organizations that seek to collapse the government while parties try to stop them

• Interest groups seek to control government while parties try to influence government