Chapter 5 Political Parties

Most single-issue parties have been

• short-lived.

• long-lived.

• rooted in times of economic crisis.

• centered around a strong personality.

A multi-party system

• tends to produce a stable government.

• helps one party win the support of a majority of voters.

• causes instability within a government.

• promotes the ideological consensus of the public.

People belong to a particular political party

• according to regulations of State law.

• voluntarily, because they made a personal choice.

• based on the location of the State in which they live.

• according to regulations of federal law.

Which of the following statements about Federalists is TRUE?

• They called for a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

• George Washington founded their party.

• They were generally supported by farmers.

• A strong national government was of great concern to them.

Which of the following is NOT a major function of either of the two major parties in the United States?

• To keep the general public informed about key issues.

• To monitor the conduct of its candidates in office.

• To assure the qualifications of candidates for office.

• To unite people and concentrate solely on one public policy matter.

Over time, the ideas first developed by minor parties are often ____ by major parties.

• ignored

• borrowed

• suppressed

• attacked

Parties that hold a particular set of beliefs and have often supported Marxist thinking are known as

• ideological parties.

• single-issue parties.

• splinter parties.

• economic protest parties.

The two-party system developed in the United States mainly because

• the Constitution established a democratic government.

• conflicts about the Constitution created opposing viewpoints.

• leaders and voters agreed on the existence of two parties.

• it was voted on and approved by both houses of Congress.

The functions of the major parties in United States politics include

• nominating candidates for office.

• insuring the good performance of their elected candidates.

• providing a mechanism for the conduct of government.

• all of the above.

A one-party system

• is what the United States has today.

• creates an unstable government.

• exists in nearly all dictatorships today.

• results in democracy.