5.4 -- How and Why Political Parties Change

What is the primary reason political parties change over time?

• To increase their financial resources

• To avoid media scrutiny

• To better reflect the attitudes and preferences of Americans

• To maintain their historical ideologies

How has the role of candidates in political parties changed?

• Candidates are now less important than the party

• Candidates and parties have equal importance

• Candidates are now more important than the party

• Candidates are no longer part of the political process

What impact has new media technology had on political parties?

• It has weakened the party's role in nominating candidates

• It has strengthened the party's role in nominating candidates

• It has eliminated the need for political parties

• It has had no impact on political parties

Why do political parties change their platforms over time?

• To contradict their larger ideology

• To appeal to a larger swath of the electorate

• To maintain consistency with past platforms

• To avoid legal issues

What is a coalition in the context of political parties?

• A group of candidates running for office

• A demographic group that votes as a block

• A financial agreement between parties

• A media partnership for campaigns

What is party realignment?

• A temporary alliance between two parties

• A shift in party priorities after significant electoral defeats

• A complete dissolution of a political party

• A minor change in party policies

What led to the realignment of black Americans from the Republican to the Democratic Party?

• The Democratic Party's opposition to civil rights

• The Republican Party's economic policies

• The Democratic Party's focus on alleviating poverty and civil rights

• The Republican Party's strong civil rights legislation

How have campaign finance laws affected political parties?

• They have eliminated the need for campaign funding

• They have changed how much money can be lawfully given to candidates and parties

• They have had no effect on political parties

• They have increased the amount of money parties can receive

What was the purpose of Mitt Romney's Project Orca?

• To track voter turnout in real time

• To develop new social media strategies

• To eliminate the need for campaign volunteers

• To create a new party platform

What was a key difference between Project Orca and Project Narwhal?

• Project Orca was more successful than Project Narwhal

• Project Narwhal targeted emails and texts based on psychographics

• Project Orca focused on demographic data only

• Project Narwhal was a financial strategy