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WorksheetsReview Parties
Total questions: 34
Worksheet time: 17mins
How do American political parties compare with political parties in Europe?
Because of federalism, American political parties are decentralized, with significant power at the state and local levels.
American parties are stronger and have more loyal members.
American parties are more centralized, with more control by the national party organizations.
American parties are more centralized, with more control by the national party organizations.
Policy gridlock is most likely to occur when
a party wins a significant majority of the seats in Congress
a party wins a significant majority of the seats in Congress
a political party forms a coalition around a specific policy
the president is of a different party from the majority party in Congress
The influence of political parties has been declining for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
the government has failed to enforce party membership among the electorate
the electorate is becoming increasingly independent from party affiliation
candidates can share their views directly with the electorate through television
the electorate is becoming more educated and so doesn't rely on the party for information
All of the following are purposes of political parties in the U.S. EXCEPT
to serve as linkage institutions between the people and their government
to serve as linkage institutions between the people and their government
to provide alternate interpretations of constitutional law, as it applies to political campaigns
to articulate policies and give cues to voters
to serve as a watchdog on the party in control of the government
The major impact third political parties have on presidential elections has been to
draw enough votes from the major parties to throw the election into the House of Representatives.
generate increased party identification among the electorate.
encourage a larger voter turnout.
develop issues that are later adopted by the major political parties.
Which of the following best describes the practice of "ticket-splitting"?
A presidential nominee selects a running mate who can appeal to voter groups whose support of the nominee is weak
A voter chooses the presidential nominee of one major party, but chooses congressional nominees of the other major party.
A delegate to a national party convention supports the front-runner but remains uncommitted on the party platform.
A member of Congress votes against legislation proposed by his or her party leader.
In the United States a two-party system
has only existed in the 20th century.
has existed since the mid-nineteenth century
has existed throughout United States history.
has never existed
All of the following are recognized functions of the major political parties EXCEPT
recruiting candidates for public office
providing personnel to staff elections and run the government
establishing links between public and government
providing payments for supporting interest groups
A trend toward dealignment began in the 1990s because
the Motor Voter Law has increased registration for the Democrats and Republicans
voters had strong party identification
there was a general mistrust of elected officials
the Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994
Since the last few decades of the 20th century, the hold of the major political parties on the electorate was weakened by all of the following EXCEPT
crossover voting in primaries
split-ticket voting in general elections
the increased importance of the national nominating conventions
news media coverage of campaigns
the rise of political interest groups
Between 1972 and 1981, rules adopted by the Democrats for allocating delegates to the nominating convention tended to...
reward local party leaders who delivered the vote
strengthen representation among traditional Democratic groups such as southerners
make the party itself more democratic
reward large campaign contributors
National convention delegates, compared to their respective party members, tend to be
more liberal if they are Democrats, more conservative if they are Republicans
more liberal regardless of party
more conservative regardless of party
more conservative if they are Democrats, more liberal if they are Republicans
The plurality electoral system in the US means that
the party system will be competitive because it brings in other parties
every party must be a broad-based coalition because they must contain a variety of groups
politics will be more ideological than it would otherwise be
there will be more narrow, small parties
Which of the following statements about minor parties in the US is correct?
They have become increasingly more important in campaigns for federal office
They face obstacles from the election laws of many states
They generally downplay ideology in favor of winning elections
They have been a major force in many national elections
In most states, candidates for office are chosen by
a) the people
the people
party leaders
conventions
primaries
One reason why political parties in the United States today are weaker than in Europe is that, in the United States
the president's power to use appointments to control the Congress is limited
local party leaders rarely have as much power as national ones
candidates are typically chosen by party leaders to run for office
partisanship plays an important role in our social, business, and cultural lives
The Founders saw political parties as
an important aspect of democracy
essential for a representative government
appropriate for a direct democracy but not for a republic
factions motivated by ambition and self-interest
One obvious feature now on trends in party identification is the
increase in Democrats
increase in Republicans
increase in independents
decrease in Republicans and increase in Democrats
Party identification among voters is one way of gauging the strength of a party. Another one is the
number of parties that appear on the ballot in a national election
protection offered to individual parties by the US Constitution
strength of the organization that recruits and campaigns for candidates
amount of attention given to parties by the media
Ticket splitting often leads to...
separation of powers
checks and balances
divided government
liberal politics
The ____ manages the day-to-day work of the party
precinct captain
national chairman
Speaker of the House
Majority Leader of the Senate
Throughout the 1970s, the general thrust of the Democratic rules commissions considering delegate selection was to
create a more unified national organization
weaken the influence of party leaders and enlarge the role of the rank and file members of the party
increase the size of the delegations to accommodate all interest groups
centralize power within the party and make it less ideological
Conventions today are....
media showcases where newscasters influence the outcome
gatherings of representatives from interest groups
places where delegates ratify decisions already made by voters
gatherings where party leaders make important decisions
Elections based on a plurality system discourage new parties from forming because
a plurality system discourages patronage and reduces voter interest in joining a party
a plurality system requires parties to form alliances with other parties to win elections
under this winner-take-all system, no incentive is given for finishing second (or lower)
a plurality system requires each party to be as narrowly based as possible, leaving little room for new parties
The gap between the opinions of convention delegates and those in the rank and file of the party is probably explained by
the types of people who vote in primaries
the rules for selecting such delegates
states laws regarding campaigning
the increasing power of party leaders
The disadvantage of the primary system that has developed in the United States is that it
increases the role of rank-and-file party members to exert an influence over the party's candidate
increases the chances that the party will nominate a candidate who is unappealing to the average voter
decreases the opportunity for those with strong policy preferences to play a role in the party
increases the likelihood of interest groups supporting candidates who are appealing to single-issue voters
Which of the following best describes the fate of most popular third-party
movements?
They displace one of the two major parties and themselves become major parties.
They are ultimately abandoned by the public because their politics are perceived as too radical.
Their supporters become frustrated and withdraw from political process.
They disintegrate when one or both of the major parties adopt the third party’s goals.
The influence of political parties has been declining for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
candidates can share their views directly with the electorate through television.
the electorate is becoming increasingly independent from party affiliation.
the government has failed to enforce party membership among the electorate.
voters can nominate party candidates in primary elections.
Who are superdelegates?
Delegates, like movie stars, who have national recognition and, as a result, have great influence in choosing candidates.
Delegates who have more than one vote.
Powerful members of political parties and elected officials who become delegates without having to run in primaries or caucuses.
Delegates who write the party’s platform at the convention and have a major influence over the issues emphasized.
Which of the following best describes an important role of political parties in American elections?
Parties in the U.S. generally play a more important role in elections than they do in most other democracies.
American parties raise money for campaigns, but the candidate is also responsible for raising money on his or her own.
Party leaders generally select candidates for major offices.
The Democratic party usually gives much more financial support to its candidates than do the Republican
A political party serves all of the following functions in the American political system EXCEPT
Party labels can help voters assess the political beliefs of candidates for public office.
Party labels can help voters assess the political attitudes of candidates for public office.
Party labels can help voters assess the political attitudes of candidates for public office.
Parties help organize government, especially in terms of Congressional leadership.
Parties provide voters with a wider variety of candidates than would be the case if political parties did not exist.
All of the following have been true about third parties EXCEPT
All the states have basically the same procedure for putting them on the ballot
Their ideas have often been absorbed by the major parties.
They often have a narrow set of issues which they rally around.
They often get weaker as the actual election draws near.
Which of the following elections do Earl and Merle Black identify as important to the change in party identification of white Southern voters?
President Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and the 1934 congressional elections
President Ronald Reagan in 1980 and the 1994 congressional elections
President Kennedy in 1960 and President George H. W. Bush in 1988
President William Clinton in 1992 and in 1996
What does it mean to talk about divided government?
Divided government refers to a situation where people are deeply divided ideologically.
