Chapter 11

One of the various activities that parties engage in is __________. a. dividing the electorate b. narrowing voter choice c. running candidates d. reducing accountability mechanisms

What is the single greatest influence in establishing a person's first party identification? a. economic status b. religion c. hot-button social issues d. parents

What are some of the major barriers to minor-party political success? a. anti-fusion laws, campaign finance rules, and union shop laws b. the winner-take-all system, public financing rules for presidential campaigns, and the Electoral College system c. constitutional restrictions, voter perceptions, and the secret ballot d. unpopular policies, voter identification laws, and constitutional restrictions

In what way do minor parties make a significant contribution to the political system? a. They frequently win elections in crucial swing states. b. They simplify citizens' choices on Election Day. c. They draft most legislation that is eventually enacted by one of the major parties. d. They reveal political divides and bring to light new ideas.

Which of the following is a minor party that was formed to oppose desegregation? a. the American Independent Party b. the Green Party c. the Free Soil Party d. the Bull Moose Party

What typically precedes a party realignment? a. a caucus b. censure c. a critical election d. economic crises

When was the Era of Good Feelings? a. as political parties first began to develop (1800s) b. during James Monroe's presidency (late 1810s and early 1820s) c. after the Golden Age (1930s) d. during the modern era (1970s)

The most visible instrument that parties use to formulate, convey, and promote public policy is __________. a. its articles b. its constitution c. its platform d. its procedural document

Which factor largely accounts for the failure of the U.S. electoral system to produce a third party that rivals the Democrats and Republicans? a. multi-member districts and a proportional voting system b. single-member districts and a nonpartisan blanket primary system c. multi-member districts and a plurality voting system d. single-member districts and a plurality voting system

A __________ is a collection of policy-oriented researchers and academics who are sources of policy ideas. a. caucus b. convention c. political machine d. think tank

Modern national party conventions serve what end? a. They assemble delegates who will be assessed for their future political potential. b. They mobilize support for the nominee who has essentially already been selected. c. They deliberate on the party's choices for presidential and vice presidential nominees. d. They hold elections to determine new party leaders.

A gradual shift in party coalitions that is based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system is known as a __________ realignment. a. secular b. critical c. party d. piecemeal

What has become the most powerful predictor of how members of Congress vote? a. economic circumstances b. their campaign finances c. how hot-button issues are being discussed in the media d. party affiliation

Members of which of the following groups are most likely to prefer the Democratic Party? a. Jews b. Protestants c. moderates d. men

Which of the following was a prominent feature of the era called the "Golden Age" of political parties? a. bipartisanship b. candidate-centered politics c. party realignment d. political machines

What institutional feature of U.S. politics hinders the success of minor parties? a. the separation of powers system b. the Electoral College c. multi-member districts d. proportional representation

What is the party in the electorate? a. party officers who seek to educate the public on key party stances b. public officials who are registered with a political party c. voters active in the business of the party d. citizens who identify with a political party

Which of the following is a prominent feature of the modern era of political parties? a. bipartisanship b. candidate-centered politics c. "smoke-filled rooms" d. political machines

Which of the following years was a critical election? a. 1806 b. 1914 c. 1932 d. 1975

The years 1876 to 1900 had __________. a. one-party Republican dominance b. one-party Democratic dominance c. candidate-centered politics d. high voter turnout

How has party-line voting in Congress changed in the past few years? a. It has remained about the same. b. It has increased in some years and decreased in others. c. It has increased noticeably. d. It has decreased noticeably.

The __________ is the formal governing body of both major parties. a. national party assembly b. national party convention c. national party delegation d. national party legislature

How does a citizen typically become a delegate to a national party convention? a. appointment by the governor b. appointment by the president c. selection by citizens in primaries and caucuses d. donating enough money to the party or candidate

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the ideological distribution of members of Congress? a. The parties are increasingly polarized, with Democrats moving further to the left than Republicans are moving to the right. b. The parties are increasingly polarized, with Republicans moving further to the right than Democrats are moving to the left. c. The parties are increasingly polarized, with both the Democrats and Republicans becoming equally extreme. d. Despite common belief that the parties are becoming increasingly polarized, there is no evidence to support this theory.

The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee focus on __________. a. aiding presidential campaigns and conducting general party-building activities b. aiding congressional campaigns and writing a focused party platform c. winning more seats in Congress and media outreach d. conducting oversight of state parties and running primary elections

How does the Missouri Plan suggest that judges be selected at the state level? a. They should be appointed by a nonpartisan nomination commission. b. They should be appointed by the state governor. c. They should run for election as party candidates. d. They should run for election with no party affiliation.

Which party entity has the responsibility of establishing a cohesive vision for partisan identifiers nationwide? a. the delegates b. the primary election c. the national committee d. the party caucus

A __________ is when a party's base of supporters undergoes a rapid, fundamental, and enduring alteration. a. culture war b. dealignment c. party realignment d. secular realignment

What key issue led to the dissolution of the Whig Party? a. federal taxation b. the Mexican-American War c. post-Civil War Reconstruction d. slavery

When can a party officially change its platform? a. after a federal census b. at the start of each fiscal year c. during the national party convention d. every two years

A critical election is typically associated with __________. a. dealignment b. party realignment c. correcting alignments d. secular realignment

Who was the first chief executive to win the White House as the nominee of a truly national, popularly based political party following the first national party convention in 1832? a. John Adams b. Henry Clay c. Benjamin Franklin d. Andrew Jackson

The national parties have set restrictions about how states select __________. a. state party chairs b. election monitors c. national convention delegates d. the precincts to target in get-out-the-vote efforts

The decrease in the number of __________ has been identified as one cause of increasing polarization. a. East Coast liberal Democrats b. Midwestern independents c. northern liberal Republicans d. southern conservative Republicans

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, political machines provided __________. a. economic equality b. over half of the nation's alcohol c. nonpartisan advice about politics d. housing, employment, and food

Why do state legislators rely more on their state and local parties for election assistance than do their congressional counterparts? a. because state legislators are not able to make campaign-related decisions on their own b. because state legislators base their main talking points directly on state and local public policy c. because members of Congress do not like to make visits to their home states d. because members of Congress have easier access to funds and other campaign resources from other sources

Proponents of a government that includes a greater role for minor parties might suggest that the United States consider Europe's system of __________. a. delegate elections b. multi-party national conventions c. nonpartisan elections d. proportional representation

Which of the following voter profiles most strongly suggests that an individual will identify with the Democratic Party? a. Asian, male, Evangelical Christian b. black, female, from the Northeast c. college-educated, male, from the South d. senior citizen, male, annual income over $75,000

Which of the following voter profiles most strongly suggests that an individual will identify with the Republican Party? a. Hispanic, female, Catholic b. Protestant, male, annual income over $75,000 c. senior citizen, Jewish, from the Midwest d. white, Catholic, from the Northeast

Members of which of the following demographic groups are most likely to identify with the Democratic Party? a. African Americans b. Catholics c. Hispanics d. Protestants

When questioned about their views of politics in Congress, a slight majority of Americans expressed a desire for __________, while about 30 percent wanted members of Congress to stick to their beliefs. a. compromise b. resolve c. tax relief d. party polarization

Married voters today are most likely to identify as Democrats

Scholarship suggests that more than half of the promises in the victorious party's presidential platform are completely or mostly implemented

Citizens under 30 years old tend to identify as independents or Democrats rather than Republicans

Women are more likely to identify as Democrats than as independents or Republicans.

The highlight of the national party conventions is the casting of the Electoral College votes.

Democratic superdelegates are not pledged to a candidate and thus may support whichever candidate they choose.

Since 1993, the Republican Party's fund-raising has consistently dwarfed that of their Democratic counterparts.

More than half of individuals earning an annual income of more than $75,000 identify as independents.

Minor parties have played a more important role in the United States than in virtually any other democratic nation.

The media are partly responsible for the nation's perception that our country is deeply divided along party lines

The modern era of political parties is notable for the rise of the political party organization and a move away from the candidate-centered politics of the nineteenth century.

The competitive two-party system has always featured prominently in the United States.

Precinct and ward committees are important components of a political party's organization at the state level.

Electoral realignments occur exclusively as a result of a critical election

Members of think tanks are primarily responsible for writing the national party platforms

Virtually all government regulation of political parties falls to the states

Governors in many states hold greater influence over their parties' organizations and legislators than do presidents.

Most researchers now explain the gender gap in party identification as the Republican Party's difficulties in attracting women more than the Democratic Party's difficulties in attracting men.

Barriers to minor-party success in the United States include the rules for public financing of presidential elections and the Electoral College system.

Organizations that used tangible incentives such as jobs and favors to win loyalty among voters are known as __________.

The __________ is the site for the approval of the party platform every four years

__________ achieve their greatest successes when they incorporate new ideas or alienated groups or nominate attractive candidates.

Parties in Congress are not equally polarized: __________ are further from the center than are their counterparts.

The modern party era is known for its __________-centered politics.

Studies of political socialization have shown that __________ is/are the single greatest influence(s) in establishing a person's political identity.

The __________ consists of all potential voters who identify themselves with a political party.

A __________ is a dramatic shift in partisan preferences that drastically alters the political landscape.

Hispanic voters tend to support the __________ Party.

A tactic known as __________ allows political parties to identify potential voters based on a wealth of data including consumer preferences, personal habits, and past voting behavior.