Chapter 9. Political Parties

Match the ideology with the party. -conservative -liberal *Republican *Democrat

T/F National conventions no longer spend much time on debating the selection of the presidential nominee for their party.

What is the key feature that makes American political parties different from interest groups? -They try to influence the policies the government makes. -They raise money for campaigns. -They try to control the government by winning elections. -They connect people and government.

T/F The Democrats and Republicans have grown more similar in terms of their policy positions over the last fifty years.

Drag the party name over to the groups to which they traditionally appeal. -Democrats -Republicans *religious and social conservatives *businesses *racial minorities *organized labor

From the 1950s until the early 2000s, which party was more successful at using the presidency for party building and mobilizing its base to win elections?

Watch the animation below, and then complete the following statement. The state with the highest turnout in presidential primaries is usually -. The state with the highest turnout in presidential caucuses is usually -. -West Virginia -New Hampshire -Minnesota -Iowa

Complete the following statement. The transfer of national - money to state and local organizations has led to - differences between state and national parties. -fewer -more -hard -soft

Within each demographic group (gender, age, race, and income) in the following chart, identify which members of the group tend to have the greatest proportion of support for the Republican Party.

Why can it be difficult to find quality candidates to run for office? -Political parties do not invest a lot of energy in candidate recruitment. -Even running for a lower office requires raising large sums of money. -Candidates expect to have their lives scrutinized during a campaign. -Party leaders are rarely willing to offer monetary support unless a candidate can raise some funds on his or her own.

Why are third parties often short-lived? -Successful third-party politicians decide to run for major-party spots. -The major parties absorb their programs and their popular ideas. -Ballot access requirements get more stringent for older parties. -Nearly all third parties disappear after their first electoral setback.

Which of the following statements are true regarding political independents? -Each independent voter is as likely to vote for one party as the other. -Roughly one-half of the electorate identifies as independent. -Each independent voter tends to support one party more than the other. -Roughly two-fifths of the electorate identifies as independent.

Put these major moments in the history of American political parties in order from earliest to latest. -The Democrats and Whigs become the two major political parties. -The Republican Party comes into existence. -The New Deal realignment leaves the Democratic Party dominant for several decades. -The Federalists represent New England merchants and argue for protective tariffs.

Match the following issues to the party in government whose leaders emphasize them. -increased regulation of business -tax incentives for businesses -maintaining high levels of military spending -expanding social services spending *Republicans *Democrats

Complete the following statement. Traditionally, - were the leaders in voter registration activity. More recently, - have taken a more active role. -government officials -political parties -senators -civic groups

Which of the following are the three fundamental problems of democracy that political parties solve? -ensuring the government respects civil liberties -regulating the number of people seeking office -mobilizing voters -accomplishing legislative goals -keeping money from influencing political outcomes

What happens during an electoral realignment? -Voters change their ideologies. -A third party replaces one of the major parties. -A new party supplants the ruling party. -The country enters a period of divided government.

Which two (possibly contradictory) statements best reflect the current state of parties in the electorate? -Party identifiers are increasingly issuing "split-ticket" ballots. -The number of independent voters is at an all-time low. -There are more independent voters now than ever before. -Party identification has gotten stronger among active voters. -More people are identifying as weak partisans than ever before.

Which of the following is an example of external mobilization? -aspiring politicians creating party organizations -U.S. senators establishing a support base -members of Congress mobilizing popular support -members of Congress creating party organizations

Why do party activists tend to devote their time to politics? -Party workers are well paid. -They have strong policy beliefs. -They don't have anything else to do. -They are required to do so to uphold their party identification.

When casting their ballots for candidates in races that are lesser known to voters, such as state comptroller, which cue do voters tend to rely on the most? -alphabetical order -interest group endorsement -partisanship -incumbency

Why do voters often support minor-party candidates? -to show disapproval of the major parties -to get their preferred candidate elected -to support the candidates' positions

The "New Deal" Coalition that developed in the 1930s system was eventually undone by conflicts over which of the following issues? -civil rights -the size of the national government -economic protectionism -slavery -the Vietnam War