Chapter 9-Political Parties – Flashcards
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A political party is
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an organization that consists of individuals interested in controlling government by winning elections.
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A general election is held in
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November of even-numbered years.
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In Texas, a candidate may only win an office in a general election if he/she receives
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a plurality of the vote.
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The American political party system consists of
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national, state, county, and precinct levels.
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In March 2012, a three-judge federal panel ordered a _______ primary election date for Texas.
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May
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Primaries and conventions that nominate candidates, adopt platforms, and select delegates to higher level conventions are known as
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temporary party organizations.
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Which of the following would be performed at a party's precinct convention?
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Nomination of delegates to the county convention
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Precinct conventions in Texas are usually
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lightly or sparsely attended.
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Resolutions adopted at the precinct convention will be submitted first to the
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county or district convention.
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District conventions are held in
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highly populated areas of the state like Bexar, Harris, and Dallas counties.
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The main business of county and district conventions is to
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select delegates to the state convention.
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According to the Texas Election Code, each political party in Texas must hold a ___________ in June of even-numbered years.
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state convention
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Which of the following tasks is not performed every two years at the state party convention?
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Election of state legislators
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Which of the following happens at the party state convention during presidential election years only?
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Selection of potential presidential electors
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Each state receives a number of electoral votes equal to the
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number of seats each state has in Congress.
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How many electoral votes will Texas have in the presidential election of 2016?
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38
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In 2014, how did delegates to the state party conventions communicate their experiences and describe the proceedings to those outside the conventions?
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Via social media such as Facebook and Twitter
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Which of the following is not one of a party precinct chair's duties?
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Representing the party in lawsuits
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The party's county executive committee is
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comprised of all of the precinct chairs.
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As mandated by Texas state law, each party's state executive committee must
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be comprised equally of men and women.
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The main role of a state party's chair is to be the party's
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key strategist and key spokesperson.
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Returns from the party primaries for statewide office are counted (or "canvassed") by the
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state party executive committee.
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Which political label would best describe a politician that is in favor of government regulation of the economy, but limited government involvement on social issues?
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Liberal
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Liberals would most likely support which of the following policies?
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laws protecting a woman's right to equal pay for equal work
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When Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, former slave owners and supporters of the Confederacy were
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purged as officeholders and denied the vote.
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Political alliances during the Republic of Texas were based on
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personalities
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The history of the Texas political party system has tended toward
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Texas being a one-party state.
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One of the reasons why Anglo voters opposed Governor E. J. Davis was that he
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appointed African Americans to office throughout the state.
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During the period of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War (1865-1873), the __________ Party controlled Texas politics.
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Republican
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After Reconstruction, which political party dominated in Texas for more than 100 years?
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Democratic
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Which political party during the latter part of the 19th century focused on agrarian issues and posed a challenge to the Democratic party of Texas?
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Populist
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At the turn of the 20th century, the Populist Party in Texas declined, largely due to
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the Democratic Party adopting its issues.
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Beginning in the late 1940s, a majority of conservative Democrats in Texas began to support the
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national Republican candidates.
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The fiercest political fighting in Texas between 1900 and 1950 was between
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liberal and conservative Democrats.
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Who was the first Texas Republican elected in a statewide vote in the last half of the 20th century?
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John Tower
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What year did Texans elect their first Republican governor since Reconstruction?
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1978
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What year did Texans elect the first woman ever to represent the state in the U.S. Senate?
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1993
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Which Texas governor, elected in 1994, was successful as the Republican Party's candidate for President in 2000?
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George W. Bush
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In __________, for the first time since the primary system was established in Texas, Republican primaries were conducted in all 254 Texas counties.
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1996
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In which of the following decades did the Republican Party in Texas begin to win almost all of the statewide offices it challenged?
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1990s
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The closest presidential election of modern times was in
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2000, when Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by four electoral votes.
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In the Texas general election of 2000, which two parties had more candidates for statewide office than did the Democratic Party?
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Green and Libertarian
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. Republicans won all statewide races in the _______ general election
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2002
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In the Texas general election of 2002, which trio was dubbed "the dream team" because of their expected appeal to Latino, African American, and Anglo voters?
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Sanchez, Kirk, and Sharp
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Which of the following is not true of the 2008 election?
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Democrats gained a majority in the Texas Senate for the second straight election.
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In 2008, one reason why Obama won in Harris, Travis, Bexar, and Dallas counties was because of
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solid support from Latino and African American voters.
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In 2010, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives
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gained a supermajority for the first time since Reconstruction.
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Which is true of the past three primary elections in Texas?
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More Republicans than Democrats turned out to vote.
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The trend of voters abandoning their traditional political party allegiance is referred to as
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dealignment
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Which of the following geographic areas is not a Democratic stronghold in Texas?
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German Hill Country
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Which geographic area of Texas is not a Republican stronghold?
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Hispanic counties of South Texas
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A political party that is not one of the two major parties is referred to as a
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third party.
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When a person votes for only candidates from one party, they are engaging in
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straight-ticket voting.
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Which statement best describes the Libertarian Party?
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It supports limited government and maximum individual liberties.
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In which of the following ways have third parties been least successful?
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Winning elections to national offices
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Of the third parties listed below, which probably has had the least influence on Texas politics?
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Fascist
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Which statement best describes the Green Party?
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It advocates environmental protection and government reform policies.
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Which of the following were independent candidates who had a significant impact on a Texas election?
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Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman and Carol Keeton Strayhorn
