question

Nominating Candidates

answer

-selecting candidates -the activity that sets political parties apart from other political groups

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Informing and activating supporters

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-inform people and activate their interests in public affairs -Parties share this function with news media and interest groups.

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Bonding agent

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-Tries to choose candidates who are qualified and of good character -After candidates are elected the party prods them to do well or suffer in the next elections

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Governing

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-Helps legislative and executive branches work together -most appointments to executive branch are made on basis of partisanship, or allegiance to a political party.

question

Acting as watchdog

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-party that is out of power criticizes the party that controls the government -the loyal opposition urges votes to oppose to the party in power but be loyal to the people and the nation

question

All______can be defined as groups of persons who join together because they want to gain control of the government through winning elections.

answer

political parties

question

Allegiance to a political party is known as_______.

answer

partisanship

question

In the United States, the major_____ are the Democrats and the Republicans.

answer

parties

question

The party that controls the executive branch is known as the_________.

answer

party in power

question

The two major parties in the United States are election-oriented rather than issue-oriented.

answer

True

question

Once its candidates are elected, a political party has no interest in whether they perform well in office.

answer

false

question

The function that most clearly sets political parties apart from other political groups operating in the United States is the nomination of candidates for elective office.

answer

True

question

Most federal appointments to executive offices are made on a partisan basis.

answer

True

question

One of the most important functions of the party in power is the "watchdog" function.

answer

False

question

A political party is a group of persons who join together in order to

answer

gain control of the government through the electoral process.

question

The function of informing the public and stimulating political debate is performed by

answer

all of the above (the news media, political parties, and interest groups)

question

Broadly based parties like those in the United States tend to reduce and moderate political conflict by

answer

encouraging conflicting groups to agree to compromise solutions.

question

Under the system of separation of powers, political parties are usually the agents that prompt cooperation between

answer

the legislative and executive branches

question

The function of the "loyal opposition" is to

answer

criticize the policies of the party in power.

question

Historical Basis:

answer

2-party system rooted in the beginnings of the nation itself-Anti-Federalists and Federalists; disunity and divisiveness-he American party system began as a 2 party system.

question

Tradition:

answer

The fact that the nation began a 2-party system has been a leading reasons for the retention of it.

question

Electoral system:

answer

The basic shape, and many of the details, of the election process work in the direction of promoting the existence of but 2 major parties

question

Ideological Consensus:

answer

The realities of American societies and politics simply don't permit more than 2 major parties

question

minor party

answer

one of the political parties without wide support

question

two-party system

answer

2 major parties dominate politics (in America)

question

single-member district

answer

Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected offie

question

plurality

answer

largest number of votes cast for the office

question

pluralistic society

answer

society consisting of several distinct cultures and groups.

question

consensus

answer

a general agreement among various groups

question

multiparty

answer

system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices.

question

one-party system

answer

("no-party" system) A political system in which only one party exists.

question

institution that promotes continuation of the two-party system

answer

single-member districts

question

a union of many persons of diverse interests

answer

coalition

question

general agreement

answer

consensus

question

for example, the "Solid South"

answer

one-party system

question

culture composed of many distinct subgroups

answer

pluralistic society

question

The two-party system in America goes back to the

answer

ratification of the Constitution.

question

The fact that candidates for Congress do not need to win a majority of votes in order to win an election

answer

discourages people from voting for minor-party candidates.

question

The statement that "Americans are an ideologically homogeneous people" refers to the fact that

answer

Americans share basic political ideals.

question

Multiparty systems tend to produce

answer

political instability

question

Which of the following groups would be most likely to support the Democratic party?

answer

people whose parents supported the Democratic party

question

Federalists

answer

-Strong before 1800 -"the rich and well-born" -Alexander Hamilton

question

Jeffersonian Republicans

answer

-1800-1820s "common man" (people -Thomas Jefferson -James Madison

question

Jacksonian Democrats

answer

-1820s-1830s -small farmers, debtors, frontier pioneers, and slaveholders -Andrew Jackson

question

Whigs

answer

-1830s-1850s, never dominant -eastern bankers, merchants, and industrialists, owners of large southern plantations/planters -Henry Clay -Daniel Webster -William Henry Harrison -Zachary Taylor

question

Republicans

answer

-1860-1932 -business and financial interests, farmers, laborers, and newly freed blacks -John C. Fremont -Abraham Lincoln -Faft -T. Roosevelt -McKinley

question

Post-Civil War Democrats

answer

-never dominant outside the South -"Solid South" (The South) -William Jennings Bryan -Wilson

question

New Deal Democrats

answer

-1932-1968 -southerners, small farmers, organized labor, big-city political organizations, African Americans and other minorities -Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) -Harry S. Truman John F. Kennedy -Lyndon B. Johnson

question

Era of the Democrats,1800-1860

answer

conflicts over public lands -second bank of the US high tariffs slavery

question

Era of the Republicans, 1860-1932

answer

Civil War -Reconstruction -Great Depression

question

Return of the Democrats, 1932-1968

answer

Great Depression New Deal (1930s), Roosevelt's (FDR) social welfare programs WWII Kennedy Assassination

question

incumbent

answer

current officeholder (going to be going for reelection)

question

faction

answer

conflicting group (groups that dissent)

question

electorate

answer

people eligible to vote

question

sectionalism

answer

emphasizes a devotion to the interests of a particular region.

question

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were leaders of the____

answer

Democratic-Republican party

question

The party that developed in opposition to the Jacksonian Democrats was the______

answer

Whig party

question

The Era of Good Feeling was a period of_____ rule.

answer

one-party

question

In the 1996 presidential election, President Bill Clinton was the_____

answer

incumbent

question

The_____expanded to include all white males during the Jacksonian era.

answer

electorate

question

Policies designed to help farmers and planters

answer

were supported by the Democratic-Republicans

question

During______ the Democratic party dominated the Federal Government.

answer

1800-1860 and 1932-1968

question

Southerners

answer

were NOT part of the coalition that backed the post-Civil War Republican party.

question

The critical election of 1896 was a _____ victory that signaled an end to divisive___conflicts.

answer

Republican, sectional

question

Unlike previous periods, during the period from 1968 to the present,

answer

one party has controlled the presidency while the other has controlled Congress.

question

Ideological Parties (marxist thought)

answer

based on a particular set of beliefs-comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters. -socialist, Socialist Labor, Libertarian Party, Socialist Worker, Communist Parties

question

Single-Issue Parties

answer

Concentrate on only one public-policy matter -Free Soil Party, American Party/"Know Nothings", Right to Life Party

question

Economic Protest Parties

answer

-Parties rooted in poor economic times, lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and demanding better times -Greenback Party The Populist Party

question

Splinter Parties

answer

-split away from one of the major parties "Bull Moose" rogressive Party-T. Roosevelt -Progressive Party-La Follette -Progressive Party-Henry Wallace -States' Rights (Dixiecrat) Party -American independent Party

question

Single issue parties tend to

answer

fade into history if unsuccessful at attracting voters if successful at attracting voters, policies adopted by 1 of 2 major parties

question

Minor party most successful in winning votes

answer

splinter party

question

minor party longest lived

answer

ideological parties

question

minor parties functions:

answer

first used national convention to nominate presidential candidate decisive role (often a "spoiler role") in an election critic and innovator many important issues brought to public attention

question

The "Free Choice" party is formed by people intent on legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes

answer

single-issue party

question

A group of Democrats, dissatisfied with the party's moderate nominee, decides to form a new "People's Rights" party to back their more liberal leader, Henry J. Smith.

answer

Splinter party

question

A group of angry Midwestern farmers and laborers forms the "Working People's" party, calling for higher tariffs, higher farm subsidies, and congressional term limitations

answer

economic protest party

question

The "Socialist Justice" party calls for a complete overhaul of the American political, economic, and legal systems.

answer

ideological party

question

The "Equity" party works for an end to affirmative action programs

answer

Single-issue party

question

Libertarian Party

answer

ideological party

question

Democratic Party

answer

major party

question

Populist party

answer

economic protest party

question

Bull Moose party

answer

splinter party

question

Prohibition party

answer

single-issue party

question

Although ideological parties have not____, they have____

answer

won many elections, been long-lived

question

The Free Soil party, the "Know Nothing"party, and the Right to Life party are all examples of

answer

single-issue parties

question

True statement about splinter parties

answer

Most of the important minor parties in the nation's history have been splinter parties

question

Minor parties are able to play a "spoiler role" in an election by

answer

taking enough votes away from one of the two major parties to cost its candidate the election

question

Unlike major parties, minor parties

answer

take clear-cut stands on controversial issues.

question

National Convention

answer

every 4th year in presidential election -to nominate the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates -adoption of party's rules and the writing of its platform

question

National Committee

answer

between conventions handles party's affairs staging party's national convention prepares next national convention

question

National Chairperson

answer

-4 year term directs work of the party's headquarters and its small staff in Washington -strengthen party and its fortunes leader of national committee

question

Congressional Campaign

answer

-2 years(term of Congress) -reelect incumbents -make sure that seats given up by retiring party members remain in the party unseat incumbents in the other party

question

Two factors that contribute to the decentralization of parties

answer

federalism nominating powers

question

The party out of power operates at a disadvantage because it has no leader comparable to the

answer

President

question

IN recent years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of voters who identify themselves as

answer

independents

question

ward

answer

a unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members

question

precinct

answer

smallest unit of election administration; voters in each report to 1 polling place

question

split-ticket voting

answer

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

question

Split-ticket voting has increased in recent decades

answer

true

question

wards are the units into which states are divided for the election of congressional representatives

answer

false-city council members

question

the adoption of the direct primary in the early 1900s strengthened party unity

answer

false-increased divisiveness

question

PACs have made candidates less dependent on party organizations

answer

true

question

IN recent decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of voters who regard themselves as independents

answer

true

question

The automatic leader of the party in power is the

answer

President

question

The two main reasons that the major political parties are decentralized are

answer

the divisiveness of the nominating process and the impact of federalism

question

Between elections, the affairs of both major parties are handled by each party's

answer

national committee

question

The party's media consultants

answer

is NOT one of the tree main elements of the two major parties in terms of the roles of their members

question

Party organizations have declined in recent years as a result of

answer

the use of television and direct-mail campaign

question

Party organizations have declined in recent years as a result of

answer

the use of television and direct-mail campaign

question

Party organizations have declined in recent years as a result of

answer

the use of television and direct-mail campaign

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