question

The plurality electoral system in the United States means that a. smaller parties have a greater chance of winning at least some states b. the risk of electoral corruption is less than in Europe c. every party must be a broad-based coalition d. the party system will be competitive e. politics will be more ideological than it would otherwise be

answer

c

question

Which of the following statements about the two-party system is correct? a. the united states is one of the few countries with such a system b. it has existed in the U.S. only since the early 1900s c. it has always been on the verge of collapse d. it exists in the U.S. because of the absence of local party organizations e. most european countries have such a system

answer

a

question

democrats could be predicted to win every presidential election if the only factor were a. party identification b. money spent c. candidate appeal d. debate performance e. campaign issues

answer

a

question

Many strong social movements in the United States (for example, the antiwar movement of the late 1960s) never produced a significant third party. One reason is that a. most states have laws against the formation of third parties b. dissident elements were able to influence elections through party primaries and national conventions c. such movements typically failed to generate significant interest in mainstream politics d. the size of these social movements was never large enough to encourage the formation of parties e. formation of a third party would undermine the goals of these movements

answer

b

question

national party conventions were developed as a reform a. the Electoral College b. primary elections c. direct elections d. recall elections e. party caucuses

answer

e

question

nearly everyone is in agreement over a ______________ issue, and the candidate fully supports the public's view a. position b. secondary c. residual d. valence e. primary

answer

d

question

Scholars refer to a period when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties as a. an era of discontent b. an era of good feelings c. a critical election or realignment period d. a transitional phase e. a period of nonpartisanship

answer

c

question

to win the presidential nomination as opposed to the general election, candidates generally present themselves as a. more liberal b. more liberal if Democratic, more conservative if Republican c. more liberal if Republican, more conservative if Democratic d. moderate e. more conservative

answer

b

question

in 1896, the realignment was driven by issues related to a. slavery b. federalism c. economics d. national security e. civil liberties

answer

c

question

the term super delegate refers to a. delegates who received more than 80 percent of the vote necessary to achieve their status b. delegates representing special-interest caucuses, such as those organized to represent blacks or homosexuals c. delegates chosen by primary elections and grassroots caucuses d. delegates at large who are chosen by a vote of the national party leadership e. elected officials and party leaders who are not required to pledge themselves in advance to a presidential candidate

answer

e

question

to be a president, a person must be a. a natural born citizen b. a veteran c. 40 years old d. 45 years old e. a legalized citizen

answer

a

question

since 1962, over _______________ of House incumbents who sought reelection have won it a. 65% b. 60% c. 80% d. 90% e. 75%

answer

d

question

democrats who participate in the Iowa caucus tend to be a. more conservative than Democrats generally b. more moderate than Democrats generally c. less likely to win the nomination compared to other candidates who do not participate d. more liberal than Democrats generally e. none of the above

answer

d

question

Which statement is incorrect? a. typically, most independents vote for the two major parties b. typically, a majority of independents vote for the independent candidate c. typically, a plurality of independents vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate d. typically, a majority of Republicans vote for the Republican candidate e. typically, a majority of Democrats vote for the Democratic candidate

answer

b

question

Who said "All politics is local"? a. "Tip" O'Neill b. Will Rodgers c. Huey Long d. Henry Lodge e. William Jennings Bryan

answer

a

question

In recent elections, candidates have relied increasingly on a. appearances at malls to react potential voters b. appearances at factories to react potential voters c. whistlestop train tours to react potential voters d. large parades and rallies to react potential voters e. broadcatsting to react potential voters

answer

e

question

Of the following statements, which one best describes voters relationship with political parties? a. voters are extremely knowledgeable about the platforms of the major parties b. voters are more attached to political parties today than they were 100 years ago c. voters have increased their loyalty to their political party in recent years d. voters are less attached to political parties today than they were a hundred years ago e. voters favor strong political parties more than they do individual candidates

answer

d

question

Scholars have identified ____ critical, or realigning, periods in American politics. a. 6 b. 5 c. 2 d. 4 e. 3

answer

b

question

The Populist Party is an example of a(n) a. ideological party b. factional party c. economic-protest party d. consensual party e. one-issue party

answer

c

question

The Founders-and George Washington in particular- thought of political parties as a. a useful device for purposes of recruitment b. the logical result of republican principles c. a necessary element of democratic political processes d. "factions" motivated by ambition and self-interest e. the primary means of communication between voters and representatives

answer

d

question

According to the text, national conventions have been transformed into a. gatherings where party leaders make important decisions b. media showcases where newscasters influence the outcome c. places where delegates vote their conscience, regardless of the party's platform d. gatherings of representatives from interest groups e. meetings where delegates ratify decisions made by voters

answer

e

question

The Libertarian and Socialist parties in the United States are examples of a. ideological parties b. economic-protest parties c. one-issue parties d. consensual parties e. factional parties

answer

a

question

Each state is entitled to two U.S. Senators that serve ___ terms. a. four year b. life c. six year d. two year e. five year

answer

c

question

A ______ issue is one in which the rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides the voters a. secondary b. residual c. valence d. position e. primary

answer

d

question

When a district is drawn in a bizarre or unusual shape to assist a candidate, it is a. reapportioned b. disbarred c. gerrymandered d. regressed e. malapportioned

answer

c

question

After party caucuses when national nominating conventions dominated, the real power, in selecting presidential nominees, was wielded by a. political pundits b. the voters in primary elections c. the voters in caucus elections d. local party leaders e. nonpartisan groups that sought to pick the best candidates

answer

d

question

The typical convention delegate- Democratic or Republican- can best be characterized as a(n) a. rank-and-file party voter b. issue-oriented amateur c. political professional with little or no ideological constraint d. officeholder seeking reelection e. individual seeking a patronage job

answer

b

question

The modern Republican Party a. emerged around 1824 with Andrew Jackson's first run for the presidency b. was founded by Thomas Jefferson to oppose the policies of Alexander Hamilton c. emerged as a major party only after the Civil War d. was originally called the Antifederalist party e. was founded in the South

answer

c

question

Of the following, which group is NOT a political party? a. Republican b. Teamster c. Democratic d. Whig e. libertarian

answer

b

question

Clear realignments, like the one that occurred in 1932, may not occur again because a. ecconomic issues rarely dominate presidential campaigns b. voters are less attached to party labels today than in the past c. voter turnout has consistently decreased over the last 40 years d. presidential candidates are rarely as popular with the voters as they used to be e. the electoral college is malapportioned

answer

b

question

When a voter votes for the candidate whom he or she considers more likely to do a better job in office, that voting is referred to as a. retrospective voting b. sociotropic voting c. ideological voting d. prospective voting e. "clothespin" voting

answer

d

question

National convention delegates, compared with their respective party members, tend to be a. more liberal if they are Democrats and more conservative if they are Republicans b. more conservative regardless of party c. more liberal regardless of party d. more conservative if they are Democrats, more liberal if they are Republicans e. quite similar in most respects, but not so much in terms of occupational prestige

answer

a

question

Elections based on a plurality system discourage new parties from forming because a. a plurality system discourages patronage and reduces voter interest in joining a party b. a plurality system requires each party to be as narrowly based as possible, leaving little room for new parties c. a plurality system gives an advantage to savvy political unknowns who can grab the media spotlight d. a plurality system requires parties to form alliances with other parties to win elections e. under this winner-take-all system, no incentive is given for finishing second (or lower)

answer

e

question

You must declare in advance that you are a registered member of a political party in a(n) _____ primary. a. blanket b. static c. runoff d. closed e. opem

answer

d

question

One advantage that incumbents always have over challengers is a. the political advantage of riding the president's coattails b. their freedom from FEC regulations c. their larger share of federal campaign monies d. their freedom from libelous laws e. their use of free mailings, or franks

answer

e

question

The following is an example of a valence issue. a. Jimmy Carter appearing to favor honesty in government more than his opponent b. George H.W. Bush being more closely linked to patriotism than his opponent c. Ronald Reagan being more closely identified with a strong economy than his opponent d. Richard Nixon being more supportive of anticrime measures than his rival e. all of the above

answer

e

question

The text argues that the central problem of the parties today is how to a. attract the attention of an increasingly apathetic electorate b. mobilize voters with a declining sense of internal political efficacy c. appeal to moderate voters despite the parties' ideological orientation d. win the trust of an increasingly mistrustful electorate e. keep up the appearance of diversity despite the parties' homogeneous makeup

answer

c

question

Which party tends to be more loyal to its candidate in presidential elections? a. Green b. no clear-cut different exists among the parties c. Republican d. Democratic e. Independent

answer

c

question

The distinctive feature of the Jacksonian era of political parties was a. the Australian ballot b. strict registration c. mass political participation d. the popularity of the caucus system e. direct election of senators

answer

c

question

In his Farewell Address, George Washington took this position on political parties. a. he condemned political parties b. he condemned Alexander Hamilton for having helped form the Federalist Party c. he argued for more political parties to compete for voters d. voters should support his party (the Federalists) e. told voters to not support Thomas Jefferson's political party

answer

a

question

The Bull Moose and La Follette Progressive parties probably encouraged the major parties to pay more attention to a. desegregation b. restricting the Supreme Court c. business regulation d. slavery e. civil service reform

answer

c

question

In most states, candidates for office are chosen by a. the people b. primary elections c. delegations d. party leaders e. conventions

answer

b

question

To be a member of the House of Representatives, a person must be a. 40 b. 25 c. 35 d. 20 e. 30

answer

b

question

Originally, presidential candidates were chosen by a. governors b. lottery c. state legislatures d. congressional caucus e. conventions

answer

d

question

The first real test of a candidate vying for the nomination process comes in a. Rhode Island b. Florida c. Iowa d. Pennsylvania e. California

answer

c

question

Over recent decades, research on party identification has found a. an increase in Republicans b. a decrease in Republican and increase in Democrats c. an increase in independents d. a decrease in Democrats and an increase in Republicans e. an increase in Democrats

answer

c

question

This Founding Father stated that, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists." a. Jefferson b. Madison c. Hamilton d. Washington e. Adams

answer

a

question

The U.S. federal system ensures that the nation's parties are ____ than their European counterparts, a. more aggressive b. more decentralized c. less ideological d. more centralized e. more ideological

answer

b

question

The national party conventions meet every __ years to nominate a presidential candidate. a. 3 b. 6 c. 2 d. 4 e. 8

answer

d

question

Ticket splitting helps create a. liberal politics b. checks and balances c. political efficacy d. separation of powers e. divided government

answer

e

question

A major difference between presidential campaigns and congressional campaigns is that a. fewer people vote in presidential elections b. congressional incumbents are more likely to be defeated c. presidential incumbents can more easily avoid responsibility d. presidential races are generally more competitive e. presidential incumbents can better serve their constituents

answer

d

question

The disadvantage of the new primary system that has developed in the United States is that is a. decreases the likelihood that one party or another will gain control of the presidency for several terms b. decreases the opportunity for those with strong policy preferences to play a role in the party c. increases the role of rank-and-file party members to exert an influence over the party's candidate of choice d. increases the likelihood of interest groups supporting candidates who are appealing to single-issue voters e. increases the chances that the party will nominate a candidate who is unappealing to the average voter

answer

e

question

During the founding period of U.S. history, political parties could best be characterized as a. national coalitions in which large, raucous party conventions played a major role b. bureaucratized, well organized, and well financed c. instruments through which debate over the legitimacy of the new government could take place d. small coalitions based more on geography and class than on common economic interests e. national coalitions that were well organized by impersonal bureaucracies

answer

d

question

Which of the following does the text suggest is a critical factor in presidential elections? a. political reporting b. the vice-presidential nominee c. the candidates' positions on abortion d. the religion of the candidates e. none of the above

answer

e

question

The elections of Ronald Reagan could not have been marked realignment because a. they featured low voter turnout b. hardly any Republican governors were reelected c. they left control of Congress in the hands of the Democratic Party d. the vote of the electoral college was actually quite close e. they did not involve salient economic issues

answer

c

question

When a district is so unequal that the votes of citizens are significantly diluted, it is a. malapportioned b. regressed c. disbarred d. gerrymandered e. reapportioned

answer

a

question

In a(n) _____ primary, you decide when you enter the voting booth which party's primary you wish to participate in a. runoff b. static c. open d. blanket e. closedd

answer

c

question

Voters tend to prefer a presidential candidate that has served in this type of elected office a. Supreme Court justice b. member of the Senate c. ambassador d. governor e. member of the House

answer

d

question

Which of the following statements about the formula by which delegates to the nominating conventions are apportioned is correct? a the formula reflects a movement to the center by both Democrats and Republicans b. both Democrats and Republicans give extra delegates to loyal states c. both Democrats and Republicans give extra delegates to large states d. formulas have had no noticeable impact on the selection of delegates to the conventions e. the Democrats and Republicans use different formulas

answer

e

question

The text argues that the U.S. constitutional system was designed to make the adoption of radical departures in policy a. easy b. impossible c. unnecessary d. difficult e. efficient

answer

d

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