Ch.5 Political Parties: Texas in Blue and Red Full Test Bank

Chapter 5

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 01, Objective 5.1

1) Recruiting candidates to run for office is typically done by

Feedback: factual

a. the local media.

b. the state government.

c. party officials.

d. the national government.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 02, Objective 5.1

2) Which of the following is not a basic function of political parties?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Assisting voters

b. Facilitating party goals

c. Organizing government by structuring and controlling government

d. Ensuring legislation passes

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 03, Objective 5.1

3) A political philosophy that believes in limited government, free markets, and individual entrepreneurship is

Feedback: conceptual

a. conservatism.

b. liberalism.

c. socialism.

d. communism.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 04, Objective 5.1

4) Voters, especially less politically involved ones, often use _______ to determine how to vote.

Feedback: conceptual

a. party labels

b. the New York Times

c. free resources

d. educational seminars

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 05, Objective 5.1

5) A political philosophy that emphasizes social equality and a large role for government to protect liberties and alleviate social problems is

Feedback: conceptual

a. conservatism.

b. liberalism.

c. socialism.

d. communism.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 06, Objective 5.1

6) Since the 1980s, _______ has become a stronger predictor of party identification.

Feedback: factual

a. ideology

b. occupation

c. hair color

d. right- or left-handedness

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 07, Objective 5.1

7) During elections, political parties fire up their turnout machines to get loyal voters to the polls to support party-endorsed candidates. This is because _______ is critical to electoral victory.

Feedback: conceptual

a. radio time

b. turnout

c. political sophistication

d. leadership

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 08, Objective 5.1

8) Strongly committed members of a party are called

Feedback: conceptual

a. jingoists.

b. staff members.

c. partisans.

d. loyalists.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 09, Objective 5.1

9) Which type of voter tends to volunteer more of their time and money and is more likely to turn out to vote in party primaries and other elections?

Feedback: factual

a. Partisans

b. Liberal-democrats

c. Moderates

d. Party voters

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 10, Objective 5.1

10) The distribution of authority between national, state, and local party organizations so that each level exercises a degree of independent authority is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. layer-cake distribution.

b. centralization.

c. localized power.

d. decentralization.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 11, Objective 5.2

11) Every two years, each political party sets its agenda at the

Feedback: conceptual

a. party convention.

b. party conference.

c. party retreat.

d. regular session of the state legislature.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 12, Objective 5.2

12) A list of values, beliefs, and policy issues that are endorsed and supported by a political party is known as a

Feedback: conceptual

a. party platform.

b. party convention.

c. party plank.

d. word cloud.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 13, Objective 5.2

13) _______ are elected in the party’s primary and serve two years. They recruit volunteers, coordinate campaign workers during elections, and participate in get-out-the-vote and voter registration drives at the local level.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Party chairs

b. County chairs

c. Precinct chairs

d. State party chairs

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 14, Objective 5.2

14) _______ recruit candidates to run for local or regional offices, act as a spokesperson for local issues, manage the funds of the local party, and serve with precinct chairs on the county executive committee.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Party chairs

b. County chairs

c. Precinct chairs

d. State party chairs

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 15, Objective 5.2

15) The _______ develops and communicates the party’s brand to the voters, and raises and manages political funds for the party for the entire state.

Feedback: conceptual

a. party chair

b. county chair

c. precinct chair

d. state party chair

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 16, Objective 5.2

16) Every two years, the party hosts _______ to decide how the party functions and to set the political agenda.

Feedback: conceptual

a. platforms

b. conventions

c. fundraisers

d. state dinners

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 17, Objective 5.2

17) The most local level of a political party is the

Feedback: conceptual

a. state chair.

b. county chair.

c. precinct chair.

d. state party convention.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 18, Objective 5.3

18) Over the past 40 years, Democrats have _______ power in the South.

Feedback: factual

a. gained

b. lost

c. barely held on to

d. consolidated

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 19, Objective 5.3

19) What was one of the original goals of the Tea Party?

Feedback: factual

a. Relief from taxation

b. Bringing troops home from abroad

c. Upholding traditional marriage

d. Reducing violent crime in inner cities

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 20, Objective 5.3

20) Which political party controlled the legislature in Texas throughout the 1990s?

Feedback: factual

a. Democrats

b. Republicans

c. Tea Party members

d. Libertarians

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 21, Objective 5.3

21) A political party recruits new members and places them in leadership positions. This is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. developing party blood.

b. expanding the party vision.

c. the spoils system.

d. staying relevant.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 22, Objective 5.3

22) Compared to the nation writ large, support for the Tea Party in Texas is

Feedback: conceptual

a. non-existent.

b. about the same.

c. lower.

d. higher.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 23, Objective 5.3

23) Which party dominated Texas for more than 130 years after the Civil War?

Feedback: factual

a. The Whigs

b. Republicans

c. Democrats

d. Federalists

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 24, Objective 5.3

24) A federal economic recovery program in response to the Great Depression that stabilized the banking industry, created jobs, promoted fair labor standards, and created a social welfare network was known as

Feedback: factual

a. the New Deal.

b. the Great Society.

c. the Obama Bailout.

d. the Bush Stimulus.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 25, Objective 5.3

25) In the 21^st century, which party largely dominates statewide elected offices and the state legislature?

Feedback: factual

a. Democrats

b. Republicans

c. Libertarians

d. Greens

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 26, Objective 5.3

26) The sorting of the parties by ideology drove conservative Texans toward the _______ in recent years.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Democratic Party

b. Republican Party

c. Tea Party

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 27, Objective 5.3

27) The most recent rise of the Tea Party demonstrates that

Feedback: applied

a. fissures have developed within the Republican Party.

b. Republicans are generally ideologically united.

c. Democrats are generally ideologically united.

d. fissures have developed within the Democratic Party.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 28, Objective 5.3

28) How did Republicans take over state politics?

Feedback: factual

a. Running in local races in the 1960s

b. Investing heavily in statewide races in the 1960s

c. Convincing Democrats to join their party

d. Recruiting Republicans to move to Texas

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 29, Objective 5.4

29) The redrawing of legislative districts to meet federal and state requirements is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. reapportionment.

b. redistricting.

c. legislating equality.

d. party centralization.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 30, Objective 5.4

30) The group of officials who draw the district lines if it were the case that the legislature was not able to agree is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. The Legislative Redistricting Board

b. The Cincinnati Commission

c. The Texas Supreme Court

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 31, Objective 5.4

31) A process of manipulating district boundaries to benefit a single group is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. redistricting.

b. reapportionment.

c. gerrymandering.

d. legislative redistricting.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 32, Objective 5.4

32) A legislative district is drawn such that a given population is drawn into one district so that it doesn’t influence surrounding districts. This is an example of

Feedback: conceptual

a. packing.

b. hijacking.

c. reapportioning.

d. cracking.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 33, Objective 5.4

33) A legislative district is drawn such that two incumbents must face each other in the upcoming election. This is an example of

Feedback: conceptual

a. packing.

b. hijacking.

c. reapportioning.

d. cracking.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 34, Objective 5.4

34) Given Texas’s growing population, one possible outcome of the census is that Texas will

Feedback: conceptual

a. not have to reapportion.

b. gain additional congressional seats.

c. gain a new seat on the Texas Supreme Court.

d. lose congressional seats.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 35, Objective 5.4

35) Reapportionment is based on numbers gathered from

Feedback: conceptual

a. presidential election turnout.

b. the census.

c. municipal utility bills.

d. cell phone data.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 36, Objective 5.4

36) An elected official who changes parties during his or her time in office has engaged in

Feedback: conceptual

a. gerrymandering.

b. party switching.

c. dishonest campaigning.

d. voter deception.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 37, Objective 5.4

37) What kind of changes pushed conservative Democrats out of the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Demographic changes

b. Financial changes

c. Ideological changes

d. Campaign law changes

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 38, Objective 5.4

38) Most elected officials who switch parties are

Feedback: factual

a. Black.

b. Hispanic.

c. white men.

d. white women.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 39, Objective 5.4

39) As a result of gerrymandering, Texas’s congressional delegation is now

Feedback: applied

a. mostly Libertarian.

b. evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

c. majority Republican.

d. majority Democratic.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 40, Objective 5.4

40) Electoral conflict that signals how successful one party is over another is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. electoral success factors.

b. party competition.

c. state competition.

d. party conflicts.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 41, Objective 5.4

41) What do political scientists use to measure party competition?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The Ranney Index

b. The Duverger scale

c. Fundraising totals

d. DW Nominate Scores

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 42, Objective 5.4

42) Redistribution of representation based on a counting of residents every 10 years is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. reapportionment.

b. local control.

c. the census.

d. party accounting.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 43, Objective 5.4

43) A legislative district is drawn such that a given population is spread over several districts to reduce its influence. This is an example of

Feedback: conceptual

a. packing.

b. hijacking.

c. reapportioning.

d. cracking.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 44, Objective 5.5

44) Third parties often have the most success in _______ elections.

Feedback: factual

a. congressional

b. national

c. local

d. statewide

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 45, Objective 5.5

45) Third parties often

Feedback: factual

a. become major parties.

b. expose corruption.

c. have their ideas incorporated into the major parties.

d. elect a handful of members to the state legislature.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 46, Objective 5.5

46) A system in which whatever candidate wins the most votes wins the seat is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. winner-take-all.

b. proportional representation.

c. libertarian.

d. Duverger’s law.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 47, Objective 5.5

47) The rule that says “a winner-take-all electoral system generally leads to a two-party system” is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. winner-take-all election.

b. proportional representation.

c. plurality rule.

d. Duverger’s law.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 48, Objective 5.5

48) Which third party gained momentum in Texas in the 1970s, attracting voters usually tied to the Democratic Party?

Feedback: factual

a. The Libertarian Party

b. The Communist Party USA

c. The Green Party

d. La Raza Unida

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 49, Objective 5.5

49) Which third party in Texas emphasizes free market economic principles and sometimes peels off votes from the Republican Party?

Feedback: factual

a. The Libertarian Party

b. The Communist Party USA

c. The Green Party

d. La Raza Unida

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 50, Objective 5.5

50) Which third party emphasizes local control of communities, nonviolent resolution of disputes, and social justice?

Feedback: factual

a. The Libertarian Party

b. The Communist Party USA

c. The Green Party

d. La Raza Unida

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 51, Objective 5.1

51) Explain “conservative” ideology.

Feedback:

A political philosophy that believes in limited government, free markets, and individual entrepreneurship.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 52, Objective 5.1

52) Explain “liberal” ideology.

Feedback:

A political philosophy that emphasizes social equality and a large role for government to protect liberties and alleviate social problems.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 53, Objective 5.1

53) Explain “decentralization” in the context of political parties.

Feedback:

The distribution of authority between national, state, and local party organizations so that each level exercises a degree of independent authority.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 54, Objective 5.3

54) Which party dominated Texas Politics for 130 years following the Civil War?

Feedback:

For more than 130 years after the Civil War, Texas was dominated by the Democratic Party.

Example: Yellow-Dog Democrats.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 55, Objective 5.3

55) What was the New Deal?

Feedback:

A federal economic recovery program in response to the Great Depression that stabilized the banking industry, created jobs, promoted fair labor standards, and created a social welfare network.

It began to show the first cracks in Democratic power in Texas.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 56, Objective 5.4

56) What is party competition?

Feedback:

Electoral conflict that signals how successful one party is over another.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 57, Objective 5.4

57) What is redistricting?

Feedback:

The redrawing of the legislative districts to meet federal and state requirements.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 58, Objective 5.1

58) Explain the function of political parties.

Feedback:

Famous political scientist (Austin native and University of Texas graduate) V.O. Key suggested that parties engage in three basic functions: assisting voters (parties-in-the-electorate), facilitating party goals (parties-as-organizations), and organizing government by structuring and controlling government (parties-in-government).

Politics can be a confusing mash of personality and policy—along with a lot of noise. Voters, especially less politically involved voters, may need assistance to understand the political process. Shortcuts, such as the party identity of a candidate or a party platform, are easy and convenient ways to summarize a great deal of information into understandable bites.

Local and state party leaders evaluate potential candidates, often screening them for quality and party loyalty. Parties also recruit candidates to widen the appeal of the party.

Parties also have an incentive to sharpen their differences: If voters perceive marked distinctions, parties can recruit candidates and passionate voters more effectively.

Parties work to make sure that their candidates, once elected, toe the party line to deliver on electoral promises. Parties often organize legislators into forums where they work together to discuss and formulate policy.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 59, Objective 5.1

59) Describe how political parties are organized in Texas.

Feedback:

Parties are decentralized in Texas, meaning the distribution of authority between national, state, and local party organizations so that each level exercises a degree of independent authority.

Counties are subdivided into smaller units called precincts. Precinct chairs are elected in the party’s primary and serve for two years. As the most local party leaders, the precinct chairs recruit volunteers, coordinate campaign workers during elections, and participate in get-out-the-vote and voter registration drives.

County party chairs recruit candidates to run for local or regional offices, act as a spokesperson for local issues, manage the funds of the local party, and serve with precinct chairs on the county executive committee, which organizes party primaries and hosts county and senate district conventions.

The state party chair’s primary responsibility is to develop and communicate the party’s brand to the voters and to raise and manage political funds for the party at the state level.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 60, Objective 5.1

60) What are some of the differences between the Republican and Democratic Parties in Texas?

Feedback:

The Democratic Party platform is issue-based but, without being in power, amplifies what they believe and emphasizes education and health programs.

The Republican Party platform takes a more negative posture, emphasizing opposition to the federal government but also adherence to rights and laws.

There are significant differences in word choices used by each party’s platform. For Democrats, the most prominent words are “state,” “health,” “public,” and “programs.” Somewhat prominent words include “education,” “communities,” “services,” and “believe.” For Republicans, the most prominent words are “oppose”, “united,” and “public.” Somewhat prominent words include “urge,” “federal,” “believe,” “law,” and “right.”

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 61, Objective 5.3

61) Describe the shift in power from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in Texas.

Feedback:

For more than 130 years after the Civil War, Texas was dominated by the Democratic Party.

Republican representation in Texas was nearly uniform immediately following the Civil War, as it was the party of Abraham Lincoln that had waged the Civil War and spearheaded Reconstruction. But once the national government pulled its soldiers out of Texas, many Texans rallied against the Republican Party—associating it with the scarcity that followed the Civil War and unwanted military rule.

The elections of 1871, 1872, and 1873 broke the Republican stranglehold on state politics. Moderate Republicans and Democrats unified against the “carpetbagger” Union (Republican) government and in their dislike of Republican Governor Davis.

The vice president, John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner, was a Texas Democrat but came from the conservative, rural wing of the party. He and other conservative Democrats, known as the “Texas Regulars,” quietly and privately began to drum up opposition to the court-packing plan.

In 1952 and 1960, nearly 80 percent of Texans identified with the Democratic Party.

More Texans today identify with the Republican Party (nearly 50 percent) than the Democratic Party. If “leaning” conservatives are added, those identifying with Republican Party politics gain clear majorities in the state.

The sorting of the parties by ideology drove conservative Texans toward the Republican Party.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 05 Question 62, Objective 5.4

62) How competitive are political parties in Texas? What contributes to this?

Feedback:

Political parties at the state level have become better organized and more competitive.

Electoral conflict that signals how successful one party is over another is what is referred to as party competition.

This growing party competition may be explained by a number of factors. A decline in traditional party loyalty means that more voters are willing to split their tickets in national and state elections.

The rise of “candidate-centered” campaigning channels voter loyalty toward the candidate rather than toward the party. Candidates can thus be competitive no matter the partisan balance in a state or district.

Today, however, Texas is not fully competitive, but it is more competitive than in the past.