Test Bank Answers Barbour Political Parties Ch.12

Test Bank

Chapter 12: Political Parties

Multiple Choice

1. Political gridlock occurs when ______.

a. too many individuals from opposing political parties agree on an issue

b. rival parties stubbornly refuse to budge from their positions to achieve a compromise

c. too many bills are waiting to be passed because Congress is not in session

d. incumbents keep getting reelected

e. no incumbents get reelected

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. Parties help to overcome the problem of ______ created by the Constitution.

a. the threat of tyranny

b. an overly powerful national government

c. overly powerful state governments

d. a weak national government

e. fragmented government

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. All of the following statements concerning party identification in the electorate are true EXCEPT this:

a. Most people who are registered members of a party work actively for their party organization.

b. Most voters who identify with a party identify with the same party as their parents.

c. The percentage of the electorate identifying themselves as independents grew substantially in the 1970s.

d. Most people who identify with a party regularly vote for that party in elections.

e. The percentage of voters identifying with the Democratic Party has dropped significantly from its high in the 1950s.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. The responsible party model ______.

a. weakens the link between voters and officials

b. makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions

c. causes campaigns to be less negative

d. makes legislatures less divisive

e. decreases political efficacy

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. The argument for the responsible party model is that democracy is strengthened when ______.

a. voters are given clear alternatives and hold parties responsible for their promises

b. politicians have the flexibility to take individual positions on issues, regardless of their party

c. voters vote for the candidate, not the party

d. there are only two parties

e. the character of the candidates is more important than their policy positions

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. The party ______ are the members of a political party who consistently vote for that party’s candidates.

a. base

b. organization

c. core

d. factions

e. platform

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the responsible party model?

a. Each party should present a coherent set of programs to the voters consistent with its ideology.

b. The candidates for each party should pledge to support their party’s platform.

c. Voters should make their choices based on which party’s program most closely reflects their own ideas.

d. Each party should exercise control over its elected officials to ensure that party officials are promoting and voting for its programs.

e. Each party should act in a polarized fashion to such an extent that their behavior impedes government functions.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. Which of the following is NOT true regarding issue positions of the major parties?

a. Democrats want “more services” over “cutting government spending.”

b. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to advocate for gun control.

c. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to oppose abortion.

d. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that defense spending should be increased.

e. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to oppose guaranteed jobs and standards of living.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. Since the 1960s, ______.

a. Republicans and Democrats have become more consistent with respect to their ideologies

b. both Republicans and Democrats have become more conservative

c. southern Democrats have grown in number, making the Democratic Party more liberal

d. both Republicans and Democrats have leaned liberal

e. the Republican Party has been much less consistent than the Democratic Party with respect to ideology

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. The Democratic Party has become more liberal and the Republican Party more conservative because of the ______.

a. movement of conservative New Englanders and New Yorkers into the Republican Party

b. growing influence of the Republican Party in the industrial Midwest

c. growth of Democratic influence with liberals of the Rocky Mountain area

d. movement of conservative, southern Democrats to the Republican Party

e. growing influence of the Democratic Party in the West

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

11. Parties appeal to moderate voters by doing all of the following EXCEPT ______.

a. publicly denouncing the more extreme wing of their own party

b. not publicly endorsing positions they may like but know that moderates reject

c. emphasizing issues they know are popular with moderates

d. reframing issues in ways that are more palatable to voters

e. changing positions that have been rejected by moderates

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

12. The party that usually gets the most votes is the party that ______.

a. best appeals to moderate voters

b. best appeals to its base

c. has the most innovative program

d. appeals to a mix of conservative and liberal voters

e. mobilizes the most conservative voters

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

13. The rank-and-file members who carry out the party’s electioneering efforts are the ______.

a. party activists

b. party-in-the-electorate

c. party delegates

d. party bosses

e. party radicals

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

14. Party activists are important to the parties for all of the following reasons EXCEPT this:

a. They provide the base of votes from which candidates build majorities to win elections.

b. They are able to exert power over the nomination of candidates.

c. They force potential candidates to take issue positions consistent with their beliefs.

d. They are the source of the drive to capture moderate voters and win elections.

e. They put pressure on members of the party in Congress to vote on the basis of the party’s ideology.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

15. Which of the following questions is NOT one that needs to be asked by a critical reader of party platforms?

a. Whose platform is it, and what do you know about that party’s basic political positions?

b. Do opinion polls show this platform was supported by voters at the time it was written?

c. Who is the audience?

d. What statements reflect values, and which are statements of fact?

e. What is your reaction to the platform?

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

16. Why would the two American parties feel the need to take more extreme issue positions?

a. because more extreme positions on issues will be more likely to receive press coverage

b. because most general election voters hold extreme positions on issues

c. to usurp support for third parties

d. to satisfy the party activists

e. so that they don’t appear to flip-flop on issues

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

17. The major source of money for party fundraisers comes from ______.

a. individual donors

b. economic interest groups

c. individual donors and party officials

d. public interest groups

e. foreign donors and public interest groups

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

18. In recent decades, party identification among American voters has ______.

a. increased, but only for Democrats

b. become considerably stronger, especially for Republicans

c. moved away from the two main parties to third parties

d. generally decreased

e. increased for both major parties

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

19. Primary voters, party activists, and big-money donors ______.

a. tend to push for more moderate candidates in primaries so that they will have a better chance of winning the general election

b. make up the party organization

c. tend to be more ideological and issue oriented than the voters in the general election

d. are less likely than independent voters to vote

e. work for party bosses

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

20. According to James Madison, political parties were ______.

a. the organizations that would link citizens to government

b. a dangerous version of factions

c. not likely to become influential until after the writers of the Constitution died

d. the organizations that would potentially develop policy agendas for the new American democracy

e. unlikely to become influential in American politics

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

21. All of the following statements concerning party machines are true EXCEPT this:

a. They sought to take advantage of the expansion of voting rights to all white men in the early nineteenth century.

b. Their activities had the consequence of integrating masses of new immigrants into the political process.

c. They were characterized by central control by a party leader or boss.

d. They dominated party primary elections.

e. They were exceptionally strong in urban areas.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

22. The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is called ______.

a. the civil service system

b. patronage

c. the party machine

d. electioneering

e. party benefits

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

23. In a(n) _______, registered party members, rather than party bosses, nominate party candidates.

a. straw poll

b. referendum

c. party primary

d. general party election

e. initiative

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

24. Which of the following statement is NOT true regarding party machines?

a. Party machines were strongest in rural areas.

b. Party machines guaranteed people’s support through patronage.

c. Party machines came under attack from reformers in the early 1900s.

d. Party bosses had complete control over the nomination process.

e. Party machines originated with the Jacksonian Democrats.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

25. Patronage was once important to political parties because ______.

a. it created a more disciplined party-in-government

b. it ensured an army of supporters

c. it created a stronger party organization

d. it simplified the issue of hiring people after an election

e. members of the other party would be unemployed

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

26. The election of 1828 was significant to the development of electoral politics because ______.

a. it was the first election in which mass participation occurred

b. it was the first election in which parties used primaries to nominate their candidates

c. it solidified the power of those who supported a strong national government over those who supported a strong state government

d. it brought to an end the First Party Era

e. a candidate won the popular vote but not the electoral vote

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

27. In discussing the forces that propel American political parties toward the middle of the ideological spectrum, Barbour and Wright assume that ______.

a. party activists can have no effect on the final ideological position that their party takes

b. the majority of Americans are single-issue voters

c. party bosses feel more pressure to win primaries rather than general elections

d. most American voters are moderates

e. most voters follow the ideological lead of the Republican and Democratic National Committees

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

28. A critical election leads to a(n) ______.

a. realignment

b. increase in political efficacy

c. dealignment

d. party machine’s demise

e. responsible party system

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

29. Realignments are significant because they ______.

a. show the strength of third parties which are often are the reason behind realignments

b. are a sign that people are happy with the status quo

c. usually result in a change in policy direction

d. usually benefit the Republican Party

e. are an indication that partisanship is weakening

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

30. Partisan eras are characterized by ______.

a. short bursts of partisan activity that create gridlock in Congress

b. a reduction in partisan bickering in government

c. party stability in Congress and the White House

d. party machines becoming dominant in politics

e. the reduction of partisan identification among the electorate

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

31. The history of American political parties ______.

a. is a story about narrowing their focus to their party-in-government functions

b. starts within a decade of the adoption of the Constitution

c. implies that third parties can never impact presidential elections

d. demonstrates that they are unnecessary for democratic politics

e. predates the writing of the Constitution

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

32. An election signaling a significant change in popular allegiance from one party to another is a ______ election.

a. party era

b. critical

c. dealignment

d. realignment

e. transformational

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

33. The first two major political parties in the United States were the Federalists and the ______.

a. Republicans

b. Whigs

c. Democratic-Republicans

d. Mugwumps

e. Know-Nothings

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

34. Electioneering refers to ______.

a. the use of the courts to decide a close election

b. the process of a president campaigning for members of his political party

c. the false counting of votes conducted by many party machines in the Third Party Era

d. groups providing financial support to candidates they favor

e. the process of getting a person elected to public office

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

35. Which of the following regions is NOT a stronghold of the Republican Party today?

a. the West

b. the Northeast

c. the Midwest

d. the mountain states

e. the South

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

36. The current state of American political parties can be described as ______.

a. being in a period of incremental realignment

b. being in a period of dealignment only

c. being in a period of realignment only

d. fitting no descriptors mentioned in the chapter

e. being in a period of dealignment only in local elections

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

37. The two functions of parties are ______.

a. lobbying and fundraising

b. electioneering and lobbying

c. fundraising and governing

d. electioneering and governing

e. lobbying and governing

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

38. The two main advantages of incumbents in elections are that they have name recognition and ______.

a. are more likely to have the president’s support

b. have the time to start a campaign early

c. have previously assembled a winning coalition in their district

d. are less likely than challengers to have scandals covered in the media

e. usually have a closer relationship with the media than their challengers

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

39. Party organizations engage in recruiting candidates ______.

a. for all races

b. for high-profile seats, such as U.S. Senate seats or governorships

c. for races they probably cannot win

d. for offices that are not attractive to ambitious politicians

e. for all seats not held by their party

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

40. Party officials complain about the open primary because ______.

a. too many voters are likely to participate

b. too many candidates can get their names on the ballot

c. party members who haven’t paid their dues can still vote

d. there are too many write-in votes

e. members of the other party can get involved in the nomination process

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

41. One impact of televising the national conventions is that ______.

a. national conventions are more ideological to appeal to more factions of the public

b. national conventions have become the showcases of advertisers

c. national conventions run longer only to take advantage of the television coverage

d. political parties choreograph events during prime time

e. citizen interest in the presidential nominating process has increased

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

42. American political parties are decentralized for all of the following reasons EXCEPT this:

a. The nature of the federal electoral structure leads to decentralization.

b. Americans resist efforts of the parties to become more centralized.

c. Federalism leads to decentralization.

d. U.S. party organizations do not control the nomination process.

e. States write the laws that dictate party structure.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

43. Parties take part in selecting candidates to run for office by engaging in all of the following EXCEPT ______.

a. providing the bulk of the money candidates use to run for office

b. recruiting candidates to be nominees

c. taking part in primary elections

d. holding conventions

e. defining the party policy agenda

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

44. The party activity of governing involves ______ and ______.

a. partisan bickering; serving the self-interest of politicians

b. controlling government; enacting the party’s policy agenda

c. avoiding tough decisions; taking popular stands on issues

d. attracting donations for the next election; recruiting candidates

e. campaigning; legislating

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

45. Media coverage of the general election process has ______.

a. led to citizens being less informed

b. made campaigns more candidate centered

c. made campaigns more interest group centered

d. had little impact other than to increase the costs of elections

e. made campaigns more party centered

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

46. Franklin Roosevelt’s victory in the 1932 presidential race that represents the dividing line between the Fourth and Fifth Party Eras is an example of ______.

a. dealignment

b. conflict extension

c. a critical election

d. patronage

e. realignment

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

47. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the American party system?

a. American parties are more ideologically extreme than many of their European counterparts.

b. American parties have recently increased their party discipline.

c. American party organizations are decentralized.

d. The lack of success of third parties in the United States is the result of election rules.

e. Third parties occasionally have had a dramatic impact on presidential election outcomes.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

48. Which of the following is NOT a reason the United States has a two-party system?

a. The American public strongly supports a two-party system.

b. The United States has experienced few serious political splits stemming from divisive issues such as religion or social conflict.

c. The United States does not allocate its legislative seats proportionally.

d. U.S. laws make it difficult for third parties to get placed on the ballot.

e. The United States has rules that often keep third-party candidates out of debates.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

49. The rapid emergence of the New Deal coalition around the time of the 1932 election is an excellent example of ______.

a. conflict extension

b. partisan realignment

c. dealignment

d. electioneering

e. patronage

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

50. Dealignment refers to ______.

a. the recent trend for voters to state that they are independents

b. elections where voters associate themselves with a third party

c. the mass movement of voters from one party to another during a particular election

d. a reduction of one party’s dominance followed by its replacement by another party

e. the ideological shift of voters from moderate to more extreme positions

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

51. All of the following statements concerning parties in American democracy are true EXCEPT this:

a. They help provide a linkage between voters and elected officials.

b. They help to unify a fragmented government.

c. They provide a voice for the opposition to official government policy.

d. They have become an impediment to the operation of modern democracy.

e. They differ from interest groups in that they seek to nominate and elect officials to public office.

Learning Objective: 12.6: Give examples of how parties serve (or fail to serve) citizens in American politics.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

52. In contrast to the ideas of James Madison, political observers today argue that political parties ______.

a. are a danger to the smooth functioning of democracy

b. are essential to the maintenance of democracy

c. are no longer necessary

d. should regulate democracy in place of the government

e. should be strongest at the local level

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

53. The positive aspect of partisanship is that it ______.

a. promotes cooperation among politicians

b. allows candidates to spend less time fund-raising and more time passing legislation

c. prevents either party from becoming too strong and dominant

d. keeps politicians honest and allows the best political ideas and policies to emerge

e. keeps political gridlock from occurring

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

54. The party organization is essential because it ______.

a. increases party discipline

b. provides a solid base of support for party candidates

c. helps party candidates win elections

d. prevents strong third parties from emerging

e. translates the wishes of voters into policy

Learning Objective: 12.6: Give examples of how parties serve (or fail to serve) citizens in American politics.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

55. When Republican party activists tried to turn out their base to vote for Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign, those activists were engaging in ______.

a. electioneering

b. party discipline

c. conflict extension

d. realignment

e. patronage

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

56. The central actors in the party-in-government comprise the president, the ______, the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate, party whips in Congress, and state governors.

a. Secretary of State

b. citizen activist groups

c. Vice President

d. Speaker of the House

e. party bosses

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

57. Loyalty to a political cause or party is known as ______.

a. fealty

b. allegiance

c. partisanship

d. devotion

e. party gridlock

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

58. Most candidates for major political positions are chosen by registered party members during ______.

a. referenda

b. nominating conventions

c. primaries

d. initiatives

e. partisan sorting

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

59. In a closed primary, only ______.

a. write-in candidates are allowed.

b. candidates approved by the state party committee may run.

c. dues-paying party members can participate.

d. registered party members may vote.

e. candidates approved by a party’s national committee may run.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

60. The term soft money refers to ______.

a. illegal slush fund donations

b. cash spent by outside groups to support candidates independent of their campaigns

c. think-tank and interest group donations to candidates

d. donations to parties rather than candidates

e. direct donations to candidates

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

True/False

1. Large portions of the responsible party model do not apply to the American party system very well.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. In recent decades, working-class whites have been drawn to the Democratic Party in greater numbers.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. The operations of political machines had at least one positive outcome in that they integrated millions of immigrants into the American political system.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. The realignment process normally involves party members dropping their party identification entirely.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. One consequence of divided government is that it can make it difficult for voters to hold their representatives responsible for their behavior in office.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. Individuals with no party affiliation may participate in closed primaries.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. The major broadcast networks have, in recent decades, cut back on the amount of live coverage that they give to the major political party conventions.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. One explanation for why the United States has only two parties is that its society lacks the deep reinforcing social cleavages that often spawn new parties.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. American political parties concentrate most of their power in their national committees.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. From Barbour and Wright’s point of view, it seems that Americans often forget that a lot of what we call “politics” is really about “bickering” between political parties.

Learning Objective: 12.6: Give examples of how parties serve (or fail to serve) citizens in American politics.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Citizens and Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

Short Answer

1. How do political parties enhance the way in which the Constitution works?

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. What are the four conditions of a responsible party?

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. Why can party organizations be described as fragmented?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. Whom does the party-in-the-electorate represent?

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. What three reasons do scholars give to explain how parties help maintain democracy?

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. What was the role of party bosses in the nomination process?

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. How do Republicans view the question of resource allocation?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. What role(s) do the Democratic and Republican National Committees play in the political process?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. What three things do the authors suggest citizens can do to offset their frustration with the partisan nature of politics?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. What was New Deal legislation designed to do?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

Essay

1. What are the elements of the responsible party model? How well does the American party system meet this model? To the degree that the American system does not meet the model, why is this true? Would our political system be better or worse if the American party system met the standards of the responsible party model?

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. Do political parties in the United States live up to the responsible party model? Why or why not?

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. Explain the difference between a party-in-government and a party-in-the-electorate.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the role that parties play in making government policy.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Why Political Parties?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. What are the philosophies, generally speaking, of the Democratic and Republican Parties today?

Learning Objective: 12.2: Explain the tension between the party base and the general electorate regarding their influence on issue positions.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. Trace the history of the American political parties. Discuss the key events that took place during each party era, which parties were involved, and what led to a new party era. Finally, discuss the controversy over whether the United States has entered a Sixth Party Era.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Outline the evolution of the party system in the United States.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The History of Parties in America

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. Political parties generally have two roles: electioneering and governing. Explain how the parties perform each of these roles.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a divided government and a unified government.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Explain the ways in which parties connect citizens and government.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What Do Parties Do?

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. What factors have led to (and helped maintain) the U.S. two-party system? Is this system preferable, or should America have a multiparty system?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. Discuss the characteristics of the American party system. How does the American system differ from some other countries’ party systems?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Various pages

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. What specific features of America’s two-party system make it so difficult for a third party to be established on a permanent basis?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Describe how the American party system works.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Characteristics of the American Party System

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.