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GOV CH-5 POLITICAL PARTIES

Matching
 
 
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms. Some terms may be used more than once.
a.
ward
b.
electorate
c.
minor party
d.
plurality
e.
political party
f.
split-ticket voting
g.
splinter parties
h.
major parties
i.
bipartisan
 

 1. 

 parties that have broken off from one of the major parties
 

 2. 

 the greatest number of votes cast for a single office
 

 3. 

 the two major parties acting together and cooperating when making decisions
 

 4. 

 the people eligible to vote in any given election
 

 5. 

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

 6. 

 a group that seeks to control government by winning elections and holding public office
 
 
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms.
a.
economic protest parties
b.
consensus
c.
two-party system
d.
splinter party
e.
one-party system
f.
minor party
 

 7. 

 In dictatorships, the ____ could more realistically be called a "no-party" system.
 

 8. 

 Any party that has less support than one of the major political parties in the United States is a(n) ____.
 

 9. 

 Because the United States has a ____, the only candidates who have a reasonable chance of winning an election are either Republicans or Democrats.
 

 10. 

 Parties that want to express their discontent with the major parties and current economy are known as ____.
 
 
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms. Some terms may be used more than once.
a.
coalition
b.
political party
c.
major parties
d.
minor party
e.
split-ticket voting
f.
precinct
g.
pluralistic society
 

 11. 

 the smallest unit of election administration
 

 12. 

 consisting of several distinct cultures and groups
 

 13. 

 the dominant political parties in the United States
 

 14. 

 a group of people joined together on the basis of common principles, who seek to control government and public policy
 

 15. 

 casting ballots for candidates from different parties for different offices in the same election
 
 
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms.
a.
precinct
b.
splinter parties
c.
single-issue parties
d.
partisanship
e.
coalition
 

 16. 

 A ____ is a union of many people of diverse interests who have joined together.
 

 17. 

 Congress and the State legislatures are often organized on party lines and conduct much of their business based on ____.
 

 18. 

 ____ seek to cause a change on one public policy matter.
 

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 
MAIN IDEAS
 

 19. 
Which statement does NOT describe one type of minor party?
a.
The members of a minor party are united by a particular group of viewpoints.
b.
A minor party expresses discontent over the state of the economy.
c.
The members of a minor party tend to support the platform of a major party.
d.
A minor party is a party that has broken away from a major party.
 

 20. 
A multi-party system
a.
is composed of parties with special interests.
b.
helps one party win the support of a majority of voters.
c.
promotes the ideological consensus of the public.
d.
tends to produce a stable government.
 

 21. 
Which of the following is NOT one of the three main elements of the major parties in terms of the roles of their members?
a.
the party media consultants
b.
the party organization
c.
the party in government
d.
the party in the electorate
 

 22. 
The State party organizations
a.
always cooperate with one another.
b.
are generally loosely tied to the national committee.
c.
are well-disciplined groups.
d.
face tight control by the national committee.
 

 23. 
Over time, the ideas first developed by minor parties are often ____ by major parties.
a.
attacked
b.
ignored
c.
borrowed
d.
suppressed
 

 24. 
The national chairperson of a major political party
a.
organizes congressional campaigns.
b.
manages the party's headquarters.
c.
develops the platform upon which a presidential candidate runs.
d.
elects all members of the national committee.
 

 25. 
Which of the following statements about Federalists is TRUE?
a.
They were generally supported by farmers.
b.
George Washington founded their party.
c.
They called for a strict interpretation of the Constitution.
d.
A strong national government was of great concern to them.
 

 26. 
Which factor does NOT add to the decentralization of both major parties?
a.
The process of nominating candidates creates party conflict.
b.
Neither party has a chain of command at national, State, and local levels.
c.
The President heads one of the major parties.
d.
The government of the United States is a federal system.
 

 27. 
Although United States political parties focus on winning elections, most political parties in other countries also
a.
support the one-party system of government.
b.
seek to discourage compromise.
c.
have certain principles they want adopted by government.
d.
all of the above.
 

 28. 
Which of the following is NOT a major function of either of the two major parties in the United States?
a.
To unite people and concentrate solely on one public policy matter.
b.
To assure the qualifications of candidates for office.
c.
To keep the general public informed about key issues.
d.
To monitor the conduct of its candidates in office.
 

 29. 
The two major parties have members who take all of the following roles EXCEPT
a.
party officeholders.
b.
party leaders.
c.
loyal party members and voters.
d.
party independents.
 

 30. 
An increasing number of Americans today
a.
vote a straight party line.
b.
hold political parties in high regard.
c.
identify with neither political party.
d.
favor mandatory party membership.
 

 31. 
The era of one-party domination that began in 1968 was different from past eras of one-party domination because
a.
the Republican party gained no new members in Congress.
b.
minor parties interfered with the power of the Republican party.
c.
one party controlled Congress while the other controlled the presidency.
d.
the Democratic party gained no new members in Congress.
 

 32. 
Membership in either of the two major parties is
a.
closely regulated by federal law.
b.
based on economic status.
c.
based on personal choice.
d.
closely regulated by State law.
 

 33. 
Most single-issue parties have been
a.
long-lived.
b.
centered around a strong personality.
c.
short-lived.
d.
rooted in times of economic crisis.
 

 34. 
Which of the following is a sign of weakened political parties?
a.
split-ticket voting
b.
campaigning for party candidates
c.
newly registered voters
d.
straight-ticket voting
 

 35. 
Parties that hold a particular set of beliefs and have often supported Marxist thinking are known as
a.
ideological parties.
b.
splinter parties.
c.
economic protest parties.
d.
single-issue parties.
 

 36. 
The functions of the major parties in United States politics include
a.
providing a mechanism for the conduct of government.
b.
insuring the good performance of their elected candidates.
c.
nominating candidates for office.
d.
all of the above.
 

 37. 
In the United States, a political party is made up of a group of people who
a.
disagree on how to resolve the basic issues affecting the country.
b.
support split-ticket voting.
c.
work to get candidates elected to political offices.
d.
work separately to support one major program or policy.
 

 38. 
Which of the following groups has tended to support the Democratic party in recent decades?
a.
white males
b.
the business community
c.
union members
d.
Protestants
 

 39. 
Minor parties have contributed MOST to United States politics by
a.
providing more candidates from which voters can choose.
b.
causing major parties to adopt their ideas.
c.
establishing political precedents.
d.
placing their presidential candidates on the ballot.
 

 40. 
People belong to a particular political party
a.
according to regulations of State law.
b.
based on the location of the State in which they live.
c.
voluntarily, because they made a personal choice.
d.
according to regulations of federal law.
 

 41. 
A one-party system
a.
exists in nearly all dictatorships today.
b.
creates an unstable government.
c.
is what the United States has today.
d.
results in democracy.
 

 42. 
The two-party system developed in the United States mainly because
a.
conflicts about the Constitution created opposing viewpoints.
b.
leaders and voters agreed on the existence of two parties.
c.
it was voted on and approved by both houses of Congress.
d.
the Constitution established a democratic government.
 

 43. 
Which of the following is NOT a reason why the United States has a two-party system?
a.
Because that is the way it has always been.
b.
Because the two-party system is established in the Constitution.
c.
Because American election law is written to discourage minor parties.
d.
Because Americans share many of the same ideals and principles.
 

 44. 
The only time both parties have a strong leader at the same time is
a.
when the party’s presidential candidate has been chosen but before the election takes place.
b.
after the election but before the new President takes office.
c.
between national conventions.
d.
during the nominating process.
 

 45. 
Which of the following did NOT contribute to a shift in power from the Democrats to the Republicans over the course of the nation’s history?
a.
an economic depression
b.
divided government
c.
a war
d.
a constitutional amendment
 

 46. 
If the main term associated with the Supreme Court is “Constitution,” then the main term associated with political parties is
a.
“elections.”
b.
“Constitution.”
c.
“federalism.”
d.
“Congress.”
 
 
INTERPRETING CHARTS
Use the chart to answer the following questions.

nar002-1.jpg
 

 47. 
Which party was in power during the period of 1961–1969?
a.
Democratic
b.
Republican
c.
Southern Democratic
d.
Progressive
 

 48. 
How many times between 1901 and 1997 did power transfer from Republicans to Democrats?
a.
four
b.
five
c.
six
d.
nine
 

 49. 
Which party was in power during the period 1969–1977?
a.
Progressive
b.
Southern Democrat
c.
Democratic
d.
Republican
 

 50. 
Which year began the shortest period of control by a major party?
a.
1977
b.
1913
c.
1981
d.
1933
 

 51. 
Beginning with the Civil War, _____ shifted their support to the Republican Party.
a.
southerners
b.
industrialists
c.
bankers
d.
farmers
 

 52. 
The major difference between a one-party system in a dictatorship and the modified one-party system found in many States is that
a.
Political parties in a dictatorship offer voters more choices than do those in the States.
b.
Choice is non-existent in the former, but alive and well in the latter.
c.
Unlike the States, a dictatorship usually starts with a multiparty system then narrows the choices to one party.
d.
None of the above.
 

 53. 
During the era of the Democrats that lasted from 1800 to 1860, it can be assumed that most Americans favored
a.
a government dominated by the President.
b.
a liberal interpretation of the Constitution.
c.
tax breaks for big businesses.
d.
a government that favored the “common people.”
 

 54. 
Had Theodore Roosevelt not run for President in the election of 1912, it is likely that
a.
Woodrow Wilson would not have captured the White House.
b.
the incumbent would have been defeated.
c.
Woodrow Wilson would not have lost the election.
d.
the Democrats would have won the election.
 

 55. 
A major party might support a minor party candidate for President if
a.
they can borrow from the minor party’s platform.
b.
the election is too close to call.
c.
the minor party candidate is likely to draw votes from the opposition.
d.
the major party holds a narrow lead in the polls.
 

 56. 
Which of the following do political parties and the news media have in common?
a.
Neither play a role in nominating candidates for public office.
b.
Both try to inform, inspire, and activate the people with regard to public affairs.
c.
Both play a major role in deciding the constitutionality of acts of Congress.
d.
Neither serve to foster democratic ideals.
 

 57. 
Both major parties try to
a.
form a coalition with high-ranking members of Congress.
b.
appeal to as many voters as possible.
c.
distance themselves from public policy issues.
d.
encourage minor party candidates.
 

 58. 
When trying to predict how an individual will vote, the one factor that is an accurate indicator more often than any other is
a.
family.
b.
economic status.
c.
religion.
d.
major events.
 

 59. 
If inflation is low, jobs are plentiful, and the Republicans and Democrats each enjoy strong support, which type of minor party would be LEAST likely to attract voters?
a.
economic protest parties
b.
single-issue parties
c.
ideological parties
d.
splinter parties
 

 60. 
It can be argued that political parties are at their weakest
a.
when their candidate is elected President.
b.
when they cannot agree on who to nominate as their candidate.
c.
during the national convention.
d.
all of the above
 

 61. 
Recent laws regulating how political parties fund campaigns have contributed to
a.
the growth of minor parties.
b.
a modified one-party system.
c.
the increased importance of the national committee.
d.
the weakening of the party system.
 



 
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