Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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Objectives
To define a
political party
To Describe the major funcions of political parties
Why It
Matters
Political parties are
essential to democratic government. In the United States, political parties have shaped the way the
government works. Today, the major parties perform several important functions without which our
government could not function.
Political Dictionary
| Political
party | A
group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of
public office | | Major parties | In American politics, the Republican and the Democratic
parties | | Partisanship | Government action based on firm allegiance to a political
party | | Party in power | In American politics, the party in power is the party that controls the
executive branch of government? —i.e., the presidency at the national level, or the
governorship at the State level. | | |
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1.
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In America, how do parties
achieve their goal of controlling government?
a. | by winning
elections | c. | by controlling
religion | b. | by forcing the people to obey | d. | parties do not want to control the
government |
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What Is a
Party?
A political party is a
group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of
public office. This definition of a political party is broad enough to fit any political party. It
certainly describes the two major parties in American politics, the Republican and the Democratic
parties.
Another, more specific definition can be used to describe most political parties, both
here and abroad. That is, a political party is a group of persons, joined together on the basis of
common principles, who seek to control government in order to affect certain public policies and
programs. Examples of these would be the Socialist Parties, Communist Party, or Nazi Party.
This
definition, with its emphasis on principles and public policy positions, will not fit the two major
American parties, however. The Republican and Democratic parties are not primarily principle- or
issue-oriented. They are, instead, election-oriented.
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2.
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In the U.S. the Republican and
Democrat parties are
a. | policy
oriented | c. | issue
oriented | b. | election oriented | d. | disoriented |
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What Do Parties
Do?
It is clear from American
history, as well as from the histories of other peoples, that political parties are essential to
democratic government. Parties are the major mechanisms behind the development of broad policy and
leadership choices; they are the medium through which those options are presented to the people.
Political parties are a vital link between the people and their government; that is, between the
governed and those who govern. Many observers argue that political parties are the principal means by
which the will of the people is made known to government and by which government is held accountable
to the people.
Parties serve the democratic ideal in another important way. They work to blunt
conflict; they are ? “power brokers.? ” Political parties bring conflicting groups
together. They modify and encourage compromise among the contending views of different interests and
groups, and so help to unify, rather than divide, the American people. They soften the impact of
extremists at both ends of the political spectrum.
Again, political parties are indispensable to
American government. This fact is underscored by the major functions they
perform
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3.
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What is the main idea of the
first paragraph?
a. | parties are too
mechanical | c. | the history of
political parties | b. | Parties are medium | d. | Parties are important to
democracy |
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4.
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Government could easily
function without political
parties.
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5.
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What is the main idea of the
second paragraph?
a. | Parties argue too
much. | c. | Parties are the way that people
connect with their government | b. | Parties have no will of their own | d. | Government does not have to answer to the people, only the
parties. |
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Nominating
Candidates
The major function
of a political party is to nominate? —name? —candidates for public office. That is, the
parties select candidates and then present them to the voters. Then the parties work to help their
candidates win elections.
To have a functioning democracy, there must be a procedure for finding
(recruiting and choosing) candidates for office. There must also be a mechanism for gathering support
(votes) for these candidates. Parties are the best device yet found to do those jobs.
The
nominating function is almost exclusively a party function in the United States. It is the one
activity that most clearly sets political parties apart from all of the other groups in
politics.
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6.
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What does nominating a
candidate mean?
a. | Checking the background of
candidates | c. | Picking people to
work in campaigns | b. | Setting the salary of office holders | d. | Picking people to run for
office. |
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7.
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What is NOT a function of political
parties?
a. | none of these are functions of
political parties | c. | impeaching office
holders | b. | supporting candidates | d. | finding candidates |
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8.
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What is the one thing that
political parties do that other political groups do not do?
a. | raise money for
candidates | c. | vote for
candidates | b. | work in elections | d. | nominate candidates |
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Informing and Activating
Supporters
Parties inform the
people, and inspire and activate their interest and participation in public affairs. Other groups
also perform this function? —in particular, the news media and interest groups.
Parties try
to inform and inspire voters in several ways. Primarily, they campaign for their candidates, take
stands on issues, and criticize the candidates and the positions of their opponents.
Each party
tries to inform the people as it thinks they should be informed? —to its own advantage. For
example, a party selects information in order to present its own positions and candidates in the best
possible light. It conducts this ? “educational? ” process through pamphlets, signs,
buttons, and stickers; with advertisements in newspapers and magazines and on radio, television, and
the Internet; in speeches, rallies, and conventions; and in many other ways.
Remember, both
parties want to win elections, and that consideration has much to do with the stands they take on
most issues. Both parties try to shape positions that will attract as many voters as possible?
—and that will, at the same time, offend as few voters as possible.
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9.
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Who decides how the parties
will inform and educate the voters?
a. | the
congress | c. | the parties
themselves | b. | the government office of party
administration | d. | the
government |
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10.
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Which statement is
not true about political
parties?
a. | parties strive to win
elections | c. | parties try to
attract new voters | b. | parties try to offend as few voters as
possible | d. | parties are always fair to the
opposition parties |
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Governing
In several respects, government in the United States is government by party. For
example, public officeholders? —those who govern? —are regularly chosen on the basis of
party. Congress and the State legislatures are organized on party lines, and they conduct much of
their business on the basis of partisanship? —the strong support of their party and its
policy stands. In addition, most appointments to executive offices, at both the federal and State
levels, are made with an eye to party considerations
In yet another sense, parties provide a basis
for the conduct of government. In the complicated separation of powers arrangement, the executive and
legislative branches must cooperate with one another if government is to accomplish anything. It is
political parties that regularly provide the channels through which these two branches are able to
work together.
Political parties have played a significant role in the process of constitutional
change. Consider this important example: The Constitution? ’s cumbersome system for electing
the President works principally because political parties reshaped it in its early years and have
made it work ever since.
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11.
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Congress and the state
legislatures are organized into groups on the basis of
a. | political
parties | c. | geographic
location | b. | age and sex | d. | wealth and education |
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12.
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The president has to appoint
people to help him run the government. These people head the various government departments and are
called “Secretaries.” These people become, Secretary of Defense, Secretary or State, etc.
The Senate has to approve these appointments. On what basis does the presedent ususlly appoint people
to be Secretaries?
a. | age | c. | education | b. | gender | d. | political party |
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13.
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On what basis do most people
vote for president?
a. | gender | c. | age | b. | party affiliation | d. | appearance |
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14.
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Congress is organized around
political parties. The party with the most members in the Congress have the
a. | best ideas about
government | c. | most politcal
power | b. | most equality | d. | greatest amount of money |
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Acting as
Watchdog
Parties act as
watchdogs over the conduct of the public business. This is particularly true of the party out of
power. It plays this role as it criticizes the policies and behavior of the party in power..
In
American politics the party in power is the party that controls the executive branch of government?
—the presidency at the national level or the governorship at the State level.
In effect,
the party out of power attempts to convince the voters that they should, throw the other party
out and put their party in power.
The party with more members control the congress and are
called the, “majority party.” The party with fewer members are called the “minority
party.” Because the minority party is constantly watching and criticizing the other party, it
keeps the majority party from becoming too much like a dictatorship.
Without political parties it
would be hard to control the behavior of the members who control the congress.
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15.
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What do they call the party
with the most members in the House of Representatives?
a. | local
party | c. | independent
party | b. | minority party | d. | majority party |
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16.
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What do they call the political
party with fewer members in the House of Representatives?
a. | majority
party | c. | minority
party | b. | independent party | d. | lesser party |
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Multiple Response
Identify one
or more choices that best complete the statement or answer the question.
|
|
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Objectives
To define a
political party
To Describe the major funcions of political parties
Why It
Matters
Political parties are
essential to democratic government. In the United States, political parties have shaped the way the
government works. Today, the major parties perform several important functions without which our
government could not function.
Political Dictionary
| Political
party | A
group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of
public office | | Major parties | In American politics, the Republican and the Democratic
parties | | Partisanship | Government action based on firm allegiance to a political
party | | Party in power | In American politics, the party in power is the party that controls the
executive branch of government? —i.e., the presidency at the national level, or the
governorship at the State level. | | |
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17.
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What are the two main
objectives of this section? Click both.
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18.
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What are the two main parties
in the United States?
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Informing and Activating
Supporters
Parties inform the
people, and inspire and activate their interest and participation in public affairs. Other groups
also perform this function? —in particular, the news media and interest groups.
Parties try
to inform and inspire voters in several ways. Primarily, they campaign for their candidates, take
stands on issues, and criticize the candidates and the positions of their opponents.
Each party
tries to inform the people as it thinks they should be informed? —to its own advantage. For
example, a party selects information in order to present its own positions and candidates in the best
possible light. It conducts this ? “educational? ” process through pamphlets, signs,
buttons, and stickers; with advertisements in newspapers and magazines and on radio, television, and
the Internet; in speeches, rallies, and conventions; and in many other ways.
Remember, both
parties want to win elections, and that consideration has much to do with the stands they take on
most issues. Both parties try to shape positions that will attract as many voters as possible?
—and that will, at the same time, offend as few voters as possible.
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19.
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What things do political
parties do to inspire and inform voters? Check all that apply.
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The Bonding Agent
Function
In business, a bond is
an agreement that protects a person or company against loss caused by a third party. In politics, a
political party acts as a ? “bonding agent,? ” to ensure the good performance of its
candidates and officeholders. In choosing its candidates, the party tries to make sure that they are
men and women who are both qualified and of good character? —or, at least, that they are not
unqualified for the offices they seek.
The party also prompts its successful candidates to
perform well in office. The democratic process imposes this bonding agent function on a party,
whether the party really wants to perform it or not. If it fails to assume this responsibility, both
the party and its candidates may suffer the consequences in future elections
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20.
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The readings above suggest that
the political parties insure that (click all that apply)
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