GOV CH 5-2 TWO PARTY SYSTEM

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

Objectives

Identify the reasons why the United States has a two party system
Understand multiparty and one party systems and how they affect the functioning
Describe party membership patterns in the United States

Why It Matters

The two-party system in the United States is a product of historical forces, our electoral system, and the ideological consensus of the American people. It provides more political stability than a multiparty system and more choice than a one-party system.

Political Dictionary

minor party	One of the political parties not widely supported
two party system	A political system dominated by two major parties
single member district	Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office
plurality	In an election, the number of votes that the leading candidate obtains over the next highest candidate.
bipartisan	Supported by two parties
pluralistic society	A society which consists of several distinct cultures and groups
consensus	General agreement among various groups on fundamental matters; broad agreement on public questions
multiparty	A system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices
coalition	A temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government
one party system	A political system in which only one party exists

Which party system provides the greatest stability?

a.	one party system	c.	two party system
b.	multiparty system	d.	dictatorship

If there are two or three candidates running in an election, the one who receives the most votes is said to have a _____ .

a.	coalition	c.	consensus
b.	minority	d.	plurality

Does the name Earl Dodge mean anything to you? Probably not. Yet Mr. Dodge has run for President of the United States six times. He was the presidential candidate of the Prohibition Party in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and most recently, 2004.
One reason Mr. Dodge is not very well known is that he belongs to a minor party one of the many political parties without wide voter support in this country. Two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, dominate American politics. That is to say, this country has a two party system. In a typical election, only the Republican or the Democratic Party? ’s candidates have a reasonable chance of winning public office

The passage above suggests that minor party candidates have trouble getting elected because

a.	they are not as well known as the Republican and Democrat candidates	c.	people think they are in favor of prohibition
b.	they do not always understand the issues	d.	they are not allowed to participate in “prime time” television

Why a Two-Party System?
In some States, and in many local communities, one of the two major parties may be overwhelmingly dominant. And it may remain so for a long time? —as, for example, the Democrats were throughout the South from the post-Civil War years to the 1960s. But, on the whole, and through most of our history, the United States has been a two-party nation.
A number of factors help to explain why America has had and continues to have a two-party system. No one reason alone offers a wholly satisfactory explanation for the phenomenon. Taken together, however, several reasons do add up to a quite persuasive answer.

Which party dominated the South from the Civil War to the 1970’s?

a.	Republican	c.	Confederate
b.	Democrat	d.	Green

According to the reading, which statement is true?

a.	The Republicans were the dominant party in the South during the 1800’s	c.	There is one simple reason for the two party system.
b.	In some places one party can be the dominant party for a long period of time	d.	The United States has a one party system

The Historical Basis
The two-party system is rooted in the beginnings of the nation itself. The Framers of the Constitution were opposed to political parties. As you saw in Chapter 2, the ratification of the Constitution saw the birth of America? ’s first two parties: the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Anti-Federalists, who followed Thomas Jefferson. In short, the American party system began as a two-party system.
The Framers hoped to create a unified country; they sought to bring order out of the chaos of the Critical Period of the 1780s. To most of the Framers, parties were ? “factions,? ” and therefore agents of divisiveness and disunity. George Washington reflected this view when, in his Farewell Address in 1796, he warned the new nation against ? “the baneful effects of the spirit of party.? ”
In this light, it is hardly surprising that the Constitution made no provision for political parties. The Framers could not foresee the ways in which the governmental system they set up would develop. Thus, they could not possibly know that two major parties would emerge as prime instruments of government in the United States. Nor could they know that those two major parties would tend to be moderate, to choose middle-of-the-road positions, and so help to unify rather than divide the nation.

The framers of the Constitution thought political parties a bad idea because they would

a.	they would damage free speech and other freedoms	c.	bring the country together and promote too much unity
b.	divide the country into warring factions	d.	cost too much money

The Force of Tradition
Once established, human institutions are likely to become self-perpetuating. So it has been with the two-party system. The very fact that the nation began with a two-party system has been a leading reason for the retention of a two-party system. Over time, it has become an increasingly important, self-reinforcing reason.
The point can be made this way: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one. This inbred support for the arrangement is a principal reason why challenges to the system? —by minor parties, for example? —have made so little headway. In other words, America has a two-party system because America has a two-party system

What is the “force of tradition?”

a.	Most Americans do not believe in traditional values	c.	People do not like to do the same thing all the time
b.	People do not like being forced to do something	d.	People get used to doing something and keep on doing it

Another important aspect of the electoral system works to discourage minor parties. Much of American election law is purposely written to discourage non-major party candidates. Republicans and Democrats regularly act in a bipartisan way in this matter. That is, the two major parties find common ground and work together here.
They deliberately shape election laws to preserve, protect, and defend the two major parties and the two-party system, and thus to frustrate the minor parties. In most States it is far more difficult for minor parties and independent groups to get their candidates listed on the ballot than for the major parties to do so.
The 2004 presidential election offered a striking illustration of the point. George W. Bush and John Kerry were on the ballots of all 50 States and the District of Columbia. None of the several other serious presidential hopefuls made the ballot everywhere in 2004.
To this point, non-major party candidates have made it to the ballot everywhere in only seven presidential elections. The Socialist Party? ’s Eugene V. Debs was the first to do so, in 1912. The Socialist candidate in 1916, Allan L. Benson, also appeared on the ballots of all of the then 48 States. In 1980 Ed Clark, the Libertarian nominee, and independent John Anderson, and in 1988 Lenora Fulani of the New Alliance Party made the ballots of all 50 States and the District of Columbia. So, too, did Libertarian Andre Marrou and independent Ross Perot in 1992. Every ballot contained the names of Libertarian Harry Browne and the Reform Party? ’s Ross Perot in 1996.
In 2004 Libertarian Michael Badnarik was on the ballot in 48 States and the District of Columbia. Michael Peroutka of the Constitution Party was listed in 38 States, and the Green Party? ’s nominee, David Cobb, in 28. All of the other minor party aspirants fell far short of those totals, however. (Independent candidate Ralph Nader made it to the ballots of 34 States in 2004.)

What is the main idea of the reading above?

a.	Usually the minor parties are able to get on the ballots in all 50 states	c.	The Republican and Democrat parties work together to keep minor parties off the ballots
b.	There are very few minor parties in the United States and that is why they do not get elected.	d.	The Republicans and Democrats pass laws outlawing minor parties

The American Ideological Consensus
Americans are, on the whole, an ideologically homogeneous people. That is, over time, the American people have shared many of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief.
This is not to say that Americans are all alike. Clearly, this is not the case. The United States is a pluralistic society —one consisting of several distinct cultures and groups. Increasingly, the members of various ethnic, racial, religious, and other social groups compete for and share in the exercise of political power in this country. Still, there is a broad consensus, a general agreement among various groups on fundamental matters.

What is the main idea of the passage above?

a.	We have many racial, ethnic and religious groups in America, and we do not believe in the same political ideals	c.	There is very little difference between the various groups that make up America
b.	The fact that we have so many different groups in America keeps us from agreeing about politics	d.	Even though we have many racial, ethnic and religious groups in America, we generally believe in the same political ideals

Those conditions that could produce several strong rival parties simply do not exist in this country. In this way, the United States differs from most other democracies. In short, the realities of American society and politics simply do not permit more than two major parties.
This ideological consensus has had another very important impact on American parties. It has given the nation two major parties that look very much alike. Both tend to be moderate. Both are built on compromise and regularly try to occupy ? “the middle of the road.? ” Both parties seek the same prize: the votes of a majority of the electorate. To do so, they must win over essentially the same people. Inevitably, each party takes policy positions that do not differ a great deal from those of the other major party.
This is not to say that there are no significant differences between the two major parties today. There are. For example, the Democratic Party, and those who usually vote for its candidates, are more likely to support such things as social welfare programs, government regulation of business practices, and efforts to improve the status of minorities. On the other hand, the Republican Party and its adherents are much more likely to favor the play of private market forces in the economy and to argue that the Federal Government should be less extensively involved in social welfare programs.

10.

Which party is more concerned with the economic freedom and sees big government as a threat to individual liberty?

Republican

Democrat

11.

Which party is more concerned with social welfare programs and would use a big government to enforce social policies

Democrat

Republican

Multiparty Systems
Some critics argue that the American two-party system should be scrapped. They would replace it with a multiparty arrangement, a system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices. Multiparty systems have long been a feature of most European democracies, and they are now found in many other democratic societies elsewhere in the world.
In the typical multiparty system, the various parties are each based on a particular interest, such as economic class, religious belief, sectional attachment, or political ideology. Those who favor such an arrangement for this country say that it would provide for a broader representation of the electorate and be more responsive to the will of the people. They claim that a multiparty system would give voters a much more meaningful choice among candidates and policy alternatives than the present two-party system does

12.

Why do some people prefer a multiparty system?

a.	In a two party system each group in the country is more fairly represented	c.	The two party system eventually ends in dictatorships
b.	In a multiparty system each group in the country is more fairly represented	d.	The two party system tends to produce candidates that are too different in ideology

One-Party Systems
In nearly all dictatorships today, only one political party is allowed. That party is the party of the ruling clique. For all practical purposes, it is quite accurate to say that in those circumstances the resulting one party system is really a “no-party ” system.
In quite another sense, this country has had several States and many local areas that can be described in one-party terms. Until the late 1950s, the Democrats dominated the politics of the South. The Republican Party was almost always the winner in New England and in the upper Midwest.
Effective two-party competition has spread fairly rapidly in the past 30 years or so. Democrats have won many offices in every northern State. Republican candidates have become more and more successful throughout the once “Solid South.” Nevertheless, about a third of the States can still be said to have a modified one-party system. That is, one of the major parties regularly wins most elections in those States. Also, while most States may have vigorous two-party competition at the Statewide level, within most of them are many areas dominated by a single party.

13.

In one party countries the governments tend to be

a.	Democrat	c.	democracies
b.	dictatorships	d.	Republican

14.

Which statement is NOT true about one party control in parts of the United States

a.	All during the “Jim Crow” years the Democrats controlled the South	c.	For years the Republicans controlled the Northeast and Farm states
b.	Though Democrats win some local elections in California it is almost impossible to win the state in presidential elections	d.	Though Republicans win some local elections in California it is almost impossible to win the state in presidential elections

Party Membership Patterns
Membership in a party is purely voluntary. A person is a Republican or a Democrat, or belongs to a minor party, or is an independent, belonging to no organized party, because that is what he or she chooses to be.3
Remember, the two major parties are broadly based. In order to gain more votes than their opponents, they must attract as much support as they possibly can. Each party has always been composed, in greater or lesser degree, of a cross section of the nation ’s population. Each is made up of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews; whites, African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities; professionals, farmers, and union members. Each party includes the young, the middle-aged, and the elderly; city-dwellers, suburbanites, and rural residents among its members
It is true that the members of certain segments of the electorate tend to be aligned more solidly with one or the other of the major parties, at least for a time. Thus, in recent decades, African Americans, Catholics and Jews, and union members have voted more often for Democrats. In the same way, white males, Protestants, and the business community have been inclined to back the GOP.4 Yet, never have all members of any group tied themselves permanently to either party.
Individuals identify themselves with a party for many reasons. Family is almost certainly the most important among them. Studies show that nearly two out of every three Americans follow the party allegiance of their parents

15.

A party that is made up of many religious, ethnic, racial, economic and other social groups is said to be

a.	broad based	c.	undemocratic
b.	splintered	d.	ethnocentric

16.

Most people join the same party as

a.	their friends	c.	their church
b.	their neighbors	d.	their parents

Major events can also have a decided influence on the party affiliation of voters. Of these, the Civil War and the Depression of the 1930s have been the most significant in American political history.
Economic status also influences party choice, although generalizations are quite risky. Historically though, those in higher income groups are more likely to be Republicans, while those with lower incomes tend to be Democrats.
Several other factors also affect both party choice and voting behavior, including age, place of residence, level of education, and work environment. Some of those factors may conflict with one another in the case of a particular individual? —and they often do. Therefore, predicting how a person or group will vote in any given election is a risky business, which keeps the pollsters and the analysts busy until the votes are counted.

17.

What is the main idea of the reading above?

a.	Major events have little effect on party membership and less on how people vote in elections	c.	Though major events can influence how people vote they always vote the same.
b.	Though major events can influence party membership it is hard to predict how people will vote	d.	Major events make it easy to predict how people will vote and what party they will belong to

Multiple Response
Identify one or more choices that best complete the statement or answer the question.

minor party	One of the political parties not widely supported
two party system	A political system dominated by two major parties
single member district	Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office
plurality	In an election, the number of votes that the leading candidate obtains over the next highest candidate.
bipartisan	Supported by two parties
pluralistic society	A society which consists of several distinct cultures and groups
consensus	General agreement among various groups on fundamental matters; broad agreement on public questions
multiparty	A system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices
coalition	A temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government
one party system	A political system in which only one party exists

18.

What are the three main goals of this chapter? (pick three)

a.	Understand party campaign finance practices	c.	Understand party membership
b.	Understand why the U.S. has a two party system	d.	Understand how single party and multi-party systems effect the government

19.

The first divisions into political factions was between ... (pick two)

a.	anti-Federalists who were in favor of the Constitution	c.	Federalists who were in favor of the Constitution
b.	Federalists who were against the Constitution	d.	anti-Federalists who were against the Constitution

The Electoral System
Several features of the American electoral system tend to promote the existence of but two major parties. That is to say, the basic shape, and many of the details, of the election process work in that direction.
The prevalence of single member districts is one of the most important of these features. Nearly all of the elections held in this country? —from the presidential contest on down to those at the local levels? —are single-member district elections. That is, they are contests in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot. They are winner-take-all elections. The winning candidate is the one who receives a plurality, or the largest number of votes cast for the office. Note that a plurality need not be a majority, which is more than half of all votes cast.
The single-member district pattern works to discourage minor parties. Because only one winner can come out of each contest, voters usually face only two viable choices: They can vote for the candidate of the party holding the office, or they can vote for the candidate of the party with the best chance of replacing the current officeholder. In short, most voters think of a vote for a minor party candidate as a ? “wasted vote.? ”

20.

In what way does our electoral system promote the two party system? (pick three)

a.	most elections involve only two candidates	c.	most elections involve more than two candidates
b.	Our elections tend to be “winner take all.” This means that the winner wins everything rather than a percentage of the votes.	d.	In the U.S, people do not take the minor parties seriously.

21.

What is the difference between winning a plurality and winning a majority of the vote. (pick 2)

a.	a majority means you have won at least 51% of the votes	c.	a majority means you have won most of the votes but not 51%
b.	a plurality means you have won at least 51% of the votes	d.	a plurality means you have won most of the votes but not 51%

22.

How do the Republican and Democrats reach ideological consensus? In other words, how are they alike? (pick 3)

a.	The parties often compromise on the issues and policies	c.	Both parties are moderate and take a “middle of the road” approach
b.	Both parties try to win over the same group of voters	d.	The parties tend to be extreme but different

Clearly, multiparty systems do tend to produce a broader, more diverse representation of the electorate. At the same time, that strength is also a major weakness of a multiparty system. It often leads to instability in government. One party is often unable to win the support of a majority of the voters. As a result, the power to govern must be shared by a number of parties, in a coalition. A coalition is a temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government.
Several of the multiparty nations of Western Europe have long been plagued by governmental crises. They have experienced frequent changes in party control as coalitions shift and dissolve. Italy furnishes an almost nightmarish example: It has had a new government on the average of once every year ever since the end of World War II.
Historically, the American people have shunned a multiparty approach to politics. They have refused to give substantial support to any but the two major parties and their candidates. Two of the factors mentioned above, single-member districts and the American ideological consensus, seem to make the multiparty approach impossible in the United States.

23.

Which statements are true about multiparty systems? (pick all that apply)

a.	there is almost always broad consensus and stability in the government	c.	they tend to produce chaotic government
b.	the governments change frequently	d.	the governments are built on factions and coalitions