True or False: The two major parties in the United States are election-oriented rather than issue-oriented.
True
True or False: Once its candidates are elected, a political party has no interest in whether they perform well in office.
False
True or False: The function that most clearly sets political parties apart from other political groups operating in the United States is the nomination of candidates for elective office.
True
True or False: Most federal appointments to executive offices are made on a partisan basis.
True
True or False: One of the most important functions of the party in power is the "watchdog" function.
True
A political party is a group of persons who join together in order to...
Gain control of the government through the electoral process
The function of informing the public and stimulating political debate is performed by...
All of the above (the news media, political parties, and interest groups)
Broadly based parties like those in the United States tend to reduce and moderate political conflict by...
Encouraging conflicting groups to agree to compromise solutions
Under the system of seperation of powers, political parties are usually the agents that prompt cooperation between...
The legeslative and executive branches
The function of the "loyal opposition" is to...
Criticize the policies of the party in power
What is a consensus?
A general agreement
What is a one-party system?
For example, the "Solid South"
What is a pluralistsic society?
A union of many persons of diverse interests
What is single-member districts?
Institution that promotes continuation of the two-party system
What is coalition?
Culture composed of many distinct subgroups
The two-party system in America goes back to the...
Civil War
The fact that candidates for Congress do not need to win a majority of votes in order to win an election...
Discourages people from voting for minor-party candidates
The statement that "Americans are an ideologically homogeneous people" refers to the fact that...
American society is made up of many distinct cultures and groups
Multiparty systems tend to produce...
Political instability
Which of the following groups would be most likely to support the Democratic party?
People whose parents supported the Democratic party
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were the leaders of the ___.
Democratic-Republican party
The party that developed in opposition to the Jacksonian Democrates was the ___.
Whig party
The Era of Good Feeling was a period of ___ rule.
One-party
In the 1996 presidential election, President Bill Clinton was the ___.
Incumbent
The ___ expanded to include all white males during the Jacksonian era.
Electorate
Which of the following was supported by the Democratic-Republicans?
Policies designed to help farmers and planters
During which period(s) of American history has the Democratic party dominated the Federal Government?
1800-1860 and 1932-1968
Which of the following groups was NOT part of the coalition that backed the post-Civil War Republican party?
Southerners
The critical election of 1896 was a ___ victory that signaled an end to divisive ___conflicts.
Republican, sectional
Unlike previous periods, during the period from 1968 to the present...
one party has controlled the presidency while the other has controlled Congress.
Example of ideological party
Libertarian party
Example of splinter party
Bull Moose party
Example of single-issue party
Prohibition party
Example of economic protest party
Populist party
Example of major party
Democratic party
Although edeological parties have not ___, they have ___.
Won many elections, been long-lived
The Free Soil party, the "Know Nothing" party, and the Right to Life party are all examples of...
Single-issue parties
Which of the following is a TRUE statement about splinter parties?
Most of the important minor parties in the nation's history have been splinter parties
Minor parties are able to play a "spoiler role" in an election by...
Taking enough votes away from one of the two major parties to cost its candidate the election
