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CHAPTER 7 Political Parties, Participation, and Elections
Main Heads
Parties and Elections Have Been Vital to American Politics and Government
America Is One of the Few Nations with a Two-Party System
Political Participation Takes Both Traditional and Digital Forms
Voters Decide Based on Party, Issues, and Candidate
The Electoral Process Has Many Levels and Rules
The 2016 and 2018 Elections
Money Is Critical to Campaigns
Learning Objectives
Explain the roles that parties play in American elections and government
Describe the American party system and how it has changed over time
Describe the major forms of traditional and digital participation in politics
Examine the factors that influence voters’ decisions
Explain the major rules, levels, and types of elections in the United States
Analyze the strategies, issues, and outcomes of the 2016 and 2018 elections
Describe how candidates raise the money they need to run
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A political party is an organization

a. that falls under section 501(c)(4) of the United States tax code.
b. established by the Constitution to nominate candidates.
c. that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office.
d. that collects fees from its members in order to pay the salaries of government officials.
ANS: C DIF: Moderate
REF: CH07—Parties and Elections Have Been Vital to American Politics and Government
OBJ: Explain the roles that parties play in American elections and government
MSC: Remembering
2. Internal mobilization occurs when

a. conflicts within the government create divided factions that try to mobilize popular support.
b. party leaders try to rally support for their platforms once they are in the government.
c. citizens deemed to be undesirable outsiders are excluded from the party.
d. a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate
MSC: Remembering
3. Which of the following parties originated from internal mobilization?

a. Jeffersonian Party c. Reform Party
b. Green Party d. Republican Party
MSC: Remembering
4. External mobilization occurs when

a. conflicts within the government create divided factions that try to mobilize popular support.
b. party leaders try to rally support for their platforms once they are in the government.
c. citizens deemed to be undesirable outsiders are excluded from the party.
d. a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate
MSC: Remembering
5. During the early nineteenth century, the Jeffersonian Party’s main base of strength was in
a. the South. c. New England.
b. the West. d. the western territories.
MSC: Remembering
6. The establishment of the Republican Party is a good example of

a. external mobilization. c. elite bargaining.
b. internal mobilization. d. proportional representation.
MSC: Applying
7. What is the ultimate goal of a political party?

a. raising the most money c. winning elections
b. creating the party platform d. nominating candidates
MSC: Understanding
8. Who is an incumbent?
a. the current officeholder, running for reelection
b. the candidate who raises the most money during the campaign
c. whoever is leading in the polls on the day of the election
d. a candidate who is running against a current officeholder in an election
MSC: Remembering
9. A serious candidate for a U.S. House of Representatives race must raise at least ________
while a serious candidate for a U.S. Senate race must raise at least ________.
a. several thousand dollars; several hundred thousand dollars
b. several hundred thousand dollars; several thousand dollars
c. several hundred thousand dollars; several million dollars
d. several million dollars; several hundred thousand dollars
MSC: Remembering
10. Political party leaders are

a. usually willing to provide financial backing to all candidates running for their party, regardless of
whether the candidate has raised funds on their own.
b. not willing to provide financial backing to candidates who are unable to raise substantial funds on
their own.
c. prevented by federal campaign contribution laws from providing financial backing to any
candidate.
d. only allowed to provide financial backing for candidates that have served at least two terms in
elected office.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate
MSC: Remembering
11. Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to

a. take nominations for leadership positions within the party.
b. vote on the party’s platform.
c. select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election.
d. raise money to spend on the party’s preselected candidate for the general election.
MSC: Understanding
12. Which statement best characterizes the influence average citizens and party elites have over
the nomination process in the United States?
a. Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an
outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election.
b. Although party elites have some influence in the nominations process, average citizens play an
outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election.
c. Party leaders and average citizens play roughly equal roles in selecting the candidates who will
compete in the general election.
d. Party leaders are legally prohibited from playing any role in the nominations process.
MSC: Understanding
13. One of the earliest activities party workers engage in once the general election campaign begins is
a. re-drawing each congressional district’s lines.
b. forming a committee within Congress to determine campaign strategy.
c. recruiting additional candidates to run for office.
d. ensuring that citizens are registered to vote.
MSC: Remembering
14. ________ is the practice of tailoring campaign messages to individuals in small, homogenous
groups.
a. Micro-targeting c. Message bundling
b. Winnowing d. Redlining
MSC: Remembering
15. An advertisement emailed only to evangelical Christian voters about a Democratic candidate’s
support for abortion would be an example of
a. winnowing. c. redlining.
b. micro-targeting. d. message bundling.
MSC: Applying
16. Throughout its history, American politics has been dominated by

a. one major political party. c. three major political parties.
b. two major political parties. d. four major political parties.
REF: CH07—America Is One of the Few Nations with a Two-Party System
OBJ: Describe the American party system and how it has changed over time
MSC: Remembering
17. Emerging in the late 1780s, America’s first two political parties were
a. the Federalists and the Washingtonian Democrats.
b. the Whigs and the Antifederalists.
c. the Federalists and the Whigs.
d. the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans.
MSC: Remembering
18. The United States has had ________ party systems since 1789.
a. 2 c. 9
b. 6 d. 12
MSC: Remembering
19. The Jeffersonian Republicans were best known for their support of
a. a weak national government, with the states retaining most powers.
b. a strong national government, with little role for state governments.
c. women’s suffrage.
d. abolishing slavery.
MSC: Remembering
20. The Federalist Party disappeared, in part, as a result of

a. Lincoln’s election in 1860.
b. the War of 1812.
c. Alexander Hamilton’s death in a duel with Aaron Burr.
d. the Civil War.
MSC: Remembering
21. Between 1812 and 1830, the United States had

a. three political parties: the Federalists, the Jeffersonian Republicans, and the Whigs.
b. two political parties: the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans.
c. one political party: the Jeffersonian Republicans.
d. one political party: the Federalists.
MSC: Remembering
22. The two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s were the ________
and the ________.
a. Federalists; Jeffersonians c. Democrats; Whigs
b. Federalists; Whigs d. Democrats; Republicans
MSC: Remembering
23. What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?

a. slavery c. the death of Andrew Jackson
b. the admission of California into the Union d. industrialization
MSC: Remembering
24. From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the ________ Party was the party of the North,
while the ________ Party was the party of the South.
a. Democratic; Republican c. Federalist; Whig
b. Republican; Democratic d. Whig; Federalist
MSC: Remembering
25. Reconstruction after the Civil War was led by the ________ Party.
a. Democratic c. Whig
b. Republican d. Free Soil
MSC: Remembering
26. The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?

a. western mining interests, small farmers, and urban workers
b. eastern bankers, southern planters, and wealthy merchants
c. northern bankers, landowners, and factory workers
d. eastern mining interests, southern merchants, and small farmers
MSC: Remembering
27. From 1896 to 1932, the ________ Party was the nation’s majority party.
a. Republican c. Populist
b. Democratic d. Whig
MSC: Remembering
28. Which of the following groups was NOT part of the New Deal coalition?
a. Jews c. Asian Americans
b. Catholics d. African Americans
MSC: Remembering
29. “Me too” Republicanism refers to

a. the tendency of Republican politicians during the New Deal to support popular programs such as
Social Security rather than advocate alternative policies.
b. the tendency of southern Republican politicians after the Civil War to demand that all federal laws
apply equally to the northern and southern states.
c. the tendency of northern Republican politicians after the Civil War to demand that all federal laws
favor the northern states over the southern states.
d. an ideology that argues a strong federal government should promote economic equality.
MSC: Understanding
30. In 1964, Republican Party presidential nominee ________ was in favor of less taxation and
less government regulation of the economy, two ideas that became major themes for the
modern Republican Party.
a. Richard Nixon c. Ronald Reagan
b. Barry Goldwater d. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
MSC: Remembering
31. The New Deal coalition was severely strained and ultimately broken apart by the
a. popularity of Dwight Eisenhower.
b. end of the Great Depression.
c. political views of Ronald Reagan.
d. Vietnam War and the issue of civil rights.
MSC: Understanding
32. During the 1980s, the Republicans added ________ to their coalition.
a. religious conservatives and working-class whites
b. African Americans and upper-class intellectuals
c. Latinos and the business community
d. Jews and unionized workers
MSC: Remembering
33. When Richard Nixon employed his “southern strategy,” he

a. used the FBI to help collect secrets and blackmail southern Democratic leaders.
b. ignored the southern states in favor of voters in the Midwest and Northeast.
c. appealed to disaffected white voters in the South.
d. appealed to black southerners who had recently mobilized for civil rights.
MSC: Remembering
34. Which of the following occurs when one party replaces another party that has dominated
national politics for a lengthy period of time?
a. an electoral realignment c. divided party government
b. proportional representation d. external mobilization
MSC: Remembering
35. Historically, electoral realignments occur

a. when new issues combine with economic or political crises to mobilize new voters
and persuade large numbers of voters to reexamine their traditional partisan loyalties.
b. when Congress approves of them.
c. after midterm congressional elections but not after presidential elections.
d. only when the Constitution is amended.
ANS: A DIF: Easy
MSC: Understanding
36. ________ occurs when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or
both houses of Congress.
a. An electoral realignment c. Internal mobilization
b. Divided government d. External mobilization
MSC: Remembering
37. In which of the following years was there an electoral realignment?
a. 1864 c. 1942
b. 1896 d. 1976
MSC: Remembering
38. As a third-party candidate, Ross Perot captured approximately ________ percent of the popular
vote in the 1992 presidential election.
a. 10 c. 30
b. 20 d. 40
MSC: Remembering
39. Which of the following statements about the current Republican Party is most accurate?
a. There are currently no important divisions within the Republican Party.
b. The Republican Party is divided between libertarians, who favor more government regulation of the
economy, and far-right conservatives, who demand higher levels of immigration.
c. The Republican Party is divided between pro-business conservatives, who favor high tariffs, and
libertarians, who want more government regulation of the economy.
d. The Republican Party is divided between pro-business conservatives, who favor global free trade,
and far-right conservatives, who are opposed to U.S. involvement in the global economy.
MSC: Understanding
40. State ballot-access laws, such as registration fees and petition requirements, have the effect of
a. increasing the number of people who are willing to vote for third-party candidates.
b. reducing the number of people who are willing to vote for third-party candidates.
c. reducing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office.
d. increasing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office.
MSC: Understanding
41. Third parties in the United States typically represent

a. extremist religious groups.
b. recent immigrants.
c. the political interests of America’s allies, who attempt to influence the American decision-making
process because U.S. policies can affect their futures.
d. social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons.
MSC: Understanding
42. Which of the following statements concerning third parties is true?

a. Third parties are often long-lived.
b. Third parties often have their programs adopted by one of the two major parties.
c. The earliest third parties in the United States arose as a result of the Great Depression.
d. Third parties almost always win at the national level.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult
MSC: Understanding
43. In a proportional representation electoral system,

a. seats in the legislature are allocated to political parties based on their share of the total vote cast in
the election.
b. each political party receives an equal number of seats in the legislature.
c. every candidate that receives above a certain percentage of the vote (usually set at 20 percent) is
awarded a seat in the legislature.
d. candidates can only win an election if they receive a majority of the overall votes.
MSC: Remembering
44. An individual’s psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party

a. ideology. c. identification.
b. opinion. d. tradition.
MSC: Remembering
45. Which statement about the over-time trend in party identification in the United States is most accurate?
a. The number of people identifying as Republicans has outnumbered Democratic identifiers for a
long time.
b. The number of people identifying as Democrats has outnumbered Republican identifiers for a long
time.
c. The number of people identifying as Democrats outnumbered Republican identifiers between 1960
and 2008, but more people have identified as Republicans than Democrats since 2008.
d. The number of people identifying as Republicans outnumbered Democratic identifiers between
1960 and 2008, but more people have identified as Democrats than Republicans since 2008.
MSC: Remembering
46. Which statement about party identification and gender in the United States is MOST accurate?
a. Men are significantly more likely than women to identify with the Democratic Party, whereas more
women identify as independents.
b. Women are significantly more likely than men to identify with the Democratic Party, whereas more
men identify as independents.
c. A majority of men and women identify as Republicans, but more men than women identify with the
Republican Party.
d. There are no significant differences between men and women in terms of their political
partisanship.
MSC: Remembering
47. ________is the single-most important political act for most Americans.
a. Peaceful protest c. Contributing to political campaigns
b. Writing a letter to the editor d. Voting
REF: CH07—Political Participation Takes Both Traditional and Digital Forms
OBJ: Describe the major forms of traditional and digital participation in politics
MSC: Remembering
48. Approximately ________ percent of eligible voters turn out for midterm congressional elections.
a. 10 c. 60
b. 35 d. 75
MSC: Remembering
49. Voter turnout in state and local elections is generally

a. much higher than turnout in national elections.
b. slightly higher than turnout in national elections.
c. much lower than turnout in national elections.
d. about the same as turnout in national elections.
MSC: Remembering
50. Which of the following characteristics constitutes one’s socioeconomic status?

a. level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation
b. level of income, level of political participation, and number of friends
c. level of income, level of political participation, and level of intelligence
d. level of education, number of friends, and age
MSC: Remembering
51. Which of the following statements about age and political participation is true?
a. Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people.
b. Young people are just as likely to participate in politics as older people.
c. Neither young people nor older people participate much in politics.
d. Both old people and young people participate in politics at a very high level.
MSC: Applying
52. What is the MOST important factor in predicting whether an individual votes?
a. sexual orientation c. education level
b. race d. religious affiliation
MSC: Remembering
53. ________ states currently allow voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day.
a. Two c. Thirty-four
b. Fifteen d. Forty-eight
MSC: Remembering
54. ________ states currently require all voters to show some form of ID before voting at the polls.
a. Sixteen c. Thirty-four
b. Twenty-seven d. Fifty
MSC: Remembering
55. It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws would ________ voter turnout
among ________.
a. decrease; younger people c. decrease; all voters
b. decrease; older people d. increase; younger people
MSC: Understanding
56. Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of

a. the president. c. a U.S. senator.
b. a state legislator. d. a governor.
REF: CH07—Voters Decide Based on Party, Issues, and Candidate
OBJ: Examine the factors that influence voters’ decisions MSC: Understanding
57. Politicians attempt to “balance the ticket” with members of many important groups because
a. interest groups frequently engage in direct lobbying to enhance diversity in campaigns.
b. affirmative action legislation from the 1960s requires proportional representation in all elections.
c. voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion,
gender, geography, and social background.
d. the Constitution requires at least minimal levels of representation in election campaigns.
58. Which three types of factors influence the decisions of voters at the polls?
a. wealth, education, and issues
b. advertising, partisan loyalty, and personality
c. partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates
d. advertising, debates, and issues
59. Dealignment refers to

a. the decline of partisan attachment within the electorate, the growth in the number of voters
identifying themselves as independents, and the rise of split-ticket voting.
b. the point in history where a new party becomes the dominant political force by supplanting the
ruling party.
c. conflicts within the government that create divided factions, each of which tries to mobilize popular
support.
d. attempts by politicians outside of government to mobilize popular support in order to win
governmental power.
OBJ: Examine the factors that influence voters’ decisions MSC: Remembering
60. Political scientists call voters’ choices that focus on future behavior ________ voting, while
those based on past performances are called ________ voting.
a. prospective; retrospective c. partisan; issue
b. retrospective; prospective d. issue; partisan
OBJ: Examine the factors that influence voters’ decisions MSC: Remembering
61. National elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday of November ________
year(s).
a. every c. every three
b. every other d. every four
REF: CH07—The Electoral Process Has Many Levels and Rules
OBJ: Explain the major rules, levels, and types of elections in the United States
MSC: Remembering
62. Primary elections were introduced by

a. the Federalists in the late eighteenth century.
b. the Democrats in the 1830s.
c. the Republicans in the 1870s.
d. Progressive reformers at the start of the 1900s.
MSC: Remembering
63. Which of the following statements about primary elections is MOST accurate?
a. The United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections.
b. About half of the countries in the world hold primary elections.
c. Approximately, three-quarters of the countries in the world hold primary elections.
d. Every country in the world holds primary elections.
MSC: Remembering
64. A(n) ________ occurs when a voter must be registered with a party prior to voting in that
party’s election.
a. open primary c. majority system
b. closed primary d. Referendum
MSC: Remembering
65. A(n) ________ occurs when a voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which
party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election.
a. open primary c. majority system
b. closed primary d. Referendum
MSC: Remembering
66. The ________ is the last example of indirect voting in national elections.
a. referendum c. open primary
b. electoral college d. closed primary
MSC: Applying
67. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win
a. at least 270 electoral votes.
b. a majority of the popular vote.
c. at least 26 state-level presidential elections.
d. at least 300 electoral votes.
MSC: Remembering
68. The winner of the electoral college vote has NOT won the popular vote ________ time(s) in
American history.
a. One c. Ten
b. Four d. thirty-four
MSC: Remembering
69. A proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups
for a popular vote is called a
a. ballot initiative. c. people’s compact.
b. grassroots amendment. d. popular directive.
MSC: Remembering
70. Which of the following would be an example of a ballot initiative?

a. A vote on whether recreational marijuana usage should be legalized in the state of California.
b. A vote on whether the governor of the state of Wisconsin should be recalled from office.
c. A vote on who will serve on the Los Angeles city council.
d. A vote on whether to overturn a law passed by the New York state legislature and signed by the
governor of New York that imposes higher taxes on wealthy residents.
MSC: Applying
71. Currently, there are ________ states that have the legislative referendum and ________ states
that provide for the initiative process.
a. 24; 50 c. 24; 24
b. 50; 24 d. 50; 50
MSC: Remembering
72. What is a referendum?

a. It is the congressional election held between presidential elections.
b. It is the power to remove an elected official from office during the middle of his or her term.
c. It is the practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for
approval or rejection.
d. It is the process by which a party selects its candidates for the general election.
MSC: Remembering
73. Which of the following would be an example of a referendum?

a. A vote on whether recreational marijuana usage should be legalized in the state of California.
b. A vote on whether the governor of the state of Wisconsin should be recalled from office.
c. A vote on who will serve on the Los Angeles city council.
d. A vote on whether to overturn a law passed by the New York state legislature and signed by the
governor of New York that imposes higher taxes on wealthy residents.
MSC: Applying
74. Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with a

a. petition campaign. c. law passed by the state legislature.
b. lawsuit. d. decree by the governor.
MSC: Remembering
75. Which of the following political officers is/are subject to recall elections?
a. the president
b. members of the House of Representatives
c. federal judges
d. the governor of the state of California
MSC: Remembering
76. Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?

a. President Warren Harding (1921)
b. New York City mayor David Dinkins (1993)
c. California governor Gray Davis (2003)
d. President Richard Nixon (1972)
MSC: Remembering
77. When Hillary Clinton won the plurality of votes in California during the 2016 election, and
California had 53 representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes
from California did she win?
a. 53 c. 62
b. 55 d. 77
MSC: Applying
78. Which of the following is the best example of direct democracy in the United States?
a. gerrymandering c. prospective voting
b. retrospective voting d. a referendum
MSC: Applying
79. Which of the following was NOT an election in which the person elected president failed to
receive more popular votes than his opponent?
a. 1876 c. 1912
b. 1888 d. 2000
MSC: Remembering
80. A citizen can currently give no more than ________ per candidate for federal office per
election in a given two-year election cycle.
a. $1,000 c. $5,000
b. $2,700 d. $25,000
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns
OBJ: Describe how candidates raise the money they need to run
MSC: Remembering
81. Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called
a. corporations. c. political action committees.
b. political parties. d. political consulting firms.
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns
MSC: Remembering
82. The majority of political action committees (PACs) represent

a. the working class and poor people.
b. business and professional groups.
c. Republicans and Democrats.
d. environmental groups and religious organizations.
MSC: Remembering
83. The Supreme Court ruled that the government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions to political
campaigns in
a. Buckley v. Valeo (1976).
b. Bush v. Gore (2000).
c. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010).
d. FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978).
MSC: Remembering
84. Super PACs were made possible in part by the

a. Federal Election Campaign Act.
b. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
c. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
d. Supreme Court’s decision in Buckley v. Valeo.
MSC: Remembering
85. Both 527s and 501(c)(4)s

a. are not required to disclose where they get their funds.
b. are required to disclose where they get their funds.
c. are limited to spending $100,000 per candidate per election.
d. can spend unlimited amounts on political advocacy as long as their efforts are not coordinated with
those of any candidate’s campaign.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns
MSC: Remembering
86. “Dark money” comes from

a. 527s. c. PACs.
b. 501(c)(4)s. d. Super PACs.
MSC: Remembering
87. A 501(c)(4)
a. is required to disclose where it gets its funds.
b. may not spend more than half its revenue for political purposes.
c. is required to disclose exactly how its money is spent.
d. may not spend more than 10 percent of its revenue for political purposes.
MSC: Remembering
88. In order to qualify for public funding in a presidential primary, a candidate must
a. gather signatures from at least 50,000 people in each of 20 states.
b. gather signatures from at least 100,000 people in each of 40 states.
c. run as a major party candidate and raise at least $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in
each of 20 states.
d. run as a major party candidate and raise at least $1 million in individual contributions of $250 or
less in each of 40 states.
MSC: Remembering
89. Public funding for presidential primary campaigns

a. matches, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, all contributions of $250 or less, up to a total of $48.7 million
in 2016.
b. provides $200 million for all candidates meeting the minimum requirements specified by law.
c. provides $500 million for all candidates meeting the minimum requirements specified by law.
d. is determined by a formula that weighs a presidential candidate’s previous fundraising and number
of votes received in previous elections.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns
MSC: Remembering
90. Presidential candidates who accept federal funding for their general election campaigns
a. are subject to strict expenditure limits.
b. can spend unlimited amounts of their own money but cannot spend any money donated to their
campaign through a political action committee.
c. can spend unlimited amounts of money donated to their campaign through a political action
committee but cannot spend any of their own money.
d. face no limits on their expenditures.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns
MSC: Remembering
91. The last election in which a major party presidential candidate accepted public funds was
a. 1996. c. 2008.
b. 2000. d. 2016.
MSC: Remembering
92. The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office
a. is limited by a cap of $50 million.
b. is protected absolutely by the Constitution according to the Supreme Court.
c. was forbidden by the Campaign Reform Act of 1974.
d. is protected only if the candidate can match every personal dollar with a dollar from outside
donations.
MSC: Remembering
93. 527 committees are an important part of the American political system because they
a. operate the caucuses of each of the two main political parties.
b. work closely with political parties to coordinate election campaign strategies and fund-raising
efforts.
c. are charged with enforcing the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
d. are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their
activities with a political party.
MSC: Understanding
94. The campaign funds raised and spent by 501(c)(4) organizations are called “dark money” because
a. they are technically illegal under an unenforced provision of federal campaign
finance law.
b. donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public.
c. they can only be used during nonelection years.
d. they are only used to support candidates from relatively unknown third parties.
MSC: Understanding
95. 527 committees are different from 501(c)(4) organizations because

a. there are strict limits on the amount of money 527 committees can raise and spend.
b. there are not strict limits on the amount of money 527 committees can raise and spend.
c. 527 committees do not have to publicly report who their donors are and how much
they gave.
d. 501(c)(4) organizations do not have to publicly report who their donors are and how much they
gave.
MSC: Understanding
ESSAY
1. Explore the role of political parties in American politics. In what ways do political parties differ from interest groups? How do parties
contribute to democratic government?
ANS:
There are two components to this question.
a. Differences between political parties and interest groups: Political parties, like interest groups, are organizations that seek
influence over government. They can generally be distinguished from interest groups on the basis of their orientation. A party
seeks to control the government by nominating candidates and electing its members to office. Interest groups do not control the
operation of government and its personnel but rather try to influence government policies, often through lobbying elected
officials.
b. Parties contribute to democratic government: Political parties play a traditionally important role in elections. They recruit
candidates to run for office, get their loyal party members out to vote, and work in a variety of ways to promote the causes and
issues of the party. Additionally, Congress depends more on the party system than is generally recognized. For one thing, power
in Congress is organized almost entirely along party lines. The president also needs party support in Congress to be effective.
DIF: Easy
MSC: Understanding
2. Analyze the development of political parties in the United States since the Founding by discussing each of the five distinctive party
systems prior to the current one in American history. In your essay, be sure to highlight the origins of today’s two major political
parties.
ANS:
There are five components to this question.
a. The First Party System: Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans: The first party system emerged in the 1790s and pitted the
Federalists, who favored a strong national government, against the Jeffersonian Republicans, who favored a weak national
government. The Federalists disappeared after the War of 1812 which led to charges of treason against the party. From this
point until the 1830s, America had only one political party, the Jeffersonian Republicans, who came to be known as the
Democrats.
b. The Second Party System: Democrats and Whigs: During the 1830s, groups opposing Andrew Jackson united to form the Whig
Party, giving rise to the second American party system. By 1856 the Whig Party had all but disintegrated under the strain of
slavery, and many Whig politicians and voters, along with antislavery Democrats, joined the new Republican Party, which
pledged to ban slavery from the western territories.
c. The Civil War and Post-Civil War Party System: Republicans and Democrats: After the Civil War, some congressional
Republicans sought to convert the South into a Republican bastion through a program of Reconstruction that granted the right
to vote to newly freed slaves. This Reconstruction program collapsed in the 1870s. With the end of Reconstruction, the former
Confederate states regained control of their internal affairs. Throughout the South, African Americans were deprived of the
right to vote. From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the Republican Party remained the party of the North, with strong
business and middle-class support, while the Democrats were the party of the South, with support also from working-class and
immigrant groups.
d. The System of 1896: Republicans and Democrats: During the 1890s, profound and rapid social and economic changes led to
the emergence of a variety of protest parties, including the Populist Party. In 1896, the Populist Party effectively merged with
the Democrats but the Republicans still won a resounding electoral victory. For the next 36 years, the Republicans were the
nation’s majority party.
e. The New Deal Party System: Reversal of Fortune: From the perspective of millions of Americans, the Republican Party did not
do enough to promote economic recovery during the Great Depression. In 1932, Americans elected Franklin Roosevelt and a
Democratic Congress. Roosevelt revitalized the Democratic Party around a nucleus of unionized workers, upper-middle-class
intellectuals and professionals, southern farmers, Jews, Catholics, and African Americans, the so-called New Deal coalition that
made the Democrats the nation’s majority party for the next 36 years. The New Deal coalition was strained during the 1960s by
conflicts over civil rights and the Vietnam War. These schisms provided an opportunity for the GOP, which returned to power
in 1968.
DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—America Is One of the Few Nations with a Two-Party System
MSC: Analyzing
3. Analyze the role of third parties in the American political system. Your essay should consider the following: (1) the reasons that third
parties arise; (2) the reasons why a three-party system has not emerged in the United States; and (3) some of the more notable third-
party presidential candidates in American history.
ANS:
There are three components to this question.
a. The reasons that third parties arise: Typically, third parties in the United States have represented social and economic interests
that for one or another reason were not given voice by the two major parties.
b. The reasons why there is not a three-party system in the United States: Third-party prospects are hampered by America’s
electoral system. Many nations have proportional representation. Under this kind of system, many competing political parties
field multiple candidates in each district and are awarded legislative seats in rough proportion to the percentage of popular votes
that each party wins. A party that wins, say, 20 percent of the popular vote receives roughly 20 percent of the seats in the
parliament or other representative body. Unlike a plurality system, a party’s candidates need not come in first to win seats. In
the United States, state ballot-access laws are also often a major impediment for third parties, imposing barriers such as
registration fees or petition requirements in which a certain number of voters must sign a petition for a third-party or
independent candidate to gain ballot access.
c. Notable third-party presidential candidates: H. Ross Perot, who ran in 1992 as an independent and in 1996 as the Reform
Party’s nominee, won the votes of almost one in five Americans. In the extremely close 2000 presidential election, third-party
candidate Ralph Nader won just 3 percent of the popular vote, but that split the Democratic vote enough to swing the election to
Republican George W. Bush. Third-party candidates fared better in 2016 than in the last three presidential elections, leading
some observers to suggest that third parties were one reason why Hillary Clinton lost key battleground states and thus the
election.
DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—America Is One of the Few Nations with a Two-Party System
MSC: Analyzing
4. Write an essay that explains why people vote. In your answer, be sure to cite specific evidence to show how the factors you mention
are related to voter turnout.
ANS:
a. Social and demographic background: Americans with higher levels of education, more income, and higher-level occupations
participate much more in politics than do those with less education and less income. Other individual characteristics also affect
participation. For example, African Americans and Latinos are less likely to participate than are whites. Finally, young people
are far less likely to participate in politics than are older people.
b. Political environment: A critical aspect of political environments is whether people are mobilized: by parties, candidates,
campaigns, interest groups, or social movements. A recent comprehensive study of the decline in political participation in the
United States found that half of the drop-off could be accounted for by reduced mobilization efforts. An additional factor is
whether elections are competitive; that is, whether there are at least two candidates actively contesting a position in
government. Competitive elections, and the campaign spending and mobilization efforts that go along with them, directly affect
turnout rates.
c. State electoral laws: In most other democratic nations, where voting rates are higher, citizens are automatically registered to
vote, but the United States requires a two-step process: registering to vote and then voting. Registration requirements
particularly reduce voting by the young, those with low education, and those with low incomes because registration requires
higher political involvement, more planning, and more effort than does the act of voting itself. State electoral laws, which vary
widely from state to state, create formal barriers to voting that can reduce participation. A relatively recent barrier is a
requirement that voters provide proof of identity.
DIF: Difficult REF: CH07—Political Participation Takes Both Traditional and Digital Forms
MSC: Analyzing
5. Elections are ultimately about the choices that citizens make in a democracy. Describe the three factors that influence voters’
decisions. In your answer, be sure to provide examples from recent elections of the role that each of these three factors played in
determining how people voted.
ANS:
There are four components to this question.
a. Factors that influence voters’ decisions: Three factors influence voters’ decisions at the polls: partisan loyalty, issues and policy
preferences, and candidate characteristics.
b. Partisan loyalty: Partisan identification predisposes voters in favor of their party’s candidates and against those of the opposing
party. In 2016 about 90 percent of Democrats and Republicans supported their party’s presidential candidate.
Test Bank for We the People (Essentials Twelfth Edition) Essentials Twelfth Edition
c. Issues and policy preferences: Issues and policy preferences are a second factor influencing voters’ choices at the polls. If
candidates actually do “take issue” with one another (that is, articulate and publicize very different positions on important
public questions), voters are more likely to be able to identify and act on whatever policy preferences they may have. Voters’
issue choices usually involve a mix of their judgments about the past behavior of competing parties and candidates and their
hopes and fears about candidates’ future behavior. Political scientists call choices that focus on future behavior prospective
voting, whereas those based on past performance are called retrospective voting. Retrospective economic voting, in which
voters evaluate candidates on the strength of the economy, has been found to be more important than prospective voting. In
2016, for example, Donald Trump made curbing immigration and building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border a key issue of
the presidential campaign. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, supported comprehensive immigration
reform, including an easier path to full and equal citizenship and ending family detention.
d. Candidate characteristics: Candidates’ personal attributes always influence voters’ decisions. The more important candidate
characteristics that affect voters’ choices are race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background. In general,
voters may be proud to see someone of their ethnic, religious, or geographic background in a position of leadership, and they
may presume that such candidates are likely to have views and perspectives close to their own. Just as candidates’ personal
characteristics may attract some voters, they may repel others. Many voters are prejudiced against candidates of certain ethnic,
racial, or religious groups. Voters also pay attention to candidates’ personality characteristics, such as “decisiveness,”
“honesty,” and “vigor.” In recent years integrity has become a key election issue. In the 2016 presidential election, many
Americans questioned the trustworthiness of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Nonetheless, Trump supporters saw their
candidate as unafraid to speak his mind. Clinton supporters, on the other hand, admired her ambition, toughness, and discipline.
DIF: Difficult REF: CH07—Voters Decide Based on Party, Issues, and Candidate
OBJ: Examine the factors that influence voters’ decisions MSC: Analyzing
6. Describe how candidates raise the money they need to run. Among other things, explain the primary sources of campaign donations,
how campaign contributions are (and are not) regulated in the United States and how the Supreme Court has ruled in recent years with
regard to campaign finance laws.
ANS:
a. Sources of campaign donations: Campaign donations come from individual (usually wealthy) donors, political parties, political
action committees, Super PACs, 527 committees and 501(c)(4)s.
b. Regulations and Supreme Court decisions: Under federal law, individuals may donate as much as $2,700 per candidate per
election, $5,000 per PAC per calendar year, $33,400 per national party committee per calendar year, and $10,000 to state and
local committees per calendar year. Super PACs, 527 committees and 501(c)(4)s are independent groups that are not covered
by the campaign-spending restrictions imposed in 2002 by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, but now raise much of the
money used for political campaigns. These groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts so long as their efforts are not
coordinated with those of any candidate’s campaign. Unlike a 527, a 501(c)(4) is not required to disclose where it gets its funds
or exactly what it does with them.
c. Supreme Court decisions: Super PACs came about after the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission that the government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions to political
campaigns. Following that decision, SpeechNow v. FEC permitted individuals and organizations to form committees that could
raise unlimited amounts of money to run advertising for and against candidates so long as their efforts were not coordinated
with those of the candidates. In 2014 the Supreme Court removed additional limits on individuals’ campaign contributions in its
decision in McCutcheon et al. v. Federal Election Commission.
DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns

MSC: Evaluating
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1. A political party is an organization

2. Internal mobilization occurs when

3. Which of the following parties originated from internal mobilization?

4. External mobilization occurs when

6. The establishment of the Republican Party is a good example of

7. What is the ultimate goal of a political party?

10. Political party leaders are

11. Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to

16. Throughout its history, American politics has been dominated by

20. The Federalist Party disappeared, in part, as a result of

21. Between 1812 and 1830, the United States had

23. What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?

26. The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?

29. “Me too” Republicanism refers to

33. When Richard Nixon employed his “southern strategy,” he

35. Historically, electoral realignments occur

41. Third parties in the United States typically represent

42. Which of the following statements concerning third parties is true?

43. In a proportional representation electoral system,

44. An individual’s psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party

49. Voter turnout in state and local elections is generally

50. Which of the following characteristics constitutes one’s socioeconomic status?

56. Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of

59. Dealignment refers to

62. Primary elections were introduced by

70. Which of the following would be an example of a ballot initiative?

72. What is a referendum?

73. Which of the following would be an example of a referendum?

74. Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with a

76. Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?

82. The majority of political action committees (PACs) represent

84. Super PACs were made possible in part by the

85. Both 527s and 501(c)(4)s

86. “Dark money” comes from

89. Public funding for presidential primary campaigns

95. 527 committees are different from 501(c)(4) organizations because

DIF: Moderate REF: CH07—Money Is Critical to Campaigns

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