American Government and Politics Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition 18th Edition Bardes Test Bank

American Government and Politics
Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition

18th Edition Bardes Test Bank
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Name: Class: Date:
CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

1. If we chose candidates through a “top two” bipartisan primary election
a. candidates would have to appeal to a wider range of public opinion.
b. it would increase voter participation.
c. the major political parties might lose some of their influence.
d. it would be the end of the open primary system.
e. All of the above are true.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 228
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: AGPT.BARD.16.8.1 - LO1
NOTES: Applied
2. In primary elections
a. candidates appeal to a wide range of opinion to get votes.
b. candidates tend to make moderate stands on issues.
c. partisan campaigning leads to less overall spending on campaigns.
d. candidates try to appeal to the more extreme members of their party.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 228
NOTES: Applied
3. It is estimated that about ____________ of voters who identify as "independent" still lean toward either the Republican
or the Democratic Party.
a. 10 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 50 percent
d. 75 percent
e. 90 percent
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 229
NOTES: Factual
4. A voter or a candidate who does not identify with a political party is called
a. a naysayer.
b. an independent.
c. a liberal.
d. a conservative.
e. a libertarian.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 229
Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 1
Name: Class: Date:

NOTES: Conceptual
5. A political party is a group of individuals who

a. agree on all policy issues.
b. organize to win elections and operate the government.
c. pay monthly dues to an ideological organization.
d. have been elected to office and have obtained positions of power.
e. accept the decisions of the party’s leaders.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 229
NOTES: Conceptual
6. A political party differs from an interest group in that

a. political parties want to operate the government and interest groups do not.
b. political parties do not want to operate the government and interest groups do.
c. individuals must pay dues to a political party but not to an interest group.
d. individuals in a political party agree on all major policy issues.
e. interest groups select candidates to run for office and political parties do not.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 229
NOTES: Applied
7. Individuals or interest group members who participate in parties with the goal of seeing certain policies or groups
favored is
a. a party official.
b. a party supporter.
c. a policy demander.
d. a legislation coordinator.
e. None of the above.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 229
NOTES: Conceptual
8. The primary goal of an American political party is

a. peaceably influencing the American public.
b. signing up large numbers of deeply committed members.
c. getting the party’s candidates elected to office by winning elections.
d. collecting member dues.
e. trying to find the other party doing “bad” things.
ANSWER: c
Name: Class: Date:

REFERENCES: 229-230
NOTES: Factual
9. Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following except
a. operating the government.
b. acting as an organized opposition to the party in power.
c. signing up large numbers of dues-paying committed members.
d. recruiting candidates for public office.
e. presenting alternative policies to the electorate.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 230
NOTES: Conceptual
10. All of the following are a part of parties' role in organizing and running elections except
a. organizing voter registration drives.
b. recruiting volunteers to work at the polls on election day.
c. providing much of the campaign activity to stimulate election interest.
d. working to increase voter participation.
e. articulating policies and opposing the majority party.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 230
NOTES: Conceptual
11. The party-in-the-electorate is made up of

a. the members of the general public who identify with a political party.
b. the formal structure and leadership of a political party.
c. all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a party.
d. the members of the electoral college.
e. the individuals who choose the members of the electoral college.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 230
NOTES: Conceptual
12. The party organization is

a. the members of the general public who identify with a political party.
b. the formal structure and leadership of a political party.
c. all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a party.
d. the urban machines that distribute social benefits.
e. responsible only for mundane matters such as printing signs and scheduling events.
Name: Class: Date:

ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 230-231
NOTES: Factual
13. The party-in-government

a. is made up of the members of the general public who identify with a political party.
b. is made up of the formal structure and leadership of a political party.
c. is made up of all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party.
d. has pledged to support all of the party’s political positions.
e. is no longer significant due to candidate-centered elections.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 231
NOTES: Conceptual
14. The lowest layer of official party machinery is

a. the local organization supported by district leaders, precinct or ward captains, and party workers.
b. the state party chairperson and committees.
c. the national campaign chairperson’s volunteers.
d. the White House interns.
e. the national convention delegates.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 232-233
NOTES: Applied
15. Divided government

a. reflects a situation when a person votes for candidates of two parties for different offices.
b. exists when the presidency and Congress are controlled by different parties.
c. is another name for federalism.
d. increases the control of the winning party in an election.
e. is a strong indication of the emergence of a new third party.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 234
NOTES: Conceptual
16. Most candidates for public office in the United States are chosen
a. by party “bosses.”
b. by dues-paid party members.
c. as a result of the candidate’s hard work and personal organization.
d. at party conventions.
Name: Class: Date:

e. in such a way that the party leadership can be sure that the candidates will support the party’s platform.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 234
NOTES: Factual
17. Examples of party polarization include all of the following except

a. party-line voting.
b. the end of overlapping party ideologies.
c. the rise of extreme ideology in the Republican Party.
d. the rise of liberal Republicans.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 235
NOTES: Conceptual
18. The two-party system

a. emerged as a consequence of the form of government created by the Constitution.
b. is a requirement in the Constitution.
c. emerged in the twentieth century.
d. was favored by George Washington.
e. Options A and D are true.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 235
NOTES: Factual
19. A two-party system

a. is one in which there are only two legal parties.
b. is one in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning.
c. is one in which control of government is divided between two political parties.
d. tends to exist mostly in European democracies.
e. Both A and D.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 235
NOTES: Factual
20. The first partisan political division in the United States was between
a. the Democrats and the Republicans.
b. the Whigs and the Democrats.
c. the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Name: Class: Date:

d. the Whigs and the Tories.
e. the Whigs and the Republicans.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 236
NOTES: Factual
21. George Washington viewed political parties as a

a. necessity for the functioning of democracy.
b. tradition from colonial times that would always exist.
c. threat to national unity and popular government.
d. legitimate means for interest groups to attempt to gain control of the government.
e. vestige of politics under Great Britain and thus a thing of the past.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 236
NOTES: Applied
22. All of the following statements about the early Republican Party are true except
a. it was initially led by Thomas Jefferson.
b. it supported a strong, more active central government.
c. it was supported by artisans and farmers.
d. it supported states’ rights.
e. in office, its members acquired Louisiana and established a national bank.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 236
NOTES: Conceptual
23. All of the following statements about the early Democratic Party are true except that it
a. was an anti-slavery party.
b. favored federal spending on internal improvements.
c. was the party of the wealthy elites.
d. was a branch of the Anti-Federalist Party
e. None of the above is true.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 236-237
NOTES: Applied
24. In the period leading up to the Civil War

a. the Whig Party split over the issue of slavery.
b. anti-slavery factions of many parties coalesced to form the Republican Party.
Name: Class: Date:

c. the Federalist Party experienced a resurgence of support.
d. Both A and B.
e. Both B and C.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 237
NOTES: Factual
25. All of the following are true except

a. the Republican Party was founded by uniting northern Whigs, anti-slavery Democrats, and members of the
Free Soil Party.
b. southerners resented Republicans’ role in defeating the South in the Civil War.
c. the Republicans after the Civil War supported business interests and evangelical Protestant cultural values.
d. the Republicans turned to supporting states’ rights after the Civil War.
e. the Republicans opposed the prohibition of alcoholic beverages after the Civil War.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 237
NOTES: Conceptual
26. After the Civil War, a candidate for office who supported currency inflation as a way to bring down the value of
people's debts was likely a
a. Republican.
b. Federalist.
c. populist.
d. progressive.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 237
NOTES: Applied
27. Under Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic Party

a. rejected the policies of progressivism.
b. continued to adhere to the same basic policies that it did in the nineteenth century.
c. began a radical change by endorsing the idea that government should become involved in the economy.
d. shattered into three very distinct parties that were extraordinarily antagonistic toward each other.
e. adopted a policy of isolating the United States from the affairs of the rest of the world.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 238
NOTES: Factual

Name: Class: Date:

28. Progressivism was
a. a response to the growing power of corporations.
b. embraced by Teddy Roosevelt.
c. a belief that honest, impartial government could regulate the economy.
d. Options A and B are true.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 238
NOTES: Conceptual
29. Which of the following is true?

a. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Democratic economic competence.
b. The Great Depression solidified the Republican Party as the dominant and most trusted party in American
government and politics.
c. Roosevelt’s relief programs were generally not available to African Americans, resulting in African
Americans’ antagonism toward the Democratic Party that lasted for decades.
d. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Republican economic competence.
e. Republicans held the presidency from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.
ANSWER: d
REFERENCES: 238-239
NOTES: Applied
30. Which is (are) true of the New Deal period?

a. President Roosevelt’s programs were open to whites and African Americans.
b. The Great Depression shattered working-class voters’ confidence in the Republican Party.
c. Roosevelt’s coalition of whites and blacks was large enough to establish the Democrats as the majority party.
d. Democrats made major interventions in the economy to combat the Great Depression.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 238-239
NOTES: Factual
31. From the late 1960s onward, many southern Democrats in Congress
a. were conservatives who commonly voted with Republicans.
b. managed to keep the South balanced between liberal and conservative ideologies.
c. were replaced by Republicans as the retired.
d. led the modern period of progressivism.
e. Both A and C.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 239
Name: Class: Date:

NOTES: Conceptual
32. The election of 2000 demonstrated

a. the effectiveness of the electoral college in mirroring the popular vote.
b. that Democratic blue states and Republican red states were largely the same as a century earlier.
c. the close political divisions of the nation.
d. how far the country had swung toward a period of Republican dominance.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 239
NOTES: Conceptual
33. In “wave elections”

a. dissatisfaction with the performance of one part or another can produce a wave of support for the other party.
b. the effects of the election results are temporary.
c. support for the major parties realign.
d. the results are landslide victories for Republicans or Democrats.
e. Options A and B are true.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 240
NOTES: Applied
34. In the election of 2010

a. some voters likely blamed Democrats for the continued poor state of the economy.
b. independents turned away from Democrats due to the expanding size of government.
c. Republicans took back the House of Representatives.
d. Democrats held their majority in the U.S. Senate.
e. All of the above.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 240
NOTES: Factual
35. All of the following are true of the election of 2012 except
a. Hispanic voters reached a new high as a percentage of the electorate at 10 percent.
b. President Obama was reelected by a very narrow margin of 1 percent.
c. Republicans lost seats in Congress.
d. Republicans retained control of the U.S. House.
e. President Obama won over 70 percent of Hispanic voters.
ANSWER: b
Name: Class: Date:

REFERENCES: 240
NOTES: Applied
36. In general, the Democrats have been known as the party of

a. well-educated, professional individuals.
b. economic depression.
c. the economic elite.
d. conservative political ideas.
e. states’ rights.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 241-245
NOTES: Factual
37. In general, the Republicans have been known as the party of

a. liberal political ideas.
b. social welfare programs.
c. business.
d. the working class.
e. racial and ethnic minorities.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 241-245
NOTES: Factual
38. Someone who emphasizes the importance of a free market with fewer government-run social programs is likely to be
a
a. Democrat.
b. Republican.
c. progressive.
d. Jeffersonian Republican.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 241-245
NOTES: Applied
39. Someone who emphasizes the need for social welfare and protection of senior citizens is most likely to be a
a. Democrat.
b. Republican.
c. part of the Religious right.
d. social conservative.
Name: Class: Date:

e. libertarian.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 241-245
NOTES: Conceptual
40. Which of the following is false?

a. The Jewish electorate tends to be heavily Democratic.
b. Hispanics are strongly Republican.
c. Urban people tend to vote Democratic.
d. Rural voters support Republicans.
e. Union members tend to vote Democratic.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 241
NOTES: Factual
41. Which is true in regard to cultural politics?

a. Economic conservatism is associated with higher incomes.
b. Social conservatism is more common among lower income groups.
c. Cultural conservatives view themselves as embattled “ordinary Americans” under threat from liberal,
cosmopolitan elites.
d. The election of President Obama and a Democratic Congress magnified conservatives fear, resulting in the
Tea Party movement.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 242-243
NOTES: Conceptual
42. Which of the following is true about the 2012 elections?

a. Fourteen out of the fifteen wealthiest states tended to vote Republican.
b. Southern states voted for Democratic candidates more than for Republicans.
c. Thirteen out of the fifteen poorest states voted Republican.
d. The reverse-income effect proved that those with lower incomes usually vote for independent candidates.
e. In the Democratic presidential primaries, working-class voters voted for Obama rather than for Hillary
Clinton.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 243
NOTES: Factual
43. Among the different kinds of Republicans, the group that has the least influence on the party is

Name: Class: Date:

a. the Religious right.
b. libertarian Republicans.
c. pro-business Republicans.
d. Both A and B.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 244
NOTES: Conceptual
44. The two-party system has dominated the American political landscape for all of the following reasons except
a. political socialization and practical considerations.
b. the winner-take-all electoral system.
c. state and federal laws favor the two major parties.
d. historical foundations of the system.
e. third parties are illegal in many jurisdictions.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 245
NOTES: Conceptual
45. A major reason for the two-party system is the electoral system, which is based on
a. the winner-take-all, or plurality, system.
b. proportional representation.
c. one-party dominance of elections.
d. majoritarianism.
e. multi-member constituencies.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 246-247
NOTES: Conceptual
46. In the winner-take-all system

a. the candidate who gets the most votes wins.
b. one must get a majority of votes cast to win.
c. votes are allocated on a proportional basis.
d. only parties receiving more than 5 percent of the vote are allocated seats.
e. a party must have competed in a previous election to be placed on the ballot.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 246-247
NOTES: Factual

Name: Class: Date:

47. In many European parliamentary systems, prime ministers are elected by __________, whereas in the United States,
presidents are elected ___________.
a. the legislature; through the electoral college
b. a popular vote of the people; through the electoral college
c. the legislature; by a popular vote of the people
d. the aristocracy; by a popular vote of the people
e. the aristocracy; through the electoral college
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 247
NOTES: Applied
48. In a proportional representation electoral system

a. candidates for office run in single-seat, winner-take-all districts.
b. political parties win seats in a legislature based on the proportion of the vote they receive.
c. election results are roughly proportional to the amount of money raised by each party.
d. parties win a proportion of seats in a legislature, weighted to give small parties a larger share.
e. the top three parties in an election divide the government proportionally between them.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 247
NOTES: Conceptual
49. Which is true of federal and state laws?

a. They have encouraged third parties to get candidates on the ballot.
b. They let third parties get fewer signatures to place their candidates on the ballot than major parties.
c. The two major parties have a clear advantage because the laws have fewer obstacles for them.
d. The federal laws have made it easy for third- or minor-party candidates to get federal matching funds.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 248
NOTES: Applied
50. Many political scientists contend that third parties

a. have consistently failed because they never reflect the political mood of the nation.
b. serve as a safety valve for dissident political groups, preventing major confrontations and political unrest.
c. can only come into existence if they are organized around a single charismatic leader.
d. can only come into existence if they split off from one of the major political parties.
e. are incapable of being formed from scratch by individuals who are committed to a particular issue or ideology.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 248
Name: Class: Date:

NOTES: Conceptual
51. Third parties

a. are minor parties.
b. can act as critics of the major parties.
c. can be spoilers in an election.
d. often start because of an idea or person.
ANSWER: e
REFERENCES: 248
NOTES: Factual
52. Third parties have influenced American politics by

a. refusing to allow their policies to be adopted by a major party.
b. sometimes determining whether the Republicans or Democrats win an election.
c. focusing their efforts on getting judges appointed to the bench rather than winning elections for the executive
or legislative branches.
d. winning elections to state legislative bodies.
e. gaining control of several municipal governments.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 249-251
NOTES: Factual
53. Which of the following is true about third parties?

a. The Green Party favors globalization.
b. The Libertarian Party favors governmental intervention into overseas conflicts.
c. The Progressive Party was an advocate of federal regulation to protect consumers.
d. The Socialist Party favors small business interests and is growing in size.
e. The Populist Party was initiated by businessman Ross Perot in an effort to combat federal budget deficits.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 249-251
NOTES: Conceptual
54. Some of the most successful minor parties have been __________, which have split off from a major party.
a. ideological parties
b. environmentalist parties
c. splinter parties
d. religious parties
e. anti-war parties
ANSWER: c
Name: Class: Date:

REFERENCES: 251
NOTES: Factual
55. Realignment
a. is of necessity tied to specific elections.
b. takes place when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance.
c. takes place when one dominant party replaces another one.
d. took place on schedule in 2004.
e. has been predicted as inevitable in the foreseeable future.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 252
NOTES: Conceptual
56. One example of realignment was when

a. anti-slavery Republicans left to join the Democratic Party before the Civil War.
b. working-class voters abandoned the Republican Party in 1896 due to the Republicans’ populist politics.
c. the New Deal Democratic Coalition brought African Americans and ardent segregationists into the same party
in 1932.
d. cultural conservatives abandoned the Republicans in 1968, especially in the South.
e. evangelical Christians abandoned the Republican Party and voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 252
NOTES: Applied
57. The theory that large-scale realignments in political party support are no longer likely is known as
a. dealignment theory.
b. electoral stability theory.
c. voter stability theory.
d. rigidity theory.
e. volatility theory.
ANSWER: a
REFERENCES: 252-253
NOTES: Factual
58. Which is true?

a. Straight-ticket voting is now nearly universal.
b. The number of people identifying as independents has grown in recent years.
c. Party identification has been increasing.
d. The rise in Democratic identification may be because of the southern voters.
Name: Class: Date:

e. Split-ticket voting is declining.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 253
NOTES: Factual
59. Tipping takes place

a. when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance.
b. when increasing numbers of voters call themselves “independents.”
c. when a group that is becoming more numerous over time grows large enough to change the political balance in
a state.
d. as a result of immigration or differential birth rates.
e. only in countries that employ a multi-party system.
ANSWER: c
REFERENCES: 254
NOTES: Conceptual
60. Voters who frequently move their support from one party to the other are known as
a. split-ticket voters.
b. swing voters.
c. unattached independents.
d. wedge voters.
ANSWER: b
REFERENCES: 254
NOTES: Factual
61. Describe the different functions of political parties in our system.

ANSWER: Students' answers may vary.
62. Explain the differences between the party-in-the-electorate, the party organization, and the party-in-government.
63. Describe the history of political parties in the United States.

64. George Washington argued that parties were harmful to the United States. Assess his argument, taking a stance either
with or against his point of view and providing evidence for your position.
Name: Class: Date:

65. Explain the phenomenon of "wave elections" and provide examples.

66. Discuss the obstacles faced by third-party and independent candidates in the American two-party system as well as
their successes in impacting American elections.
67. Why do we only have two major parties? Explain the circumstances that have perpetuated the two-party system.
68. Explore the role played by third parties in the United States.
69. Discuss the growth of the Hispanic voting bloc and its effect in recent elections and discuss what effects this trend
may have on future elections.
70. Describe the importance of independent voters and provide examples of their impact in recent elections.

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American Government and Politics

Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

5. A political party is a group of individuals who

6. A political party differs from an interest group in that

8. The primary goal of an American political party is

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

11. The party-in-the-electorate is made up of

12. The party organization is

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

13. The party-in-government

14. The lowest layer of official party machinery is

15. Divided government

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

17. Examples of party polarization include all of the following except

18. The two-party system

19. A two-party system

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

21. George Washington viewed political parties as a

24. In the period leading up to the Civil War

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

25. All of the following are true except

27. Under Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic Party

Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 7

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

29. Which of the following is true?

30. Which is (are) true of the New Deal period?

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

32. The election of 2000 demonstrated

33. In “wave elections”

34. In the election of 2010

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

36. In general, the Democrats have been known as the party of

37. In general, the Republicans have been known as the party of

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

40. Which of the following is false?

41. Which is true in regard to cultural politics?

42. Which of the following is true about the 2012 elections?

Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 11

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

46. In the winner-take-all system

Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 12

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

48. In a proportional representation electoral system

49. Which is true of federal and state laws?

50. Many political scientists contend that third parties

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

51. Third parties

52. Third parties have influenced American politics by

53. Which of the following is true about third parties?

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

56. One example of realignment was when

58. Which is true?

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

59. Tipping takes place

61. Describe the different functions of political parties in our system.

63. Describe the history of political parties in the United States.

CHAPTER 8 - Political Parties

65. Explain the phenomenon of "wave elections" and provide examples.

Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero Page 17

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