Chapter 5 Political Parties Quiz

Quiz In Federalist Paper No. 10, James Madison argued that political parties (or factions) were A) Both necessary and effective B) Necessary but complicated C) Divisive but inevitable D) Both fragmented and unnecessary The two-party system in Texas and other U.S. states partly results from our electoral system, which relies on A) Single-member districts B) Party realignment C) Open primaries D) Valence issues __________ in politics means that ideas should be judged on the basis of their practical results rather than on the purity of their principles. American party organizations are organized in a ___________ manner. Issues on which virtually all of the public agrees, such as peace and prosperity, are known as A) Valence issues B) Position issues C) Single-member issues D) Red herrings Political parties and their candidates often prefer to deemphasize _________ issues and focus instead on _____ issues. A) Valence; position B) Position; valence C) Polarized; valence D) Position; polarized Under the Republic of Texas, political divisions were usually oriented around support of, or opposition to A) the power elite, representing the oil and gas industries B) agri-business and the expansion of farms and ranches C) Sam Houston, a leading founder of the Republic D) the right of Texans to own slaves The Populist Party that seriously challenged the Democratic Party in Texas in 1897 was comprised of A) Latinos, Native Americans, and women B) farmers joined by sharecroppers, laborers, and African Americans C) The middle class D) African Americans Two events in the early twentieth century solidified the position of the Democrats in Texas politics—the institution of party primary "reforms" and A) The Great Depression B) The institution of single-member districts C) Overwhelming support for Sam Houston D) The Populist revolt A person who claims to be a liberal is MOST likely in favor of A) All-encompassing social welfare programs and social equality B) A free market unfettered by government control and support of traditional values C) Heavier restrictions on unions D) Privatized health care Conservatives often support government involvement and funding to promote business with the belief that this assistance will encourage economic development and prosperity for the whole society. This ideology is known as A) Pyramid theory B) Run-off effect C) The top-down approach D) Trickle-down theory The federal income tax is an example of a ___________ tax----a tax that increases as incomes increase and is typically supported by liberals. What does your text suggest is the MOST important reason that the Republican Party failed to compete in Texas historically? A) The image the Republican Party created during the Reconstruction was that of an abusive and corrupt government B) The Republican Party was seen as the party of the "political elite" protecting the interests of only the wealthy oil producers C) The Republican Party did not embrace the New Deal proposals that benefitted many Texans D) The policies instituted by the Republican Party during the early years failed to improve the lives of rural farmers, women and minorities in the state The first major step in the rejuvenation of the Republican Party in Texas came in 1961, when A) Bill Clements was elected as governor B) Bill Clements was elected to the U.S. Senate C) John Tower was elected to the U.S. Senate D) John Tower was elected as governor Republicans are now dominant in lower-level offices across much of Texas, and hold a majority of the seats in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. As a result, it can be said that Texas has experienced a(n) A) Identity polarization B) Political identity shift C) Party polarization D) Party realignment Of the following geographical areas, which is weaker than the others for Texas Republicans in terms of support and voting strength? A) Midland-Odessa area B) Hill Country-Edwards Plateau area C) Houston suburbs D) Southwest and South Central Texas Which of the following groups is LEAST likely to support the Republican Party? A) Families with low incomes B) Those who attend church regularly C) Residents of suburban communities and rural, small towns D) Active and retired military officers Which of the following is a faction of the Republican Party that gained traction in the 1980s? A) Libertarians B) Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians C) Baptists D) Teachers’ unions According to your text, which group of people could cause the phenomenon of "tipping" in Texas? A) Latinos B) Asian Americans C) Evangelical Christians D) Libertarians Marlena has supported candidates of different parties in different election years, and she is not bound by party identification. Marlena is likely a(n) _______ voter. Eligibility for participation in the precinct convention is open to A) Only those who vote in the general election B) Members of the House and Senate C) Incumbent political candidates D) All who vote in the first primary election A presidential preference primary allows voters in the party primary to A) Vote in both party primaries simultaneously B) Select delegates to the national convention C) Vote on adoption of resolutions to be considered at the state convention D) Vote directly on the party’s presidential nominee The party in the electorate refers to the A) Elected officials in government B) Bureaucrats in state and local government C) Identification of citizens with the parties D) Formal structure of the party itself Which of the following activities is performed by party organizations? A) administering state general elections B) recruiting candidates for office C) Funding PACs D) Maintaining public records Belinda is a Texas state senator who works diligently to get her policy priorities on the Senate's agenda. Belinda is an example of which function of a political party? A) party as organization B) party in the electorate C) party in government D) party dealignment The attention of the mass media is focused mostly on A) The party as administrator B) The party in government C) The party as organization D) The party in the electorate In the permanent party organization, the lowest level of the party structure is the A) State chair B) Temporary chair C) Precinct chair D) County chair The county executive committee, along with the __________, must certify the name of official nominees of the party to the secretary of state's office. A) County attorney B) Commissioners’ court C) County chair D) Precinct chair The development of the conservative Democratic faction was an outgrowth, in part, of conservative dissatisfaction with A) the secessionist proposals of Edmund Davis B) the emergence of liberal third parties C) the New Deal proposals of Franklin D. Roosevelt D) organized labor movements within the state Part of the big gains for Republicans in Texas reflected a shift among the views of A) active and retired military personnel B) the Hispanic community in general C) lower-class African Americans D) middle- and upper-class white Americans The rejuvenation of the Republican Party in Texas came in 1961 when ______ was elected to the U.S. Senate. A) John Tower B) Kay Bailey Hutchinson C) Phil Gramm D) John Cornyn The parties' most visible faces come from A) the party as organization B) the party as administrator C) the party in the electorate D) the party in government How can a third party get on the ballot if it does not secure the required number of votes to get on the ballot? A) It must petition the state board of electors with its party platform and pay a registration fee B) It can bring litigation to the state court of election appeals C) It can launch a petition drive to gather the signatures of voter who did not vote in either major party primary D) It must get consent from the two major parties The Populist Party emerged in Texas because of A) the need for the state to become more conservative B) the dissatisfaction of small farmers C) the corruption of past governors D) dissatisfaction of the political elites The phenomenon that occurs when a group grows large enough to change the political balance in the electorate is referred to as A) Tipping B) Swinging C) Dealignment D) realignment Liberals in the Texas Democratic party consist of which of the following? A) organized labor groups B) owners and publishers of the state's newspapers C) oil and gas industry executives D) large farmers and ranchers The most important goal of political parties is to A) gain control of government through popular elections B) fund the campaigns of political candidates C) Organize political rallies D) Organize PACs The idea of dealignment suggests that A) more voters are crossing over on election day B) voters consider themselves independents rather than identifying with political parties C) there is a shift in party dominance D) voters make a conscientious decision to stay at home on election day In the late nineteenth century, the Democratic Party was seriously challenged by which third party? A) Socialist B) Green C) Reform D) Populist ______ are supporters of the Republican Party, who are concerned with such issues as family, religion, abortion, gay rights, and community morals. A) Moderate business interests B) Tea party members C) Right wing conservatives D) Evangelical Christians Which "face" of a political party influences how voters view the political world? A) the party as administrator B) the party in government C) the party as organization D) the party in the electorate The formal issue positions of a political party are referred to as A) Valence issues B) The party convention C) Position issues D) The party platform In the American federal system, political party organizations operate at the precinct, local, state, and national level. This characteristic of American political parties is referred to as A) Pragmatism B) Decentralization C) Alignment D) polarization The party ______ actively recruit candidates for office and try to influence who wins the primary election. A) In government B) In the electorate C) As administrator D) As organization On social issues, which ideology tends to view change suspiciously and prefers the status quo? A) Idealism B) Libertarianism C) Conservatism D) pragmatism People who vote Republican for national office but Democratic for state and local office are known as A) presidential Republicans B) presidential conservatives C) presidential pragmatists D) presidential idealists What term is given to a gathering of party members who voted in the party’s primary for the purpose of electing delegates to the county or district convention? A) Party caucus B) Precinct convention C) Executive committee D) Senatorial convention Which of the following statements is would NOT be part of a liberal ideology? A) Government should institute a progressive tax system B) Government should not interfere in individuals' civil rights and liberties C) It is necessary for government to regulate the economy D) Government power should be used to protect the disadvantaged and to promote equality Political parties are vital to democracy in that they provide a link between A) the candidate and the voter B) the government and institutions C) the people and government D) the party and the voter