Political Science 101- Introduction to American Politics » Spring 2021 » Chapter 9 Post Test
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Question #1
A political party is an organization
A.
that falls under section 501(c)(4) of the U.S. tax code.
B.
that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office.
C.
that collects fees from its members in order to pay the salaries of government officials.
D.
established by the Constitution to nominate candidates.
Question #2
The extremely competitive elections in the United States since the year 2000 suggest the United States has
A.
a patronage system.
B.
a system of interest groups instead of parties.
C.
a system that is not partisan.
D.
a system with responsible political parties.
Question #3
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.
candidates can only win elections if they receive a majority of the overall votes.
D.
every candidate who receives above a certain percentage of the vote (usually set at 20%) is awarded a seat in the legislature.
Question #4
What is the two-party system?
A.
a system in which political parties act at two levels; a local level more responsive to members, and a national level more responsive to country-wide interests and groups
B.
a system, laid out in the Constitution, that calls for only two major parties to compete in most elections
C.
a system in which political parties tend to form factions within themselves, that is to say, a single political party forming a liberal and a conservative wing
D.
a system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control
Question #5
The number of political parties there are in a country is determined primarily by
A.
the political opinions of the country’s citizens.
B.
whether the country’s media outlets are publicly or privately owned.
C.
the country’s electoral system and rules.
D.
whether election campaigns are publicly or privately financed.
Question #6
________ is the practice of tailoring campaign messages to individuals in small, homogenous groups.
A.
Winnowing
B.
Micro-targeting
C.
Message bundling
D.
Redlining
Question #7
Which of the following statements best describes how national party conventions have changed over time?
A.
Though national conventions prior to World War II were primarily devoted to debating and negotiating about who the party’s nominee would be, today’s conventions serve mostly as media events to promote the candidate the party has already selected.
B.
There has been very little change in national party conventions over time, as they have always been primarily devoted to debating and negotiating about who the party’s nominee will be.
C.
There has been very little change in national party conventions over time, as they have always served mostly as media events to promote the candidate the party has already selected.
D.
Although national conventions prior to World War II were primarily media events to promote the candidate the party had already selected, today’s conventions are devoted mostly to debating and negotiating about who the party’s nominee will be.
Question #8
During the nineteenth century, party machines depended heavily on ________ in order to reward loyal party supporters.
A.
patronage
B.
soft money
C.
Super PAC committees
D.
caucuses
Question #9
There are very few party machines left today because
A.
civil service reform and the institution of the merit system mean that party leaders can no longer control who is appointed to government jobs.
B.
local, state, and the federal governments have decreased in size to the point that almost no jobs are available to distribute as patronage.
C.
so many Americans identify as so-called independents rather than as members of one of the political parties.
D.
the Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that party machines cannot qualify as tax-exempt organizations.
Question #10
All of the following are responsibilities of a party’s national committee EXCEPT
A.
minimizing disputes within various parts of the party.
B.
determining committee assignments for members of Congress.
C.
raising campaign funds for party candidates.
D.
enhancing the party’s media image.
Question #11
When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House in 2018, her selection was made by the
A.
Speaker of the House.
B.
minority party.
C.
Republican Party.
D.
majority party.
Question #12
At the national level, the Democratic Party currently attempts to appeal to ________, while the Republican Party currently attempts to appeal to ________.
A.
racial minorities; government workers
B.
White working-class voters; educated upper-middle-class professionals
C.
D.
educated upper-middle-class professionals; White working-class voters
E.
White working-class voters; racial minorities
Question #13
Men are more likely than women to prioritize economic and national security issues. Women are more likely to prioritize healthcare and education issues. The difference in who men and women tend to vote for is known as
A.
the partisan gap.
B.
party polarization.
C.
the gender gap.
D.
the party divide.
Question #14
Which of the following groups is most likely to affiliate with the Republican Party?
A.
Latino voters
B.
young Asian American voters
C.
older White voters
D.
African American voters
Question #15
The first party system was characterized by conflict between the ________ and the ________.
A.
Whigs; Jeffersonian Republicans
B.
Whigs; Democrats
C.
Federalists; Jeffersonian Republicans
D.
Whigs; Federalists
Question #16
The two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s were the ________ and the ________.
A.
Democrats; Republicans
B.
Democrats; Whigs
C.
Federalists; Whigs
D.
Federalists; Jeffersonians
Question #17
The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?
A.
western mining interests, small farmers, and urban workers
B.
eastern mining interests, southern merchants, and small farmers
C.
northern bankers, landowners, and factory workers
D.
eastern bankers, southern planters, and wealthy merchants
Question #18
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.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
B.
Richard Nixon
C.
Ronald Reagan
D.
Barry Goldwater
Question #19
The division between the two major parties on most policy issues, with members of each party unified around their party’s positions with little crossover, is called
A.
unified government.
B.
party unity voting.
C.
divided government.
D.
party polarization.
Question #20
Issues such as the environment, health care, retirement benefits, and taxation are on the political agenda in the United States because
A.
these are the only problems that have yet to be solved by the free market.
B.
these are the only issues that remain to be solved by elected officials.
C.
the Constitution limits the federal government’s powers to legislate on these issues, necessitating an electoral solution.
D.
these issues are important to the middle class, whose support both parties compete for.
Question #21
A system that allows voters to rank candidates from the most preferred to the least preferred on the ballot is called
A.
top-to-bottom voting.
B.
strategic voting.
C.
first-past-the-post voting.
D.
ranked-choice voting.
Question #22
Which party system saw the formation of the Republican party out of the remnants of the Whig party and had conflicts over slavery as one of the dominant political issues?
A.
the First Party System
B.
the Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans party system
C.
the Second Party System
D.
the Civil War Party System.
Question #23
An individual’s psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party
A.
ideology.
B.
identification.
C.
tradition.
D.
opinion.
Question #24
What is partisanship?
A.
the pointless political fighting between the two parties that serves no purpose
B.
the process by which a political party is formed
C.
identification with or support of a particular party
D.
official acts and behaviors of political parties
Question #25
Political scientists have found that on economic issues, both the Democratic and Republican parties are
A.
more responsive to the preferences of the lower and upper classes than the middle class.
B.
more responsive to the preferences of the lower and middle classes than the upper class.
C.
more responsive to the preferences of the upper and middle classes than the lower class.
D.
equally responsive to the preferences of the different classes.
Question #26
Identification with or support for a particular party or cause is known as
A.
micro-targeting.
B.
partisanship.
C.
Duverger’s Law.
D.
patronage.
Question #27
Emerging in the late 1780s, America’s first two political parties were the
A.
Federalists and the Whigs.
B.
Federalists and the Washingtonian Democrats.
C.
Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans.
D.
Whigs and the Antifederalists.
Question #28
One important cause of the two-party system in the United States is
A.
proportional representation.
B.
single-member, winner-take-all electoral districts.
C.
multimember electoral districts.
D.
the Constitution’s requirement for bipartisanship in Congress.
Question #29
The American system for electing members of Congress is often referred to as “first past the post” because
A.
seats in the House of Representatives and Senate are allocated to political parties based on their share of the total vote cast in the election.
B.
a candidate can win an election only if he or she wins a majority of the popular vote.
C.
the candidate with the most votes wins, even if he or she did not win a majority of the popular vote.
D.
a candidate must win both a primary election and a general election before taking office.
Question #30
Duverger’s law states that
A.
unless a political system adopts strict majoritarian requirements for winning elections, the system will drift into a multiparty democracy.
B.
a political system with single-member districts and plurality rule elections will tend to result in a two-party system.
C.
a political system that only has two major political parties is more reflective of and responsible to voters’ preferences.
D.
a political system is only really a two-party system if other parties beyond the main two are legally prohibited.
Question #31
According to political scientist John Aldrich, which of the following problems found in democratic governments do political parties help solve?
A.
how to regulate the number of people seeking public office, how to mobilize voters, and how to achieve the majorities needed to accomplish legislative goals once in office
B.
how to increase the number of people seeking office, how to generate widespread consensus about political problems, and how to limit corruption in government
C.
how to incorporate young people into the political system, how to convince citizens to trust the government, and how to minimize fiscal shortfalls
D.
how to create economic growth, how to protect freedom of speech, and how to achieve equal treatment under the law
Question #32
A ________ is a meeting of a political group’s members who gather to determine strategy and select candidates.
A.
convention
B.
primary
C.
party
D.
caucus
Question #33
Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to
A.
vote on the party’s platform.
B.
raise money to spend on the party’s preselected candidate for the general election.
C.
take nominations for leadership positions within the party.
D.
select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election.
Question #34
One of the earliest activities in which party workers engage once the general election campaign begins is
A.
forming a committee within Congress to determine campaign strategy.
B.
ensuring that citizens are registered to vote.
C.
recruiting additional candidates to run for office.
D.
redrawing each congressional district’s lines.
Question #35
National party conventions are held every
A.
year and attended by delegates from all 50 states.
B.
four years and attended by delegates from all 50 states.
C.
two years and only attended by delegates from states that voted for the party’s candidate in the last presidential election.
D.
four years and attended only by delegates from states that voted for the party’s candidate in the last presidential election.
Question #36
In 2020, the DNC used performance polls to determine which candidates could participate in televised presidential debates. Despite objections from candidates, the DNC could do this in its capacity
A.
exclude voters from the nomination process in primary and caucus elections.
B.
to set the rules for primary and caucus elections as a national committee.
C.
to nominate the candidate for the national election.
D.
to make partisan appointments to Congress and control the party nomination
Question #37
Trump’s victory in the 2016 Republican primaries is evidence that
A.
only the most active members of the Republican Party voted in the 2016 primaries.
B.
there are limits to party insiders’ control of the presidential nomination process.
C.
primary elections do not work to select a candidate for public office.
D.
party elites play an outsized role in the presidential nomination process.
Question #38
What were the most common favors political bosses distributed to loyal party members during the era of political machines?
A.
money
B.
jobs
C.
tax cuts
D.
tariffs
Question #39
The Progressive movement of the early 1900s was motivated, in large part, by the
A.
disenfranchisement of women.
B.
system of legal segregation in southern states.
C.
growing levels of air pollution produced from rapid industrialization.
D.
excessive power, corruption, and abuses of party machines and their bosses.
Question #40
Which of the following best characterizes the components of a party organization?
A.
the formal structure of a political party, including leadership, election committees, members, and paid staff
B.
the elite-level members of a party who determine which organizational moves to make
C.
D.
the on-the-ground party members who help organize elections and mobilize voters
E.
the organized meeting in which a party selects its candidate for presidency and adopts the party platform
Question #41
Which list of issue positions is most likely to be supported by the national leadership of the Democratic Party?
A.
banning abortion, eliminating military spending, and raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations
B.
expanding funding for education, public spending for infrastructure, and raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations
C.
ending enforcement of all immigration laws, banning abortion, and eliminating income taxes
D.
maintaining high levels of military spending, tax relief for upper-income voters, and reducing corporate taxes
Question #42
An individual who identifies a problem as a political issue and brings a policy proposal into the political agenda is referred to as a(n)
A.
whip.
B.
idea capitalist.
C.
policy entrepreneur.
D.
venue shopper.
Question #43
An individual who identifies as an independent believes that the United States needs to seriously address climate change and increase taxes on the wealthy. The person is more likely to lean toward which party?
A.
Republican Party
B.
American Independent Party
C.
Bull Moose Party
D.
Democratic Party
Question #44
Since the 1930s, most African Americans have identified as
A.
Republicans.
B.
independents.
C.
Democrats.
D.
libertarians.
Question #45
Men in the United States are ________ the ________ Party.
A.
overwhelmingly committed to; Republican
B.
somewhat more likely to support; Democratic
C.
overwhelmingly committed to; Democratic
D.
somewhat more likely to support; Republican
Question #46
A.
South, Northeast, and Midwest.
B.
South, Great Plains, and Mountain West.
C.
Northeast, Midwest, and West.
D.
Northeast and South.
Question #47
Under a system of ranked-choice voting
A.
a new election is conducted if no candidate receives a majority of first-place votes.
B.
there are always at least two separate rounds of voting.
C.
there are always at least three separate rounds of voting.
D.
a candidate is declared the winner if he or she wins a majority of first-place votes.
Question #48
The United States has had ________ party systems since 1789.
A.
12
B.
2
C.
9
D.
6
Question #49
The Federalist Party disappeared, in part, as a result of
A.
the War of 1812.
B.
the Civil War.
C.
Alexander Hamilton being killed by Aaron Burr.
D.
Lincoln’s election in 1860.
Question #50
What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?
A.
the death of Andrew Jackson
B.
the admission of California into the Union
C.
industrialization
D.
slavery
Question #51
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.
Whig; Federalist
B.
Federalist; Whig
C.
Republican; Democratic
D.
Democratic; Republican
Question #52
From 1896 to 1932, the ________ Party was the nation’s majority party.
A.
Republican
B.
Whig
C.
Populist
D.
Democratic
Question #53
The New Deal Party System weakened because of
A.
internal party conflicts over civil rights and the Vietnam War.
B.
Nixon’s popularity with African Americans.
C.
the Great Depression.
D.
Roosevelt’s inability to unite the upper and lower middle-classes.
Question #54
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
Question #55
What strategy did the Democratic party use in 2018 to counter the election of Donald Trump?
A.
nominating a presidential candidate
B.
changing the party’s platform to focus most on Democratic loyalists
C.
increasing voter turnout and win back Congress
D.
adopting more of President Trump’s policies to coopt his support.
Question #56
Imagine that you are looking at a Republican platform that favors government regulation, expansion of voting rights, and the creation of a national bureaucracy. This party platform most likely comes from which party system?
A.
the System of 1896
B.
the First Party System
C.
the Contemporary Party System
D.
the Civil War Party System
Question #57
Despite the strength of the Republican Party in the South, Democrats have been able to retain some southern congressional seats due to the
A.
“southern strategy.”
B.
System of 1896.
C.
Voting Rights Act of 1965.
D.
Bush tax cuts.
Question #58
Which of the following outcomes would have been most likely if Ralph Nader had not been a third-party candidate in the 2000 presidential election?
A.
Another third-party candidate would win the election.
B.
The Republican candidate would win the election.
C.
Hillary Clinton would have lost the election.
D.
The Democratic candidate would win the election.
Question #59
Third parties in the United States typically represent
A.
social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons.
B.
recent immigrants.
C.
extremist religious groups.
D.
the political interests of America’s allies, who attempt to influence the American decision-making process because U.S. policies can affect their futures.
Question #60
Which of the following statements about ranked-choice voting is most accurate?
A.
Ranked-choice voting has been implemented in some countries (such as Australia) and in a handful of American states and cities.
B.
A handful of American states and cities have implemented ranked-choice voting, but it has never been tried in any other democracy.
C.
Ranked-choice voting has been implemented in some countries (such as Australia) but has never been tried in the United States.
D.
Ranked-choice voting has never been implemented in the United States or any other democracy.
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