Chapter 8: Political Parties

Question 1

big tent principle

Answer 1

a strategy in which a political party seeks to build a broad coalition among individuals with wide-ranging beliefs, backgrounds, and priorities

Question 2

buckley v. valeo

Answer 2

(1976) overturned limits on expenditures by both political parties and individual candidates, ruling that these limitations violated first amendment protection of free speech

Question 3

candidate-centered campaign

Answer 3

a campaign in which the individual seeking election, rather than an entire party slate, is the focus

Question 4

dealignment

Answer 4

the situation in which fewer voters support the two major political parties, instead identifying themselves as independent, or splitting their ticket between candidates from more than one party

Question 5

divided government

Answer 5

the situation that exists when congress is controlled by one party and the presidency by the other

Question 6

grassroots organizing

Answer 6

tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters

Question 7

independent

Answer 7

a voter who does not belong to any organized political party; often used as a synonym for an unaffiliated voter

Question 8

loyal opposition

Answer 8

a role that the party out of power plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the government in power

Question 9

new deal

Answer 9

FDR’s broad social welfare program in which the government would bear the responsibility of providing a safety net to protect the most disadvantaged members of society

Question 10

new deal coalition

Answer 10

the group was composed of southern democrats, northern city dwellers, immigrants, the poor, catholic, labor union members, blue-collar workers, African Americans, and women who elected FDR to the presidency 4 times

Question 11

party identifiers

Answer 11

individuals who identify themselves as a member of one party or the other

Question 12

party in government

Answer 12

the partisan identifications of elected leaders in local county, state, and federal government

fed: pres, advisors, cabinet – loyalists
state: governors appt loyalists

town: city council – loyalists

Question 13

party in the electorate

Answer 13

individuals who identify with or tend to support a party
measuring: declaring party in registration
determining: who belongs in party

Question 14

party organization

Answer 14

the formal party apparatus, including committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers

natl level : natl committee elects chair and plans convention RNC/DNC

state level: inbetween officials, educate pop, mobilize voters

local: municipal → ward → presinct; fundraise, voter reg druve

Question 15

party system

Answer 15

the categorization of the number of competitiveness of political parties in a polity

Question 16

patronage

Answer 16

the system in which a party leader rewarded political supporters with jobs or government contracts in exchange for their support of the party

Question 17

platform

Answer 17

the formal statement of a party’s principles and policy objectives

Question 18

political machine

Answer 18

big-city organizations that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters

Question 19

political party

Answer 19

an organization that recruits, nominates, and elects party members to office in order to control the government

Question 20

populism

Answer 20

a philosophy supporting the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites

Question 21

primary election

Answer 21

an election in which voters choose the party’s candidates who within run in the later general election

Question 22

proportional representation system

Answer 22

an electoral structure in which political parties within the number of parliamentary seats equal to the percentage of the vote the party receives

Question 23

realignment

Answer 23

a shift in party allegiances or electoral support that propels a political party to majority status

Question 24

responsible party model

Answer 24

political scientists’ view that a function of a party is to offer a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances different from those of rival parties
→ make it a clear choice who to vote for

Question 25

soft money loophole

Answer 25

the supreme courts interpretation of campaign finance law that enabled political parties to raise unlimited funds for party-building activities such as voter registration drives and get out the vote efforts

Question 26

spoils system

Answer 26

the practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs

Question 27

tea party movement

Answer 27

a grassroots, conservative protest movement that opposed recent government actions including economic stimulus spending and health care reform

Question 28

third party

Answer 28

a party organized in opposition or as an alternative to the existing parties in a two-party system

Question 29

ticket splitting

Answer 29

the situation in which voters vote for candidates from more than one party

Question 30

truncated government

Answer 30

the situation that exists when one chamber of congress is controlled by the same party that controls the White House, while the other chamber is controlled by the other party

Question 31

winner-take-all system

Answer 31

an electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most vote wins that office, even if that total is not a majority

Question 32

candidate committees

Answer 32

organizations that candidates form to support their individual election

Question 33

party characteristics

Answer 33

run candidate under party label
seek control over white house and full control over congress
make a statement about stance, goals, and promise (stance)
organize and start relations with gov

Question 34

democrats

Answer 34

black, women, young, no edu/working class, minorities
- big gov
- pro healthcare
- pro choice
- immigrants
- rights

Question 35

republicans

Answer 35

white, male, college, upper class, business owners, religious
- small gov
- less social welfare
- traditional roles
- pro life

Question 36

similarities between the parties

Answer 36

keep country rich
manage immigration
keep our country safe from terrorism
quick response to natural disasters

Question 37

support/loyalists

Answer 37

ppl who pay to win