AQA USA Politics A-level - Political Parties

Question 1

What are the two main ideologies in American politics?

Answer 1

Liberalism and Conservatism.

Question 2

What is Liberalism in the United States?

Answer 2

Stresses the importance of individual rights and freedoms. Government must intervene to ensure free and just society. Associated with left wing in America.

Question 3

What economic issues do Liberals typically align with?

Answer 3

Support Big government, higher taxes, greater regulation and welfare programs.

Question 4

What Social issues do Liberals typically align with?

Answer 4

Support civil rights, abortion rights, gay marriage and gun control.

Question 5

What economic issues do conservatives typically align with?

Answer 5

Support small government, low taxes, limited regulation and limited welfare state.

Question 6

What social issues do conservatives typically align with?

Answer 6

Support ‘traditional issues’, anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, anti-immigration.

Question 7

What is a Big tent/catch-all party?

Answer 7

Type of political parties that seeks to attract voters from different points of views and ideologies.

Question 8

How does geography historically effect political ideology?

Answer 8

Northern states and urban areas more liberal.
Southern states and rural areas more conservative.

Question 9

What is a 100 party system?

Answer 9

Rather than the US being a two-party system, each state has different party organisations.

Question 10

What crises have shaped Democrats ideologies?

Answer 10

Democrats supported New Deal during Great Depression.
Supported medicare, medicaid, and desegregation in the 1960s.
Conservative members of the Democrats realigned to the Republicans.

Question 11

What has shaped Republican ideologies?

Answer 11

Much more conservative since Reagan. Reaganomics, power to state governments, tax cuts, less spending, prayer in school and oppose abortions.

Question 12

Which party is liberal and which is conservative?

Answer 12

Democrats - Liberal.
Republicans - Conservative.

Question 13

What did George W. Bush do to prove he was fiscally conservative?

Answer 13

Tax cuts (2001 lowered income tax brackets.

Question 14

How was George W. Bush not fiscally conservative?

Answer 14

Increased spending on medicare (Medicare Modernisation Act (2003)) and education (No Child Left Behind (2001)).
Pre-Bush there was a small budget surplus but tax cuts and increase in spending led to deficit.

Question 15

How was George W. Bush a social conservative?

Answer 15

Born again Christian.
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (2003) and vetoed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (2006).

Question 16

How was George W. Bush not a social conservative?

Answer 16

Vocally supported Civil Unions, which was in conflict with his party.

Question 17

How did George W. Bush anger Libertarians?

Answer 17

They want less government intervention and protection of freedom of speech and action.
Bush passed USA PATRIOT Act (2001) and Legalised ‘Indefinite detention warrants’ for ‘roving wiretaps.’

Question 18

What do Neoconservatives believe?

Answer 18

Interventionist foreign policy, should spread democracy and should act as world’s police.

Question 19

How did Bush become more neoconservative?

Answer 19

9/11 attacks changed his view. Iraq War (2003) and regime change.

Question 20

What is a Congressional Caucus?

Answer 20

Congressional member organisations. Join to pursue common legislative goals.

Question 21

What are the three main Republican Caucuses?

Answer 21

Moderate Republicans- Main street partnership
Conservative Republicans - Republican Study Committee
Libertarian - Liberty Caucus

Question 22

What do Libertarians believe?

Answer 22

High degree of both personal and economic liberty.

Question 23

What is the Main Street Partnership?

Answer 23

Formed in 1994. Wants a more centrist agenda. Fiscally conservative but socially moderate. Often elected in more liberal states. Often labelled as RINOs. Previous members included Mark Kirk and Olympia Snowe.
76 members in current congress.

Question 24

What are RINOs?

Answer 24

Republicans In Name Only

Question 25

What is the Republican Study Committee?

Answer 25

More conservative group. Wants limited constitutional role for the federal government. Fiscally and socially conservative. 154 members in current congress. Gave birth to Tea Party Movement.

Question 26

What is the Tea Party Movement?

Answer 26

Name comes from Boston Tea Party in 1773. Very right wing. Alarmed at increasing national deficit and debt. Want lower taxes and lower spending, less government intervention. Member Ted Cruz

Question 27

What is the Liberty Caucus?

Answer 27

Fiscally very conservative. Government should stay out of social lives but not necessarily liberal. Led by Justin Amash. 9 members. Member Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

Question 28

What Democrat Congressional Caucuses are there?

Answer 28

Liberal Democrats - Progressive Caucus.
Centrist Democrats - New Democrat Coalition.
Conservative Democrats - Blue Dog Coalition.

Question 29

What is the Progressive Caucus?

Answer 29

Fiscal policy influenced by the New Deal. Believe federal government should address problems. Social policy influenced by the ‘Great Society’ from 1960s. 76 members including Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi.

Question 30

What are Nancy Pelosi’s and other progressive caucuses main aim?

Answer 30

Key aim is to reform healthcare. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) would have liked them to go further in healthcare.

Question 31

What are the New Democrats?

Answer 31

Centrist, fiscally moderate and socially liberal. Formed from Democratic Leadership council which was formed following Reagan’s landslide. Need third way to achieve success, thought Democrats became too left wing.

Question 32

What are Blue Dog Democrats?

Answer 32

Formed after 1994 midterm elections. Needed to be more moderate than New Democrats. Fiscally conservative and socially moderate. 14 members now.

Question 33

‘Since 1853 every President has been either Republican or Democrat’ True or False.

Answer 33

True. Millard Fillmore was a Whig.

Question 34

Which two elections were the only ones where the Republicans and Democrats won over 90% of votes?

Answer 34

1968 and 1992

Question 35

Who are the two Independents in Congress?

Answer 35

Two. Both in Senate. Bernie Sanders and Angus King.
Both Caucus with the Democratic Caucuses and are counted as Democrats in voting.

Question 36

How are Third Parties in the USA characterised?

Answer 36

National, Regional, State Based.
Permanent vs Temporary
Single-Issue, Ideological and Factional.

Question 37

What are examples of national third parties?

Answer 37

Reform Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party.

Question 38

What are examples of Regional Third Parties?

Answer 38

State’s Rights Party focused on deep south.

Question 39

What are examples of state-based third parties?

Answer 39

Alaska Independence Party

Question 40

What is an example of a Single-issue third party?

Answer 40

US Marijuana Party

Question 41

What is an example of an ideological party?

Answer 41

Socialist Party

Question 42

What is an example of a factional party?

Answer 42

State’s Rights Party

Question 43

How many registered voters do the Libertarians have?

Answer 43

Over 500,000

Question 44

Why do Third Parties struggle to succeed?

Answer 44

First-Past-the-Post, Electoral College, Media overlooks, Struggle for donations, matching funds favours big parties, rarely in debates, ballot access laws, Big tent Parties.

Question 45

Who have been some famous third party candidates for President?

Answer 45

Ross Perot 1992 - 18.9% but 0 electoral college votes.
Ralph Nader 2000 - Green party 3% of votes but spoiler effect in Florida.
George Wallace 1968 - 13.5% of votes 45 electoral votes

Question 46

How can third parties have influence other than winning?

Answer 46

Spoiler effect- Ross Perot and Ralph Nader
Raise and educate the public on issues- Ross Perot deficit issue

Question 47

How is the UK and US political party structure different?

Answer 47

UK - Centralised
US - Decentralised

Question 48

What does decentralised party means?

Answer 48

There is no central party power. Different levels of organisation. National, Congressional, State and Local

Question 49

Why do US parties have different structure to UK?

Answer 49

Federal system, separation of powers and America’s size & Diversity.

Question 50

What are the two National organisations?

Answer 50

Republican National Committee (RNC) & Democratic National Committee (DNC)

Question 51

What has led to party decline?

Answer 51

Nomination, Elections, Organisation, changes to finance.

Question 52

What do the National committees do?

Answer 52

Help raise funds for presidential elections, set primaries rules, organise national conventions.

Question 53

How have parties lost influence in campaign organisation?

Answer 53

Primaries + TV => Political consultants - write speeches, policy advice, manage finances, conduct polls.
Work for candidate not the party.

Question 54

How have finances changed from parties?

Answer 54

Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) Limited donations to parties to $32,400. Candidates have to work harder for finance so rely on party less.

Question 55

How has nominations changed?

Answer 55

McGovern-Fraser Commission gives members of public a say in primary process.

Question 56

How have parties renewed their power in the nomination process?

Answer 56

Super Delegates automatically given vote and seat at convention.
2008 neither Clinton nor Obama won enough delegates so relied on super delegates.

Question 57

How are parties still involved in finance?

Answer 57

Leadership PACs set up by incumbents who are good at financing to spend on ads supporting candidates.

Question 58

How have there been procedural changes in Congress?

Answer 58

Chairs of standing committees previously chosen by seniority but in 1995 republicans changed this to those who were most loyal to the party. Party leaders have more carrots.