Political Parties

Question 1

Government run by religious officials

Answer 1

Theocracy

Question 2

Believing the same basic beliefs about life, culture, government, and society

Answer 2

Ideological Party

Question 3

One formed by several parties who combine forces to obtain a majority

Answer 3

Coalition Government

Question 4

Political party that splits from a major party

Answer 4

Splinter Party

Question 5

Focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issues

Answer 5

Single-Issue Party

Question 6

Any political party other than one of the two major parties

Answer 6

Third Party

Question 7

A voting district

Answer 7

Precinct

Question 8

Large district comprising several adjoining precincts

Answer 8

Ward

Question 9

Statement of political party’s principles, beliefs, and positions

Answer 9

Platform

Question 10

Second election between two candidates who had the most votes

Answer 10

Runoff Election

Question 11

Gathering of local or state parties to choose presidential candidates

Answer 11

National Convention

Question 12

Representatives from the 50 state party of organizations who run a party

Answer 12

National Committee

Question 13

Private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office

Answer 13

Caucus

Question 14

All American citizens have the right to vote

Answer 14

Fifteenth Amendment

Question 15

Women’s suffrage

Answer 15

Nineteenth Amendment

Question 16

Abolition of the poll tax

Answer 16

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Question 17

American citizens can vote when they are 18

Answer 17

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Question 18

Functions of State Committees

Answer 18

• Help elect candidates
• Assist local party candidates
• Coordinates activités of local organizations
• Raise funds

Question 19

Effect of Wasted Vote Syndrome on Third Parties

Answer 19

• Discourages minor parties because a person’s vote may go towards a minority patty but the majority party since has a chance of winning it all; therefore, in a sense, the voter has “wasted their vote”

Question 20

Difficulty for Third Parties to Succeed

Answer 20

Institutional Barriers: Single-member district system, electoral college, winner-take-all system, ballot access laws

Attitudinal Barriers: Wasted Vote Syndrome, history, tradition, consensus

Question 21

Criticism of the Primary Election System

Answer 21

• Too long and expensive
• Media coverage emphasizes personalities, not issues
• States move primary elections to earlier in the ear because primary elections influence the race

Question 22

Pros and Cons of Open and Closed Primaries

Answer 22

Open Primaries

• Pros: Allows more people to participate because all voters may participate
• Cons: Voters can only select names from the one list of candidates; allow other parties to come in and change the outcome

Closed Primaries

• Pros: Registered members of a political party can vote for their party’s candidates; prevents the other party from interfering
• Cons: Prevents independents from voting