Name: _______________________________ Date: ___________________________ Pd:___
Unit III: Linkage Institutions
Directions: Fill in the blank with the appropriate word or words.
Political Parties:
1. ______________________ are voluntary associations of voters.
2. One-party systems can most often be seen in ______________________. An example of a
two-party system would be in ____________________________. An example of multiparty system would be in ________________________________.
3. Political parties should recruit, nominate, and support _____________ while educating
__________________ and organizing ___________________.
4. Party Identification could be based on the following factors:
5. The Constitution (does/does not) call for political parties.
6. While we have had periods of unified government, divided Government leads to potential
__________________________.
7. Ideological, splinter/personality, single-issue, and protest are all examples of ____________
parties
8. Political parties must have organization to accomplish their goal, but American political
parties tend to be _____________________________.
Word Bank:
Third/minor
Candidates
gender
Political parties
Gridlock
Decentralized/fragmented
1.
Europe
age
dictatorships
people
government
United States
socio-economic status
race
sexual orientation
What is the impact of third parties on the American political system?
a. Minor parties develop ideas that the major parties later come to adopt.
b. Minor parties create new coalitions within the major parties, often resulting in party
realignment.
c. Minor parties tend to develop around charismatic personalities who are recruited as
candidates by the major parties.
d. Minor parties usually get enough votes to prevent a majority vote in the Electoral College.
e. Minor parties have had no significant impact on the American political system.
2. Long standing third parties such as the Socialist, Libertarian, and Green parties, are examples of
a. ideological parties
b. one-issue parties
c. economic-protest parties
d. factional parties
e. candidate-centered parties
3. Which of the following features have encouraged the development of a two-party system in the United
States?
I. the plurality system of voting, where a candidate need not win a majority of votes to win the election
II. the winner-take-all feature of the electoral college
III. the numerous state and local elections because of federalism
IV. the fact that the House of Representatives is based on a state’s population
a. I and II
b. I and III
c. I, II, and III
d. II, III, and IV
E. I, II, and
4. The proportion of people identifying themselves with a political party declined between 1960
and 1980. One of the reasons for this is
a. decentralization of the party organizations
b. split-ticket voting
c. less media coverage of elections and campaigns
d. the realignment of coalitions
e. a decrease in the number of people identifying themselves as independents
5. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political
parties in the United States?
a. Parties have no organization except at the national level.
b. Parties are centrally organized to provide a smooth transition from on national
campaign to the next.
c. Parties are organized much like a large corporation, in that decisions flow from
national to state and local levels.
d. Local and state parties have virtually no power in the party system.
e. Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and
local levels.
6. All of the following characterize a period of critical realignment EXCEPT
a. a sharp and lasting shift in the coalitions supporting the political parties
b. a series of crises, resulting in a reaction against the two major parties
c. the major defeat of a party, with another party taking its place
d. when a new issue of importance to voters cuts across existing party divisions
e. when voters become apathetic and turnout falls below 50 percent
7. All of the following were problems with political machines EXCEPT
a. They traded votes for favors.
b. The federal bureaucracy grew with unnecessary jobs.
c. Unqualified people were given important government jobs.
d. They rarely delivered on their promises to help new immigrants.
e. They engaged in fraudulent practices in voting and government contracting
Voting and Elections:
1. Political participation can include all of the following activities:
2.
_______________ is the most common form of political participation in the United
States.
3. ________________ is the right to vote.
4. More people vote now because of the ___________ , ____________, and ___________
Amendments.
5. The _________________ and the __________________ are the only two nationally
elected officeholders.
6. Voter turnout in the United States has been _______________________ due to
numerous reasons.
7. You are more likely to vote if you exhibit the following characteristics:
8.
_________________ elections are intra-party elections held to narrow down the field of
candidates.
9. _________________ elections are inter-party elections where voters choose the office
holders.
10. Congressional elections that take place in years when no presidential election is
occurring and are often called __________________ elections.
11. The __________________________ elects the president and vice president.
12. ________________________ means that individuals are acting along party lines
supporting their ideals in an almost militant manner.
13. Under the _____________________________________________ Act bans the use of
soft money in federal campaigns.
Word Bank
Decreasing
electoral college
older
Primary (closed)
donating money
26th
Voting
general
off year/mid term
Partisanship
rich
educated
Suffrage
volunteering
McCain-Feingold (Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform)
th
14.
Bipartisan
Campaign
Finance
Reform
(McCain-Feingold)
Voting
19
th
13
president/vice president
1. A primary in which voters must declare a political affiliation before the election is
a. a blanket primary
d. a run off primary
b. a closed primary
e. a party primary
c. an open primary
2. Which of the following is most likely to help an incumbent president get reelected?
a.good economic times
d. the addition of new groups of voters
b. a strong vice president
e. favorable reporting by the press
c.his stance on abortion
3. All of the following characterize a period of critical realignment EXCEPT
A. a sharp and lasting shift in the coalitions supporting the political parties
B. a series of crises, resulting in a reaction against the two major parties
C. the major defeat of a party, with another party taking its place
D. when a new issue of importance to voters cuts across existing party
divisions
E. when voters become apathetic and turnout falls below 50 percent
4. Who are superdelegates?
a. delegates who have more than one vote
b. delegates who have veto power over the party’s choice of candidates
c. delegates who write the party’s platform and have a major influence over the issues
emphasized
d. powerful members of political parties and elected officials who become delegates
without having to run in primaries or caucuses
e. delegates, like movie stars, who have national recognition and, as a result, have great
influence in choosing candidates.
5. All of the following are part of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002
EXCEPT
a. “soft money” contributions to national political parties from corporation were banned
b. money given to national parties must be in the form of individual donations and PACs
c. independent organizations cannot use their own money in ads that refer to a clearly
identified federal candidate during the sixty days before an election
d. individuals can no longer spend unlimited amounts of their own money on their
campaigns
e. “soft money” contributions to national political parties from unions were banned
6. Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system?
a. The winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the popular vote.
b. Candidates focus on one-party states in which they can win most of the electoral
votes.
c. The House of Representatives frequently chooses the President from the top three
candidates.
d. Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations.
e. Campaign spending increases because candidates emphasize television
advertising.
Interest Groups and the Media:
1. James Madison warned against the dangers of “factions” in _______________________.
2.
__________________________ are supposed to create awareness among the public, provide
information, and create avenues for political participation.
3. Interest groups use strategies such as:
4.
___________________________ are political arms of interest groups that raise money for
political candidates.
5. _________________________ refers to all the forms of communication that transmit
information to the general public.
6. The major role of the media is ______________________.
7. The mass media are ______________ owned in the United States.
8. The ______________ is the main body providing oversight and government regulation of the
media.
9. Gatekeepers are the media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who decide
_________________________________________________________________.
10. The White House office of the ____________________________ allows the press to have
greater access to the president through news releases, briefings, and conferences.
11. Media coverage of the Congress often centers around the ____________________ rather than
___________________________.
Word Bank
FCC
Interest groups
present them
Mass media
Press secretary
1.
agenda setting
lobbying
litigation
individual members
PACS
what events to present and how to
privately
Federalist 10
institution
going public
All of the following are examples of interest groups EXCEPT
a. Greenpeace
b. Right to Life
c. Christian Coalition
d. Libertarians
e. National Organization of
Women
2. How do interest groups differ from PACs?
a. Interest groups donate money to candidates, while PACs hire lobbyists to influence policy-making.
b. Interest groups can hire PACs to help them conduct polls, create direct mail solicitations, and produce
TV ads.
c. PACs are committees, often set up by interest groups, to raise and spend money on campaigns and
causes.
d. Interest groups are required to register with the Federal Election Commission, but there are no
registration requirements for PACs.
e. PACs run candidates for election while interest groups do not.
3. “Free riders” occur when interest groups fight for benefits to the public as a whole, such as a consumer
protection. How can interest groups prevent the free-rider problem?
a. by ensuring that the benefits they seek will help only their members
b. by providing people an incentive to join the interest group
c. by limiting membership to a few carefully screened members
d. by lobbying members of Congress only in the district where the interest group operates
e. there is no practical way for interest groups to ever prevent the “free-rider” problem
4. Which of the following is a concern about the influence of lobbyists on government?
a. Because of the “revolving door” phenomenon, many lobbyists are former federal officials who gave
up their positions in government to work for interest groups.
b. Many lobbyists are attorneys who have undue influence because of their legal expertise.
c. Many lobbyists also work as congressional staff members.
d. Many members of Congress are former lobbyists who still have strong connections with interest
groups.
e. Because lobbyists do not have to register with the government is it difficult to control their activities.
5. When Gary Hart ran for the Democratic nomination in 1987, he told the press to go ahead and follow him,
because “they would be bored.” The resulting sexual scandal that arose is an example of the media’s role
as
a. a gatekeeper who influences what subjects become national political issues and for how long
b. a scorekeeper who keeps track of and helps make political reputations
c. a reporter who covers important facts in an unbiased manner
d. a referee who carefully balances coverage of all the candidates
e. a watchdog who closely scrutinizes candidates’ backgrounds and activities
6.
Why is there more news coverage of the president than of Congress or the courts?
a. because the president is one person and is viewed by the public as the center of government
b. because the president has the ability to call news conferences whereas members of Congress must act
through their leaders
c. because the courts issue opinions that are difficult to understand, and it is difficult for the press to
explain court decisions clearly
d. because congressional committee hearings are usually closed to the press and the public
e. the statement is inaccurate; Congress actually gets as much press coverage as the president does
7. An interest group would use grassroots lobbying on all of the following issues EXCEPT
a. Abortion
b. complex tax legislation affecting a few people
c. Social Security
d. Medicare
e. affirmative action
Electoral College:
The Good!!!
What’s good
about it?
The Bad!!!
What’s bad
about it?
The Ugly!
(Change It!)
What reforms
have been
suggested?