POLS 1113 American Federal Government

1
POLS 1113American Federal Government

• Chapter 11
• Political Parties Interest Groups

2
At a basic level, political parties are

• a. organizations dedicated to promoting
  particular policies.
• b. expected to contest elections.
• c. responsible for recruiting candidates for
  political offices.
• d. a group of office holders, candidates,
  activists, and voters who identify with a group
  label.
• e. all of the above.

3
In his presidential farewell address, __ warned
the nation against the evil of political parties.

• a. George Washington d. James Madison
• b. John Adams e. James Monroe
• c. Thomas Jefferson

4
Political parties provide most democratic
political systems with

• a. inherent instability. d. a reliable
  vehicle for
• b. unity. mass
  participation.
• c. a logical mechanism e. creative
  destruction.
• for preventing dissent.

5
The Republican Party was established in

• a. 1824 d. 1854
• b. 1832 e. 1860
• c. 1848

6
The first real party system formed around the
powerful personalities of Alexander Hamilton and
Thomas Jefferson, who were respectively leaders
of the __ and the __ parties.

• a. Whig Republican d. Tory Whig
• b. Democratic Whig e. Roundhead
  Royalist
• c. Federalist Democratic-
• Republican

7
Most scholars trace the origins of the Democratic
Party to the rise of __ in American politics. His
successful campaign for the presidency in 1828
(after losing in 1824 despite having the most
popular and Electoral College votes) was driven
by his creation of the first disciplined party in
American politics.

• a. John Quincy Adams d. John Tyler
• b. Andrew Jackson e. Thomas Jefferson
• c. Abraham Lincoln

8
A party organization that recruits members and
seduces voters with tangible incentives like
money, welfare programs, and jobs, is called a(n)

• a. machine. d. syndicate.
• b. alliance of e. state party.
• convenience.
• c. coalition.

9
The selection of party candidates through the
ballots of qualified voters is called a

• a. party conference. d. plebiscite.
• b. party caucus. e. nominating
  convention.
• c. direct primary.

10
Voting for candidates of different parties in the
same election (e.g. Republican for president,
Democrat for Senate) is called __, and is
becoming more frequent in American elections.

• a. bet hedging d. splitting the
  difference
• b. ticket splitting e. straight-line
  voting.
• c. patronage

11
Issue-oriented politics has become more prevalent
due to

• a. changes in suffrage rules.
• b. civil service reform and the demise of
  political machines.
• c. broad-based education and social change.
• d. all of the above.
• e. none of the above.

12
The United States has a __ party system.

• a. one- d. multi-
• b. two- e. all of the above.
• c. three-

13
The tendency for minor parties to emerge in
American electoral politics is described in the
text as

• a. third-partyism. d. nascent party
  syndrome.
• b. party formulation. e. electoral fission
• c. party evolution.

14
American political parties have been affected,
and in general weakened, by

• a. television.
• b. the movement of people to the suburbs.
• c. technology that enabled activists to bypass
  parties.
• d. state primary laws that enable anyone to vote
  in party primaries.
• e. all of the above.

15
During the 2004 congressional elections, __ of
candidates for office were independent or
third-party candidates.

• a. 23 d. more than
  850
• b. less than 20 e. 2,000
• c. 476

16
Third parties in the United States typically have
their roots in

• a. sectionalism.
• b. economic protest.
• c. issues that get ignored by the major parties.
• d. charismatic independent candidates.
• e. all of the above.

17
Third parties tend to appear and disappear in
American politics due to

• a. proportional electoral rules.
• b. inflexibility on the part of the two major
  parties.
• c. cooption by one of the major parties.
• d. options a and b.
• e. all of the above.

18
Political parties adopt their platforms

• a. through a national referendum of registered
  party members.
• b. at the national conventions.
• c. at local party meetings.
• d. at closed-door meetings of the state-wide
  office holders of that particular political
  party.
• e. by holding extensive focus groups designed to
  identify issue positions that would most resonate
  with a majority of voters.

19
In the United States, party identification is

• a. ever-changing. d. informal.
• b. a direct consequence e. discouraged.
• of parental influence.
• c. a formal requirement
• for voting

20
In his book Bowling Alone, the Harvard
sociologist Robert Putnam argues that

• a. there has been a virtual explosion of
  voluntary associations and interest groups in the
  United States.
• b. the Internet has favorably changed the nature
  of interest groups.
• c. fewer Americans are joining interest groups.
• d. Americans are still a nation of joiners.
• e. interest group activity has faded to
  nothingness.

21
Interest groups often

• a. fill voids left by traditional political
  parties.
• b. give Americans another opportunity to take
  their claims to government.
• c. make the policy process more responsive.
• d. facilitate adversarial politics.
• e. all of the above.

22
David Trumans __ theory explains the primary
motivation for interest group formation.

• a. chaos d. squeaky
  wheel
• b. pluralism e. entrepreneur
• c. disturbance

23
Robert Salisburys study of interest groups
focused on the role that __ play in forming and
sustaining interest groups.

• a. citizens d.
  entrepreneurs
• b. activists e. poor
  people
• c. government funding

24
Common Cause, peace groups, and environmental
organizations are examples of __ interest groups.

• a. public d.
  multi-issue
• b. economic e. group
  identity
• c. single-issue

25
The 1960s and 1970s were characterized by

• a. a decrease in the power of public interest
  groups.
• b. an increase in the number of trade and
  professional associations.
• c. the rise of public interest groups.
• d. the victory of corporations over labor unions.
• e. all of the above.

26
In 1978, a number of conservative groups began to
form in response to the successes of a number of
liberal interest groups in shaping and defining
the public agenda during the 1960s. Prominent
among these groups was the __, formed and led by
the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

• a. John Birch Society d. Common
  Cause
• b. Moral Majority e. Family
  Research
• c. 700 Club
  Council

27
In order to promote gun ownership and pro-gun
public policies, the __ formed a political action
committee in 1972 to fund conservative candidates
an advertisements attacking pro-gun control
candidates.

• a. Straight Shooters Club d. He-Man Women
• b. NRA
  Haters Club
• c. Club for Growth e. Shoot First,
  Ask
• 
  Questions Later Club

28
Another conservative economic group, the __, was
formed in 1972 in order to give corporations an
opportunity to tell their side of the story.

• a. Business Roundtable d. CEO-Corp
• b. Club for Growth e.USA Chambers
• c. Country Club of Commerce
• Republicans

29
In 1914, Congress passed the __ Act, which was
hailed by labor leader Samuel Gompers as the
Magna Carta of the labor movement. This law
allowed unions to organize and guaranteed their
right to strike.

• a. Pendleton d. Right to
  Work
• b. Clayton e. Coulter
• c. Taft-Hartley

30
Among the lobbying techniques employed to advance
interest group policy aims include

• a. testifying at legislative hearings.
• b. providing information to individual
  congresspersons.
• c. encouraging constituents to contact their
  representatives.
• d. forming political action committees to support
  candidates for certain offices.
• e. all of the above.

31
Many of the most effective lobbyists are

• a. former congressional staffers.
• b. former White House staff.
• c. former Cabinet officers.
• d. former members of Congress.
• e. all of the above.

32
Interest groups that want to lobby the executive
branch generally target the

• a. president him or her/self.
• b. White House staff.
• c. Cabinet level officers.
• d. many levels of the executive branch
  bureaucracy.
• e. all of the above.

33
Interest groups lobby the courts by

• a. direct lobbying of judges and justices.
• b. sponsoring lawsuits and filing amicus curaie
  briefs.
• c. contributing to judges and justices
  retirement funds.
• d. direct cash payments.
• e. all of the above.

34
Grass roots lobbying includes tactics such as

• a. door-to-door campaigns.
• b. petition drives.
• c. faxing candidates and office holders.
• d. telephoning congresspersons.
• e. all of the above.

35
Many interest groups become directly involved in
elections through

• a. get out the vote (GOTV) efforts.
• b. endorsement of specific candidates.
• c. rating the candidates and office holders.
• d. extensive television advertising campaigns.
• e. all of the above.

36
A federally registered fundraising committee that
represents an interest group in the political
process through campaign donations is called a(n)

• a. political interest group. d.
  political action
• b. campaign finance committee.
  committee.
• c. federal election committee . e.
  campaign
• 
  funding group.

37
True/False Universe
38
The American two-party system was established
within the framework of the Constitution.

• a. True b.
  False

39
George Washington was the founder of the American
political party system.

• a. True b.
  False

40
Massive changes in political conditions and
dramatic shifts in the moods of the electorate
have dramatically weakened the major parties and
eliminated their ability to influence the
political process.

• a. True b. False

41
Political parties remain the strongest possible
intermediary institution between candidate and
voter.

• a. True b. False

42
Third parties are on the rise because of neglect
of important issues by Republicans and Democrats.

• a. True b. False

43
Party chairpersons do a substantial amount of the
planning for presidential nominating conventions.

• a. True b. False

44
Strict rules govern members behavior within the
American party system.

• a. True b. False

45
Party identification tends to act as an
information filter for voters.

• True b. False

46
The national party platform is an ideological
statement with few practical uses.

• a. True b. False

47
In Congress, party leaders can muster a
substantial amount of party discipline on most
votes.

• a. True b. False

48
Once elected, party affiliation is not very
meaningful to elected officials.

• a. True b. False

49
The face of interest group politics is changing
as fast as laws, political consultants, and
technology allow.

• a. True b. False

50
Groups that mobilize to protect particular
economic interests generally are the most fully
and effectively organized.

• a. True b. False

51
Political scientists generally agree on why
interest groups form, their nature, and their
role in our political system.

• a. True b. False

52
Generally, interest groups form in response to
disturbances in society.

• a. True b. False

53
Many interest groups formed during the 1960s and
1970s.

• a. True b. False

54
The Moral Majority, founded in 1978, was the
beginning of a conservative backlash of group
formation.

• a. True b. False

55
Interest groups play a negligible role in
American politics.

• a. True b. False

56
Effective lobbyists are often former members of
Congress of a presidential administration.

• a. True b. False

57
There have been virtually no congressional
attempts to curb interest groups lobbying
efforts.

• True b. False

58
The executive branch is a favorite target of
lobbyists because it has many points of access.

• a. True b. False

59
Interest groups do not generally lobby the courts.

• a. True b. False

60
The business lobby provides most of the electoral
funding for the Republican Party.

• a. True b. False