Assignment:
1. Does the US Constitution mention political parties? _________
2. Did George Washington believe that political parties would help unite the American people? _______
3. Did George Washington believe that political parties would have a negative effect on the American Government? _________
4. A group of people organized to influence the government through winning elections and setting public policy (laws) is a _______________ __________________.
5. Do political parties exist in some form in most countries in the world? _________
6. Do political parties form because competing groups of voters want their points ofview to influence the government? _________
7. Can Mrs. B start a political party in the US? ______________
8. Members of a political party share similar _________________ beliefs, but not necessarily all
the same beliefs.
9. A political system in which only one party exists or routinely controls the government is a
____________-______________ system.
10. In a one-party system, the political party captures control of the government and doesn't allow other _____________ ___________________ to form.
11. In a one-party system, political party ________________ make policy (laws) for the government and country.
12. Are elections in one-party systems competitive, with several candidates to choose from? __________
13. A political system in which only two major parties compete for control of the government is a ____________- __________________________ system.
14. How many countries have a two-party system in the world today? __________
15. Does the US have a two-party system today? ________
16. Do North Korea, China and Cuba have a two-party system today? _________
17. A small political party that is not one of the "major" political parties is called a ___________ party.
18. Does the US have minor parties today? __________
19. What are the 2 parties who win most of the elections in the US?_____________ and ___________
20. A political system in which many parties exist and compete for control of the government is a ____________-____________system.
21. True or False: There are more countries with a two-party system than a multiparty system in the world today.
22. True or False: Most European countries today have a multi-party system.
23. True or False: In most multiparty systems, the legislative and executive branches are combined into one branch, and there is no separation of powers like the US Government.
24. Which branch of government is the most powerful in a multiparty system? _______________
25. In a multiparty system, the executive leader of the government is picked from the ______________party that controls the _______________ branch.
26. A system in which candidates are elected in proportion to the popular vote they received is ______________representation.
27. True or False: In a multiparty system, minor parties have a good chance of getting their representatives elected to parliament because political parties can win some representative seats in parliament, based on the percentage of the vote their party received in the election.
28. True or False: In the United States, minor parties have a good chance of getting their representatives elected to Congress because political parties can win some representative seats in Congress, based on the percentage of the vote their party received in the election.
29. A temporary alliance of people, parties or nations to achieve a common goal is a ____________.
30. In a multiparty system, are minor parties in Parliament encouraged to form a coalition with other political parties to create a majority vote so that legislation can be passed? __________
31. Political parties provide the _______________ in the minds of voters to help them identify a candidate's _______________ views on issues.
32. The political party that won the most seats in the legislative branch is considered the __________________ party.
33. The political party that has less seats in the legislative branch than the majority party is considered the ______________ party.
34. The political party that is the minority party acts as a ___________________ in the government to represent an opposing view on ________________ and express concerns over the policies and decisions of the ______________ political party in power.
35. True/False: When political parties publicize their policies and opinions on various issues, citizens learn more about these issues and may develop their own opinion about how these issues affect them and their country.
36. The political party that wins the most seats in the legislative branch and wins the executive branch is responsible for _____________________ the government. They will make laws and policies that support their party's __________________.
37. How much does it cost ($) for you to join a political party in the US? _______________
38. Do you have the private choice to support and vote for a variety of political parties in the US? __________
39. Can you be a Republican, and then change your mind and become a Democrat in the US? ______________
40. A voter who does not belong to or consistently support one of the main political parties is called an ____________.
41. Loyal political party supporters in the US volunteer their time to work for _________________, contribute_______________, encourage other people to _________________, attend party ________________ and participate in ________________party organizations.
42. Independent voters in the US might have voted for ________________ candidate Barack Obama for President in 2008 and then voted for _______________ candidate Donald Trump for President in 2016.
43. Average voters in the US (not professional politicians) are known as the ______________ organization of politics.
44. Does the National Chairman of the Democratic Party in the US control the local and state political party organizations? ________________
45. Each state in the US has a state political party organization. Are these state political party organizations all the same, or are they different and unique for each state? ___________________
46. The practice of rewarding political allies and supporters with government jobs is known as __________________.
47. Tightly knit local organizations with strong leaders who held firm control of party members in a city were known as political __________________ __________________.
48. True/False: From the late 19th century until the 1930s, political party machines traded money, political jobs and favors from the government in exchange for votes/support for their party's candidate.
49. True or False: Political party machines contributed to the positive and trustworthy public image of political parties.
50. True or False: Americans feel that local political parties represent them better than the national political party.
51. True or False: Local and state political parties in the US are completely controlled by the national political party organizations.
52. True or False: Minor third political parties in the US have a great chance of winning a national election and influencing the government.
53. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the ___________________ party leads the legislative process.
54. In 2021, the _________________ Party is the majority party in the House of Representatives.
55. In 2021, the __________________ Party is the majority party in the Senate.
56. The US Congress is organized according to a ___________ -_____________________ system.
57. True/False: The US has had a two-party system in the US for over 200 years.
58. There are 4 main reasons why the US has a two-party system: our __________________ influence, American political _________________ and __________________ (AKA as the broad ideological consensus),the winner-_____________-__________________ system of the electoral college and the ___________________winner system which doesn't require a majority vote for candidates to win office.
59. What were the first 2 political parties in the US? _________________an_________________
60. Do most people in the US believe that we will get rid of the two-party system? ________
61. The broad ideological ________________ in the US encourages the use of a two-party system, because the majority of voters agree with most issues in the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms.
62. True or False: The Democratic and Republican political parties in the US both have a narrow platform of issues they support, and few Americans agree with either of one of the party's platforms.
63. Does the US use proportional representation to elect representatives to Congress? _________
64. Does the US use the winner-take-all-system to elect the president? _____________
65. Did Hillary Clinton win a percentage of representation or power in the executive branch for finishing 2nd in electoral college votes in the 2016 Presidential Election? ____________
66. Do most American believe that voting for a minor party is a "wasted vote?" _________
67. An electoral district in which only the one candidate with the most votes is elected to office is the_______________ _______________system.
68. In the United States today, voters are not as __________________ to one political party as they used to be.
69. The origins of the two-party system in the US lie in the conflicting views over the role and power of the___________________ government.
70. Supporters of Alexander Hamilton formed America's first political party, known as the ___________________ Party.
71. Alexander Hamilton was most concerned about the ________________stability of the US, and he strongly believed that a national _______________ would solve many of the financial problems in the US.
72. True/False: The Federalist Party was a strong and long-lasting political party in the US.
73. The people who supported the Federalist Party supported a strong _________________ government and the ______________________ interests of northern ______________.
74. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe led the __________- _________________ Party.
75. The Anti-Federalist Party later changed their name to the ________________-________________ Party.
76. The Democratic-Republican Party supported __________________ rights and state _______________ , were popular in _______________ (country) areas and the ______________________ region of the US.
77. The First Democratic Era began in the year _____________ and lasted until _________________.
78. President Andrew Jackson was elected as a member of the _______________-______________Party.
79. After President Andrew Jackson was elected to office, the name of his party was changed to the _________________ Party.
80. True/False: The Whig Party was formed during the 1828-1860 era.
81. True/False: The Republican Party was formed during the 1828-1860 era.
82. The Whig Party's main purpose was to oppose the __________________ Party.
83. There were _______ Whig Party candidates who won election to the Presidency: William Henry
____________________ and Zachary _______________.
84. True/False: The Whig Party was a strong and long-lasting political party in the US.
85. The Republican Era began in the year _______________ and lasted until ______________.
86. The ___________________Party was created in the 1850s as the "anti-slavery party."
87. Republican Party candidate Abraham ___________________ was elected President in _____________.
88. Once President Lincoln was elected, the _______________ War began.
89. After the Civil War, the _____________________Party was very powerful for 72 years.
90. After the Civil War, the Southern States remained loyal to the _____________________Party.
91. During the Republican Era from 1860-1932, the Democratic and Republican Parties became associated with_________________ (illegal contracts), corruption, stuffed __________________ boxes (people cheated and voted more than once) and ________________ (taking $ for favors).
92. The Second Democratic Era began in the year ____________ and lasted until _______________.
93. The Great _______________ caused the end of the Republican Party era and brought to power ___________________President Franklin ________________. President Roosevelt created the ________ __________ programs to help people during the Great Depression.
94. President Roosevelt was elected to office ____________ times.
95. During the Second Democratic Era from 1932-1968, General Dwight _____________was the only Republican elected to the Presidency.
96. From 1932-1968, the __________________ Party generally controlled ________________and dominated state and local elections.
97. True/False: The Era of Divided Government began in 1860 and ended in 1932 with the election of FDR.
98. Beginning in the 1960s, the issue of __________________ ________________for blacks divided the __________________ Party. Many _______________________ voters didn't like this, so they left the Democratic Party and joined the ______________________________ Party.
99. During the 1960s, the ___________________War divided the Republican & Democratic Parties.
100. From 1968 through 2021, the US has usually had a _________________ national government, in which one political party controls the ______________ _____________and the other politicalparty is the majority party in ______________ _______________.
101. More US voters are voting for candidates of more than one party in the same election. This is known as a _____________________-_________________________ vote.
102. __________________ Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the 2 main parties
103. __________________ A minor party wins the presidency for the 1st and only time in US history
104. __________________ The Democrats and the Whigs were the 2 major parties
105. __________________ Republicans dominated Presidential elections
106. __________________ Democrats controlled the Presidency, Congress, and many state offices
107. __________________ Federalists supported a strong national government & national banks & received support from Northern businessmen
108. __________________ As a result of the Civil Rights movement,both parties officially changed their platforms and supporters
109. __________________ Social Security, Welfare, Disability, Unemployment and Medicare programs were created
110. __________________ No party dominated the Legislative & Executive branches
111. __________________ The Democratic-Republicans changed their name to the Democrats
112. __________________ Anti-Federalists supported strong state governments, state banks, and received support from the south and rural areas
113. __________________ Abraham Lincoln's Presidential election began this era
114. __________________ The Great Depression, the New Deal and World War II were key events
115. __________________ Andrew Jackson's Presidential election began this era
116. __________________ FDR was elected President four times during this era
117. __________________ The Whig party formed and died out during this era
118. __________________ The South officially switched support to the Republican Party after 100 years of loyal support for the Democratic Party
119. __________________ At times, the Republican Party controlled the Executive Branch while the Democratic party controlled the Legislative Branch, and vice-versa
120. __________________ The role and power of the federal government was greatly changed and expanded
121. __________________ Black voters officially switched their support from the Republican party to the Democratic party as a result of the Civil Rights movement
122. __________________ Party machines were very strong
123. __________________ The Federalist Party died out
124. __________________ The Vietnam War was a divisive issue between Democrats and Republicans
125. __________________ The Progressive movement was created to reduce corruption and diminish the power of party machines
126. __________________ The South voted Democratic as a result of the Civil War
127. __________________ The election of the first Republican President begins this era with a coalition of voters who were anti-slavery Democrats and former Whig Party members
128. __________________ Voter participation was high due to patronage and graft
129. __________________ President Lyndon Baines Johnson declared "War on Poverty" and used his Great Society Programs to expand national government programs created by the New Deal
130. _____________________________ This type of minor party is known for "spoiling" elections for the party which they broke off from
131. _____________________________ This type of minor party addresses only a single policy
132. _____________________________ This type of minor party will occasionally win at the local level (in cities like San Francisco), but has not won at the national level
133. _____________________________ This type of minor party breaks away from Democrats or Republicans because they disagree with the philosophy of the current party platform or presidential candidate
134. _____________________________ This type of minor party forms in response to an economic recession or depression
135. _____________________________ This type of minor party wants a radical change in the American society and government
136. _____________________________ This type of minor party must have a leader with a strong personality to encourage supporters to break away from their major party
137. _____________________________ When economic conditions improve, this type of minor party dies out
138. _____________________________ The Free Soil, Know Nothing, Woman's Party, Prohibition and Right to Life parties are examples of this type of minor party
139. _____________________________ The Socialist, Communist, Libertarian, and Green parties are examples of this type of minor party
140. _____________________________ This type of minor party is the longest lasting of all minor parties
141. _____________________________ Members and candidates of this type of minor party want revolutionary change and are very loyal supporters of their party
142. _____________________________ Candidates from this type of minor party "spoiled" the presidential elections in 1992 for Republican George Herbert Walker Bush and in 2000 for Democrat Al Gore
143. ____________________________ The Bull-Moose, American Independence and Reform parties are examples of this minor party
144. _____________________________ These 3 types of minor parties are short-lived___________________ __________________ D = Democratic Party Platform R = Republican Party Platform
145. ________ This party supports a moment of silence in public schools.
146. ________ This party supports reducing the deficit and debt by reducing National Government spending.
147. ________ This party wants to keep (but reform) affirmative action.
148. ________ This party wants to increase the tax % on the wealthy (they are more able to pay it) and decrease the % tax on the middle and lower income families.
149. ________ This party fully supports Roe v. Wade; doesn't support a ban on partial birth abortion; supports the morning after pill, safe sex education and payment for women on welfare seeking abortions; supports funding for Planned Parenthood.
150. ________ This party opposes universal health care.
151. ________ This party doesn't support the Patriot Act or water boarding, and wants to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
152. ________ This party doesn't support privatizing Social Security or raising the retirement age.
153. ________ This party does not support the voucher system for education.
154. ________ This party supports immigration reform to include amnesty for long term residents and supports the Dream Act.
155. ________ This party wants to decrease taxes in general; supports a "flat tax" of approximately 17% for people earning above $50,000.
156. ________ This party supports a ban on partial birth abortion, the de-funding of Planned Parenthood and increased funding for abstinence only education.
157. ________This party supports universal health care for everyone.
158. ________ This party supports allowing privatization of Social Security.
159. ________ This party supports immigration reform; wants to see current immigration laws enforced and most people in this party do not support the Dream Act.
160. ________ This party supports increased funding for welfare, job training, transportation vouchers and free day care for single parents on welfare.
161. ________ This party supports state regulations on gun purchases and ownership; believes the assault weapons ban is unnecessary; punish the criminals, not the law abiding citizens who own guns.
162. ________ This party supports a national ban on assault weapons; supports stricter state and national standards for gun shows and for individuals to purchase/own a gun.
163. ________ This party supports increased government funding to search for a cure for AIDS and the distribution of needles and condoms at public health clinics to prevent the spread of AIDS.
164. ________ This party doesn't support drilling for oil in ANWR or the completion of the Keystone Pipeline; supports government funding for alternative energy solutions and tax credits for individuals and businesses which lower emissions.
165. ________ This party believes the National Government should be able to limit individual freedoms if National Security is at risk; fully supports the Patriot Act, the use of water boarding and keeping Guantanamo Bay open.
166. ________ This party supports the voucher system for private and public schools.
167. ________ This party supports a clear separation of church and state and does not support a moment of silence in public schools.
168. ________ This party believes the states should have the power to handle most issues.
169. ________ This party supports off-shore drilling, drilling in ANWR and the completion of the Keystone Pipeline; supports government funding for alternative energy solutions and tax credits for individuals and business which lower emissions.
170. ________ This party supports increased government funding to search for a cure for AIDS; supports abstinence only education and doesn't support handing out needles and condoms at public health clinics for prevention purposes.
171. ________ This party believes the national government should have the power to handle most issues.
172. ________ This party supports increased funding for job training to help those who are on welfare and unemployed and supports time limits for welfare recipients.
173. ________ This party believes that affirmative action creates reverse discrimination, and should be ended.
TRUE/FALSE
174. ________ Political parties were created by the Constitution in Article 8, Section 2.
175. ________ North Korea, China, Cuba, Vietnam and the Former Soviet Union are examples of a multi-party system.
176. ________ Most countries in the world today have a 2-party system.
177. ________ The US has minor parties, but they rarely win elections.
178. ________ In a multi-party system, people vote for specific candidates to be elected to Parliament.
179. ________ Multi-party systems use proportional representation to elect members to Parliament.
180. ________ The Founding Fathers thought political parties were divisive and corrupt.
181. ________ Popular sovereignty is virtually non-existent in a one-party system.
182. ________ In a multi-party system, people feel like they're throwing their vote away if they vote for a minor party.
183. ________ In a one-party system, minor parties must form coalitions with other minor parties in Parliament to pass laws.
184. ________ In the US, the grassroots level of parties is responsible for writing the party platform every 4 years.
185. ________ In the US, the political party that wins the majority of seats in Congress and the Presidency gets to write and pass bills favorable to their political beliefs.
186. ________ In the US, the President appoints judges and cabinet leaders of his political party affiliation.
187. ________ US voters are more loyal to their political party than European voters.
188. ________ European voters are more likely to split-ticket their vote than US voters.
189. ________ When voters in the US split-ticket vote, the result is a unified government.
190. ________ The DNC and RNC control each state's political party organization.
191. ________ The grassroots level of political parties are local people who vote and campaign for their party.
192. ________ Political party machines were very organized, & gave loyal party activists and voters patronage, graft and money in return for their loyalty to the party.
193. ________ When political party machines were strong, voter participation was very low.
194. ________ The positive aspect of political party machines was they encouraged voter participation; the negative aspect of machines was the corruption and fraud that took place.
195. ________ The Congressional Committee recruits and supports candidates for the Presidency.
196. ________ One reason that America has a 2 party system today is the fact that we started with 2 parties, and throughout our history, we have predominantly had 2 parties.
197. ________ Most US voters disagree with the Democratic and Republican Parties, and have a strong desire to create a multi-party system in the US.
198. ________ Most American voters and the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms have a broad ideological consensus regarding political issues.
199. ________ Some voters in the US feel like the 2 major political parties do not represent them or their political beliefs.
200. ________ If they have the choice between a candidate they agree with 100%, or a candidate that can win, most Americans will tend to vote for the candidate who has a better chance of winning.
201. ________ In the 2024 presidential election, Mitt Romney can win 100 Electoral College votes if he wins 20% of the popular vote in each state.
202. ________ The winner take all system aspect of the Electoral College encourages minor party candidates to run for the presidency.
203. ________ A plurality winner must win at least 51% of the vote.
204. ________ A majority winner must win at least 51% of the vote.
205. ________ The US requires presidential candidates to win with a majority of the popular vote in each state.
206. ________ US election laws which allow the candidate with a plurality of votes to win the election encourage minor party candidates to run for office.
207. ________ The US uses proportional representation to elect members of Congress.
208. ________ The US uses the single member district election system to elect members of Congress.
209. ________ Congressional candidates in the US only need to win a plurality of the popular vote in their district or state to win election to Congress.
210. ________ In the US, a minor party receives a percentage of representation in Congress for the percentage of the vote they receive.
211. ________ The single member district election system discourages minor party candidates from running for Congress.
212. ________ The Anti-Federalists, the Democratic-Republicans & the Democrats were all names for the same party (over time).
213. ________ From 1860-1960, Southerners were loyal to the Republican Party.
214. ________ Political party machines were strong during the Republican Era.
215. ________ The Republican party was formed from anti-slavery Democrats and former Whig party members.
216. ________ FDR, Harry Truman, JFK and LBJ were Republican presidents elected during the 2nd Democratic Era.
217. ________ FDR's New Deal programs & LBJ's Great Society programs reduced the power and spending of the national government.
218. ________ In the 2nd Democratic Era, Democrats controlled the presidency, but Republicans controlled Congress.
219. ________ Split-ticket voting has decreased in recent years.
220. ________ Southern states had been loyal supporters of the Democratic Party from 1860-1960, but switched their support to the Republican Party in the Era of Divided Government.
221. ________ Economic Protest Parties are long-lasting parties.
222. ________ A recession and/or a depression will lead to the creation of an Economic Protest Party.
223. ________ The Green Party and the Libertarian Party are examples of Economic Protest Parties.
224. ________ Splinter/Faction Parties tend to have leaders with strong and charismatic personalities.
225. ________ Economic Protest Parties are known for spoiling elections for the candidate and party they broke off from.
226. ________ Ideological Parties are the longest lasting type of minor party.
227. ________ The average American often votes for an Ideological Party candidate.
228. ________ The Greenbacks and Populists were examples of an Ideological Party.
229. ________ Ideological party candidates and members want revolutionary change in the government.
230. ________ Socialists, Communists and Libertarians are examples of Single-Issue Parties.
231. ________ Single-Issue Parties tend to be short-lived parties.
232. ________ Minor parties address new and/or controversial issues and force Democrats and Republicans to take a stance on issues.
233. ________ Minor parties provide Americans with more choices of candidates to vote for, but sometimes spoil elections.
234. ________ The Whig Party and Democrats were the 2 major parties in the Republican Era.
235. ________ As a result of the Civil Rights Movement, black voters officially switched their support to the Democratic Party during the Era of Divided Government.
236. ________ FDR was elected 4 times during the 1st Democratic Era.
237. ________ The Whig party formed and died out during the 1st Democratic Era.
238. ________ No party has exclusively controlled the executive or legislative branches in the Era of Divided Government.
239. ________ Social Security, Welfare, Supplemental Disability Insurance, Unemployment and Medicare were created in the 2nd Democratic Era.
240. ________ The New Deal and Great Society Programs were created in the 1st Democratic Era.
241. ________ The Democratic and Republican parties in the US Congress often form coalitions with each other to pass important legislation.
242. ________ Political parties in the US recruit candidates to run for office.
243. ________ The RNC and DNC have the power to officially nominate congressional and presidential candidates to run for office.
244. ________ Political parties in the US use various sources of media to distribute positive information about their party and candidates.
245. ________ In the US, the political party that wins the presidency gets to have their political party appoint judges, Cabinet and Bureaucratic leaders.
246. ________ In the US, voters are required by law to register and vote.
247. ________ In the US today, more voters are becoming "moderate" and "independent" and less loyal to the Democratic and Republican parties.
248. ________ Split-ticket voting means that voters vote for candidates of the same party in local, state and national elections.
249. ________ A divided government means that one party (the Republican) controls the Executive Branch, while the other party (the Democrats) controls at least one house of the Legislative Branch.
250. ________ In the US, the RNC and DNC control the local and state political parties through out the country.
251. ________ Political party machines distributed patronage when they gave loyal voters and campaigners government contracts for their businesses.
252. ________ Political party machines distributed graft when they gave loyal voters and campaigners jobs in the government.
253. ________ During the Republican era when political party machines were strong, voters had a lot to gain from participating and voting. If their party won, they could financially benefit and gain power. If their party lost, they could lose their job and influence.
254. ________ Strict voter registration laws have strengthened political party machines and increased voter participation.
255. ________ The political party platform is the formal written statement of the principles and beliefs of a political party.
256. ________ The National Convention is a political party meeting that is held every 4 years to officially nominate their presidential candidate and ratify the party platform.
257. ________ In the 2016 presidential election, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson won 58 electoral college votes due to the winner-take-all-system.
258. ________ Wisconsin and Oklahoma are the only 2 states in the US which don't use the winner-take-all-system in the electoral college.
259. ________ The 2 "big umbrellas" of the Democratic and Republican party platforms cover most of the voters in the US.
260. ________ President George Washington was the 1st Federalist president elected in the US.
261. ________ Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and Zachary Taylor belonged to the Whig Party.
262. ________ During the Republican Era, the only 2 Democratic Presidents elected were Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson.
263. ________ During the Republican Era, the Progressive movement fought for new voter registration laws and laws to decrease corruption in politics.
264. ________ President Dwight Eisenhower was the only Republican president elected during the 1st Democratic Era.
265. ________ The Great Depression and World War II were 2 events that led to the decreased role and power of the national government during the 2nd Democratic Era.
266. ________ In 1992, Reform Party candidate Ross Perot "spoiled" the election for Republican Presidential candidate George Herbert Walker Bush.
267. ________ In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader "spoiled" the election for Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush.
268. ________ Ideological party candidates occasionally win at the local level, but never win at the national level.
269. ________ The Free-Soil Party, the Know-Nothing Party, the Prohibition Party and the Right to Life Party were examples of ideological parties which lasted a long time.