Govt. 2301 Study Guide COD Ch. 8 Political Parties

It would be impossible to overestimate the role and impact of political parties on our political system even though they are now held in extremely low regard by US voters. Parties are still important elements of our democracy-experts believe democracies may be impossible without them-but for the average person they no longer are important. This chapter explains what parties do, the history of our parties, why we have only two, and the differences between the two major parties. After studying this chapter, you will be expected to answer multiple choice questions about:

1. The Key Terms in the chapter.
2. The difference between political parties and interest groups. The key element in the theory of modern democratic government.
3. The four most important functions of political parties.
4. The historical evolution of the major parties in the US.
a. factors and issues that have caused grouping and regrouping into various political parties
b. the effect of mass participation in elections on the political parties
c. factors and issues that have caused one party or the other to dominate different regions of the country
5. The original meaning of The Wizard of Oz ( pp. 238-239).
6. Four types of minor parties.
7. What causes minor parties to form.
8. Whether minor parties do better as vote getters or as policy advocates.
9. The most important function of minor parties.
10. The factors that explain why there is a two-party system in the US.
a. single winners, simple plurality. This is usually known as plurality winners and single member districts outside this textbook
b. the difference between our electoral system and proportional representation. How does proportional representation encourage multiparty systems? How does our electoral system encourage a two party system?
11. The extent of party identification in the US and its influence on vote choice.
12. Who supports Democrats and Republicans from the information in Fig. 8.5.
13. The ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats and how these differences may be found
14. The organizational structure of the Democrats and Republicans. Are they centralized or decentralized? How much control do the national parties have on state parties and presidential elections?
15. The four principles of responsible party government. Which of them applies to the US?

You will have multiple choice questions about:
1. The three distinct characteristic of US political parties.
2. The one-party tradition in Texas.
3. The ideological basis for Texas liberals and conservatives.
4. Conservative and liberal factions in the Democrat party.
5. The rise of the Republican party.
6. The organization of Texas parties, including functions of each committee and convention.
7. The evidence that Texas has become a two-party state.
8. The reasons that Texas has become a two-party state.
9. The key terms in these pages.

This chapter should be particularly useful in helping you to understand what happens and the significance of it during our electoral campaigns. The way we go about choosing candidates and the campaigning they do is unlike any other democracy. It is very complicated, especially the nomination process for presidential candidates. However, you should gather from this chapter that many interests (pluralism) over the years have influenced the process. They have sought an advantage that they could not have in a simple majoritarian process.

After studying these chapters, you will be expected to be able to answer multiple choice question about the following:
1. The Key Terms in the chapter.
2. The differences between campaigns in the 1950s and today.
3. How candidates get nominated in the US.
4. The impact of the various types of primaries on political parties.
5. How the process of nominating presidential candidates has changed (don't neglect Feature on pp. 266-267).
6. The difference between presidential primaries and all other primaries.
7. Campaigning for the presidential nomination.
8. Why Iowa and New Hampshire are important states every four years.
9. The different functions served by the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire presidential primary.
10. The consequences of requiring prospective presidential candidates to campaign in primaries and caucuses.
11. How the president is indirectly elected through the electoral college and the advantages and disadvantages of that system. The distinction between a federal and national election.
11. Arguments in favor of national popular election of the president; arguments in favor of retaining the electoral college system.
12. Congressional elections.
13. The political context of a campaign.
14. Campaign finance and finance regulation.
15. Three basic strategies of a political campaign.
16. Use of polls in campaigns.
17. Uses of the media by candidates: its impact and effectiveness.
18. The importance of name recognition in a campaign.
19. Long-term and short-term forces that affect voters choices.
20. What is the role of party identification, issues, and candidate attributes in influencing voters' choices and thus election outcomes? Which is the most important?
21. The use of television and presidential debates.
22. What roles do political parties play today in campaigns and nominations?
23. How do campaigns, elections, and parties fit into majoritarian and pluralist models of democracy?
24. Whether the US party system is more pluralist or majoritarian in operation.

After studying this chapter you should be able to answer multiple choice questions about:
1. The reasons for voting and the factors which cause people not to vote.
2. The development of the nominating process from caucus, convention and primary.
3. Primary, general and special elections in Texas and their different characteristics.
4. The administration of elections in Texas.
5. The strategies that political parties use to influence the election process.
6. The factors that influence the conduct or administration of elections in Texas.
7. Key Terms in the chapter.