Exam 8: Political Parties

Give an overview of the key eras of political party development in the United States.Be certain to demonstrate where realignments have occurred and the reasons why.Evaluate in detail what dealignment entails,and assess whether it has occurred.

The New Deal coalition fell apart after nearly four decades of political control with the movement of __________ from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.

What best explains the demise of party machines?

The __________ is the site for the writing of the party platform every four years.

Which of the following is a potential danger associated with open primaries?

The loyal opposition in the era of Democratic President Andrew Jackson was __________.

President Obama has encountered resistance to his policies from the congressional caucus known as the __________,which favors a more conservative approach to economic policy than do traditional Democrats.

Explain the significance of critical elections to party realignment.Provide an example of a critical election.

Members of Congress often vote as their district prefers rather than as their party prefers.

Richard Nixon's __________ attempted to bring conservatives over to the Republican Party in what was a Democratic stronghold at the time.

Who runs the national party organizations between conventions?

European democracies have more parties in positions of political power than does the United States because of their use of __________.

Define political realignment and describe it using one particular period to illustrate your response.

Advocates of the responsible party model believe parties should craft a platform,candidates should run on that platform,and the majority party should __________.

The responsible party model implies that parties should __________.

Party organizations generally favor closed primaries.

What happens at the national party conventions?

Which president forged the New Deal coalition?

According to the responsible party model,political parties should explain to voters what they intend to do and,once elected,follow through on those promises.

The Federalist Party was America's first major political party but it was also the shortest-lived major political party in U.S.history.