Political Parties and the U.S. Party System

A series of fill-in-the-blank flashcards based on the key concepts discussed in the lecture about political parties and their evolution within the U.S. system.

According to Duverger's Law, the U.S. only has __ viable parties.

two

The Down's Model suggests that a third party cannot become viable because __.

they cannot gain enough support or resources to compete with the two major parties.

A political party is defined as __.

an organization of people who share similar political beliefs and work to influence government policy.

The formal party refers to __.

the official organization and structure of a political party.

The informal party encompasses __.

the network of supporters, activists, and volunteers associated with a political party.

The Founders' views on parties were __.

skeptical; they did not include them in the Constitution.

E.E. Schattschneider's famous quote highlights that __ are necessary for democracy.

political parties.

According to Schattschneider, parties play the role of __.

organizing political debates and facilitating competition among candidates.

The main argument of Aldrich in 'Why Parties' is that __.

parties are crucial for the functioning of a democratic system.

One benefit of enduring coalitions is __.

stability and continuity in governance.

Parties are helpful for candidates because __.

they provide resources and support for campaigns.

An informational brand is __.

a way for voters to identify and make decisions based on party affiliation.

Parties are helpful for voters because __.

they simplify choices and provide information about candidates' positions.

The group(s) of people that switched parties during the 1960s included __.

southern whites.

The southern strategy was a political strategy used by __.

the Republican Party to appeal to disaffected southern voters.

Reagan added __ to the Republican Party.

many working-class whites and conservative Christians.

Obama added __ to the Democratic Party.

young voters and minorities.

Primary elections are defined as __.

elections in which party members select candidates for the general election.

The McGovern-Fraser reforms were aimed at __.

making the primary election process more democratic and inclusive.

Closed primaries are __.

only open to registered party members.

An open primary allows __.

any registered voter to participate, regardless of party affiliation.

Caucuses differ from primaries in that __.

they are more discussion-oriented and often take place in groups.

Pledged delegates are committed to vote for __.

a specific candidate based on the outcome of the primary.

Unpledged delegates, often known as superdelegates, __.

are free to support any candidate at the convention.

Is going first in primaries better? It depends on __.

the strategic advantages gained from early wins.

In primary elections, the main considerations for deciding on a nominee include __.

ideological alignment and electability.

The party that dominated early American politics was __.

the Democratic-Republican Party.

The events of 1824 impacted the party system by __.

leading to a fracturing of existing political alliances.

The two parties that competed in the second party system were __.

the Democrats and the Whigs.

The main dividing line between the Democrats and Whigs was __.

their differing views on economic issues and federal government power.

The major issue that split the parties in the 1850s-1860s was __.

slavery.

Around the Civil War era, the party was socially/racially conservative, while the party was socially/racially liberal.

Democratic; Republican.

In the 1920s, the focus of the parties changed due to __.

economic prosperity and changing social values.

The New Deal coalition was made up of and dominated by the party.

a diverse array of interest groups and minorities; Democratic.

During the New Deal era, the economically liberal party was __, while the economically conservative party was __.

Democratic; Republican.

The major realignment in the parties during the 1960s was caused by __.

civil rights movements and changing social attitudes.