American Government Unit 4 Test Study Guide

Front 1

Which American President warned his fellow citizens to shun partisan politics?

Back 1

George Washington

Front 2

What role does the American electoral system play in the structure of a political party?

Back 2

1.) Recruiting candidates 2.) Nominations 3.) Getting Out the Vote 4.) Facilitating Voter Choices

Front 3

What issue ended theDemocratic Party’s dominance in politics until it recovered in the 1930s?

Back 3

Slavery

Front 4

The nickname for Northern Democrats opposing the Civil War

Back 4

Copperheads

Front 5

Broke up the New Deal coalition

Back 5

Nixon Election and Southern Strategy

Front 6

First presidential candidate of the Republican Party

Back 6

Abraham Lincoln

Front 7

This event ended the Republican Party’s dominance.

Back 7

The Great Depression

Front 8

The first time the Republicans won control of both houses of Congress since the 1950’s.

Back 8

1994; and 1996 despite Clinton's election

Front 9

The two major parties in the United States in the 1830s and 1840s.

Back 9

Democrats and Whigs

Front 10

Issue that led to the death of the Whig party.

Back 10

Slavery - they couldn't make up their minds.

Front 11

What is a divided government?

Back 11

The condition in American government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Front 12

What was Nixon’s “southern strategy”?

Back 12

To appeal to strongly disaffected white southerners, and with the help of the independent candidate and former Alabama governor, George Wallace, he sparked the shift of voters.

Front 13

What percentage of the popular vote did Ross Perot win in the 1992 presidential election?

Back 13

20%

Front 14

Functions of the state and local party organizations.

Back 14

1. Recruit candidates 2. Raise money 3. Voter registration drives

Front 15

What is soft money?

Back 15

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Front 16

Status of partisan ties in the United States in recent years?

Back 16

Partisanship is declining

Front 17

Which party are women somewhat more likely to support? Men?

Back 17

Women-democrats

men-republican

Front 18

What was Bill Clinton’s policy of triangulation?

Back 18

Even though he was a Democrat, he advocated a set of policies that were different from traditional Democratic policies.

Front 19

What is electoral realignment?

Back 19

the change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election

Front 20

Function of a party’s national convention.

Back 20

the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.

Front 21

What is a party platform?

Back 21

a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophies, principles, and positions on issues

Declaration of each party's beliefs and positions on major issues

Front 22

Founder of the Democratic Party.

Back 22

Andrew Jackson

Front 23

Describe the political spectrum.

Back 23

Hint 23

CSL M CLF

Front 24

political socialization

Back 24

The way in which individuals get their attitudes and beliefs about politics EX: family, peers, the mass media, culture, history, common beliefs

Front 25

political ideology

Back 25

-A cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government.

-consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and role of govt.

Front 26

political orientation

Back 26

An integrated set of attitudes and beliefs that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation

Front 27

What are some of the foundational values that we believe in regardless of your political ideology?

Back 27

Democracy, equality, majority rule, voting