POLS Exam 2 1 Which of the following is a true statement about third party involvement in American elections a Third parties cannot legally run candidates for the presidency b Many legal barriers make it hard for third parties to get on the ballot c Third parties have won a number of presidential elections d None of the above 2 American political parties perform important functions such as a running the government b providing opposition if they finish second c unification of various groups d all of the above 3 The major characteristics of American political parties are a pragmatism one partyism idealism b decentralization democracy idealism c two partyism decentralization pragmatism d idealism pluralism monotheism 4 American political parties demonstrate pragmatism by a only soliciting votes from specific groups b compromising their ideals in order to appeal to the largest number of voters c putting ideals above political compromise d all of the above 5 In Texas there has historically been a a well balanced two party system b a well defined three party system c one party dominance d third party sectionalism 6 Which of the following statements is true of special elections in Texas a They are held to fill vacancies in congressional offices b They are held to fill vacancies state judicial offices c They are held to fill vacancies in state executive offices d They are held to fill vacancies in the president s cabinet 7 Provided women s suffrage a 20th 1 POLS Exam 2 b l6th c l7th d l9th 8 To be nominated by the direct primary method in Texas a candidate a must obtain a 2 3 majority vote of party members b must win an absolute majority of those voting in that party primary c must win both first and second primaries d needs to win a plurality in the second primary 9 More education seems to be highly correlated with a a lack of interest in the prosperity of mankind b a lack of interest in the political process c voting Republicans d a lack of tolerance for social freedoms 10 The national committee of each party a selects the site of the nominating conventions b helps select candidates for Congress c has near dictatorial control over the party d writes the party platform 11 A PAC is an a agency established by the government to regulate interest group activity b institution to distribute political jobs and contracts among interest groups c organization that plans and directs lobbying activities for interest groups d organization established by interest groups to collect contributions to political candidates 12 A precinct is a a police department b the smallest local voting district c the chairperson of the state party organization d a committee of the national party organization 13 A major function of the national convention is a the enactment of legislation that will prevent the development of third parties b the selection of all candidates for office running on the party label c to purge members of the party in Congress who have failed to support the party on a minimum of 60 of the issues 2 POLS Exam 2 d to nominate the presidential and vice presidential candidates 14 Those who favor registration requirements argue a that all states should adopt the voter information test b that voter turnout would decline without such requirements c it would be unconstitutional to eliminate registration requirements d that such requirements prevent fraudulent voting practices 15 There has been a tradition in the United States for Catholics and Jews to vote a in opposition to one another b for candidates who advocate the development of a state religion c for candidates supported by the Moral Majority d Democratic 16 Selection of election judges and alternate judges is the responsibility of the a county clerk b county judge c county tax assessor collector d county commissioners court 17 The supreme legal authority of the national party is a the national chair b the national committee c the national convention d the president 18 The length of residence in the state as a requirement for voting now is a one year b three months c thirty days d six months 19 Which of the following groups was the least likely to vote Democratic in recent elections a Jews b blacks c white protestants d Catholics 20 A major cause for the persistence of the 2 party system in the U S today is that 3 POLS Exam 2 a the major parties have become disciplined and issue oriented b election districts are single member so that only one candidate can win c third parties have failed to point up issues d major party ideas and platforms are too much like religious dogma 21 Texas statutes prohibit direct political contributions from a corporate executives b labor union leaders c persons convicted of a felony d corporations 22 Political patronage is concerned with a the interface of government and religion b bribes and graft c government employment for loyal election workers d government contracts for campaign supporters 23 The campaign reform law of l974 was chiefly concerned with a campaign finance b media coverage c nomination procedures d delegate selection 24 Most delegates to the national nominating conventions are chosen by a popular votes b primary elections c nomination procedures d none of the above 25 The vice presidential nominee is supposed to be selected by a the presidential nominee b the credentials committee of the national convention c the primaries d in state political caucuses e the parties national convention 26 Voter registration and election turnout in Texas is regularly a above the national average b below the national average 4 POLS Exam 2 c approximately at the national average d undocumented 27 PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION allows for a legislative seats to be allotted in proportion to the total number of votes a party gets b local electoral districts to choose their own representative c election by plurality vote rather than majority vote d second election in districts where no candidate gets a majority 28 The Democratic party came into existence with the l828 election of a John Adams b John Quincy Adams c Andrew Jackson d James Monroe 29 The modern Republican party emerged a before the Civil War b after the Civil War c before World War I d after World War I 30 It is important for people in a democracy to vote because a it provides for an orderly succession of leadership b it allows citizens to choose between competing groups of leaders c it enables citizens to have some influence on the politics that govern them d