Review Questions for Exam Two
Spring Semester 2007

March 26th, 2007

Identification Questions

  1. patronage
  2. Bi-factional parties
  3. Multi-factional parties
  4. Mass-membership Parties
  5. Cadre Parties
  6. closed primary
  7. open primary
  8. blanket primary
  1. non-partisan primary
  2. "inclusive compromise"
  3. Colorado Republican Party v. FEC(1996)
  4. California Democratic Party v. Jones (2000)
  5. Stratarchy
  6. Non-programatic parties
  7. Crossfiling
  8. Frontloading


Essay Questions

  1. How does the party system that emerged after the election of 1860 differ from other party systems? Explain your answer.

  2. How does the party system that emerged after the election of 1932 differ from other party systems? Explain your answer.

  3. [OMIT] Does an appeal to the center or an appeal to the party base work best for the Democratic Party? Explain your answer.

  4. [OMIT] Does an appeal to the center or an appeal to the party base work best for the Republican Party? Explain your answer.

  5. Describe the function of precinct organizations in general. Do precinct organizations perform the same functions in California? What effect does this have on politics in California?

  6. Compare and contrast the activities of mass membership parties and cadre parties. Explain why the activities of the two types of political parties differ so substantially.

  7. Compare and contrast the concept of democracy of mass membership and cadre parties.

  8. Identify the major groups which defected from the Democratic party in presidential elections after 1968 and before the election of President Clinton. Explain why these groups defected from the Democratic Party.

  9. Why do realignments occur? Include the following in your essay:
    • Define realignment.
    • Why are many potential realignments unsuccessful?
    • How do changes in the electorate help to bring about realignments?
    • How are realignments related to broad questions of public policy?

  10. Why does the electoral college tend to encourage a two-party system? Explain why electoral votes usually go to the candidates of the two major parties. How can a minor party candidate win votes in the electoral college?

  11. What is a "Party-Allied Group"? Define the term and give an example for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Explain the function of a "Party-Allied Group".

  12. Does party organization make a difference in election campaigns? Explain your answer.

  13. [OMIT] Bibby states that the state organizations of the Republican party tend to be stronger than those of the Democratic party. Explain why.

  14. Identify the locus of power in mass membership and cadre parties, and explain how the locus of power in each type of party is significant.

  15. Why have the National Committees of both parties played a more important role in recent times?

  16. Compare and contrast the activities of mass membership parties and cadre parties. Explain why the activities of the two types of political parties differ so substantially.

  17. Compare and contrast the concept of democracy of mass membership and cadre parties. Explain how their view of democracy influences the structure and functions of the two types of political parties.
  18. Ronald Brownstein indicates the Democratic Party has changed its rules so that the buffer period for other states to hold presidential parimaries after Iowa and New Hampshire would be eliminated. The effect of the rule change is to allow the primaries and caucuses of other states to begin as soon as February 2006. What will be the effect of this reform on the party nominations? What argument do large states such as California use to justify moving their presidential primary to an earlier date? Do changes in the nomination calendar actually work the way large states think it will? Explain your answer.

  19. Identify the four types of primary elections, and compare and contrast them.

  20. Identify the five reforms in California that were adopted during the progressive era at the turn of the last century. What was the goal of those reforms? Were there any unanticipated consequences? Explain your answer.
  21. Why did political clubs develop in California?


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