AP US Government : Political Parties

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP US Government

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #3 :Impact On Elections

Which of these policies or beliefs is least likely to be associated with a member of the current Republican Party in the United States?

Possible Answers:

Leniency towards criminals sentenced for offences related to drug use

Increased military spending

None of these policies or beliefs are associated with the Republican Party.

Lower taxes, particularly on the wealthy

All of these policies or beliefs are associated with the Republican Party.

Correct answer:

Leniency towards criminals sentenced for offences related to drug use

Explanation:

Supporters of the Republican Party are very likely to support lower taxes, especially for the wealthy. They are also very likely to support an increase in military spending; however, most supporters of the Republican Party favor tougher sentences being handed out to all criminals. Leniency towards criminal sentences for offences related to drug use is not particularly well supported by either Republicans or Democrats (although it is much more likely to be supported by Democrats). It is the kind of issue where a politician can too easily be called “soft on crime,” so most do not want to touch the issue.

Example Question #4 :Impact On Elections

Which of these is not a notable Third Party in United States political history?

Possible Answers:

The Green Party

The Socialist Party

All of these were notable third parties at one time or another.

The Progressive Party

The Free-Soil Party

Correct answer:

All of these were notable third parties at one time or another.

Explanation:

The Free-Soil Party was created to oppose the expansion of slavery into the territories and carried a significant proportion of the vote in the election of 1848. The Green Party still exists today and has an impact on contemporary elections, directly by promoting the issue of environmentalism as a primary political issues and indirectly, some would argue, by taking votes from the Democratic party. The Socialist Party was prominent in America around the time of World War One and was led by Eugene Debs. The Progressive Party, led by Theodore Roosevelt, carried more than a quarter of the popular vote in the election of 1912 and probably cost the Republicans the election.

Example Question #41 :Political Parties

Which factor(s) are most influential in determining the amount of media coverage that a candidate receives?

Possible Answers:

Use of advertising budgets and “free attention” from media appearances

Drama/sensationalism and polarizing public statements

德tailed policy proposals

Frequent television ads and speeches

Correct answer:

Use of advertising budgets and “free attention” from media appearances

Explanation:

每个候选人都必须在他或她的b预留房间udget to pay for all forms of advertising – in today’s high-tech world, it’s vital to establish oneself on all forums, including TV, radio, and several social media platforms. There is also much to be gained from seeking out the attention the media world provides to candidates for free. Candidates are seen as desirable guests and/or contributors, especially for attracting good public notice, so nearly every single media outlet (from cable news to newspapers to online blogs) will gladly interview or otherwise host a candidate for free. Taking advantage of these opportunities will grant a candidate a great deal of public attention and hopefully favorable media coverage.

Example Question #42 :Political Parties

Which two Presidents were involved in the infamous Corrupt Bargain of 1824?

Possible Answers:

Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford

Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant

John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson

Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush

Correct answer:

John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson

Explanation:

约翰·昆西·亚当斯和安德鲁·杰克逊key players in the so-called Corrupt Bargain, a scandal concerning the 1824 electoral results. The Presidential election of that year was a bitter one, with John Quincy Adams (the son of past-President John Adams) and Andrew Jackson both running as members of the same political party, the Democratic-Republicans, against two additional candidates. When it came time to tally the results, it was revealed that none of the four candidates had won a majority in the Electoral College and so, as per the Constitution’s instructions, the House of Representatives was charged with electing the rightful winner. Influential Senator Henry Clay, who was himself a candidate, dropped out of the race but then threw his support behind John Quincy Adams, who was ultimately selected as the next President by the House. Incensed at both his loss and its circumstances, Andrew Jackson suspected corruption, especially when the newly-elected Adams named Clay as his Secretary of State. Despite Jackson’s claims, no evidence of actual corruption has ever been discovered, but the allegations won many supporters over to Jackson’s side.

Example Question #43 :Political Parties

Which of the following is a strong influence in voter choice in elections?

Possible Answers:

Interest groups

Polarization

A decline in partisanship

德alignment

Party identification

Correct answer:

Party identification

Explanation:

Party identification, or the tendency of voters to feel an affiliation with a party label such as "Republican" and "Democrat" is a strong influence on voter choice. None of the other options listed are strong influences, some of them are not even true!

Example Question #44 :Political Parties

One of the various ways in which parties contribute to democratic governance is by_____________.

Possible Answers:

making voting choices easy

informing the electorate

nominating candidates

reducing accountability

dividing the electorate

Correct answer:

nominating candidates

Explanation:

Parties through the Primary system, nominate candidates for office. The organization of the party and the primary system opens it up for the public to choose candidates from their chosen party.

Example Question #45 :Political Parties

The practice of voting for or against a candidate or party on the basis of past performance in office is called______________voting.

Possible Answers:

retrospective

invasive

casual

prospective

resurgent

Correct answer:

retrospective

Explanation:

Retrospective voting, or looking at the past, is a means by which voters analyze the performance of a candidate or party.

Example Question #46 :Political Parties

Incumbents begin a campaign with greater______________than their challengers.

Possible Answers:

voter turnout

voter support

name recognition

mobilization

money

Correct answer:

name recognition

Explanation:

The largest advantage for incumbents seeking reelection is name recognition. Just like a brand name for a consumer product, having name recognition means voters already have some familiarization with the candidate.

# 47例问题:Political Parties

Compared to the center-right parties of most European democracies, both American political parties are_____________.

Possible Answers:

left-wing socially and politically

left-wing socially and right-wing politically

right-wing socially and left-wing politically

None of these

right-wing socially and politically

Correct answer:

right-wing socially and politically

Explanation:

Both the modern-day Democratic and Republican party would be considered to the right of most center-right parties in Europe, socially and politically. For instance, most European nations legalized gay-marriage up to ten years prior to America. Also, the tendency in Europe is to far more regulated and worker-friendly labor laws.

Example Question #48 :Political Parties

What is ironic about Alexander Hamilton and James Madison's political careers?

Possible Answers:

Whereas Hamilton supported Federalism because he was from a large state, Madison supported Federalism despite being from a small state.

Although both wrote extensively about the rights of American agriculturalists, each man would later pass laws privileging merchants.

While both wrote together about the dangers of political factions, each would go on to found America's first partisan political parties.

德spite early support for the American Revolution, both would eventually move to Europe.

Though both men supported the legal rights of white citizens, neither was concerned with the rights of black slaves or freedmen.

Correct answer:

While both wrote together about the dangers of political factions, each would go on to found America's first partisan political parties.

Explanation:

Although James Madison and Alexander Hamilton would declaim political factionalism together inThe FederalistPapers, Hamilton would later found the Federalist party and Madison the Democratic-Republicans. These two parties would go on to be bitterly partisan before the Era of Good Feelings, in which the Federalist Party dissolved. Students should be able to recall the basic political positions of Hamilton and Madison, particularly which parties they formed.

学习工具的大学教师