Unit 3 Review Guide

A political party is:

• a group of people with similar political aims and opinions

• a government agency

• a type of election

• a law-making process

Political Parties: Which of the following is not a function of political parties?

• Nominating candidates for elections

• Formulating government policies

• Conducting judicial trials

• Mobilizing voters during elections

• Acting as a link between the government and the people

Which of the following terms refers to a person currently holding office?

• Incumbent

• Electorate

• Coalition

• Partisanship

A two-party system is:

• A system with only one political party

• A system with two major political parties dominating politics

• A system with multiple political parties

• A system with no political parties

Political parties are organized by:

• Geographical regions

• Ideologies and leadership structure

• Economic status

• Religious beliefs

The history of America’s two-party system is characterized by shifts in power due to:

• Geographic expansion

• Changes in voter preferences and major issues

• Foreign intervention

• Technological advancements

The role of minor parties in political systems is to:

• Win major elections and form governments

• Influence major parties and bring attention to specific issues

• Control the legislative process

• Eliminate the need for major parties

Political Parties: Identify party stances on key issues.

• Democratic and Republican parties have the same stances on all key issues.

• Political parties often have different stances on key issues.

• All political parties avoid taking stances on key issues.

• Key issues are not important to political parties.

Interest groups, lobbying, and lobbyists are best defined as:

• Organizations that seek to influence public policy, the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials, and individuals who engage in such activities.

• Government agencies that create laws, the process of voting, and elected representatives.

• Political parties, the act of campaigning, and candidates for office.

• Media organizations, the act of reporting news, and journalists.

Interest Groups: The role of interest groups is to:

• Create laws

• Influence public policy

• Enforce regulations

• Conduct elections