AP Government and Politics Chapter 8 Guided Reading and Notes
1. An organization of ___________________________________________ people that nominates and elects its
members to office is known as a political party.
2. Members of the House of Representatives are up for election every two years. Unlike Senators which are
represented by the entire state, members of the House have specific boundaries. Over the years, these boundaries
have been drawn increasingly more one sided. This allows candidates to have ideologies that are _______________
and not at all ___________________.
3. In the political spectrum chart, where would the Tea Party fall? (You can either do quadrant political spectrum or
just a line.) How has it impacted the Republican Party? What is their overall goal?
4. If you look at the graph on page 247, in 2013 what was the cause of the drop in Republican approval rating?
5. What are the four ways that political parties differ from interest groups or PACS?
a. Gives candidates a _____________ (lets us know the basics of what they stand for)
b. The really want to ______________, unlike the other two which just want to get people elected or policies
passed
c. They are not concerned with solely a ___________________________, unlike something such as the NRA or
Sierra Club, or Green Peace, or PETA.
d. They are more open to the ________________ than an interest group. (By the way, “quasi” means
“seemingly or almost”)…. But not entirely (think open primaries and closed primaries in states, fundraiser
dinners, etc….)
e. They also have a party __________________, or you could consider it to be like a mission statement.
6. If you are going to have a political party, today most* are open to _________________.
*Mr. Schmitt, I disagree. I feel that the ________________ party does not welcome people who are
____________________.
7. What do Political Parties Do? (besides argue)
a. Provides a way for people to get involved at the lowest level; we call this _____________ ____________
b. The book says it helps “grease the wheels of government and ensures its smooth running” and I know you’re
probably thinking “Right….” But it’s true. Think about it, they have developed the rules. They know the ins
and outs. They know who to talk to get what you want. It doesn’t always work smoothly between the
parties themselves, but the government itself continues to operate.
c. It gives newcomers a place to start – women, minorities, young people, etc…
d. Maybe most importantly, they provide us with a ___________ on elected officials. Think 2014 – President
Obama was not up for election, but a lot of Democrats were in the House and the Senate. And they lost big
time. The loss of those seats to another party was a way for the American people to check the President
even if he isn’t up for election…. By reducing the influence of a powerful faction.
e. And in the past they helped build _________________ . Today we tend to focus on their differences, rather
than what they have in common. Also, we hope they give us a clear choice between who is running for
office, the idea/theory that is called the __________________________ ______________________ model.
8. Face One of the Party
a. The Party in the ___________________
i. What’s the difference between “Party in the Electorate” and “Party Identifier”
b. So how do we know what you identify as? What if you don’t identify with a party?
c. “Hello, I am Bob. I am white and I went to college…. For a bit. Never graduated. Don’t tell anyone. If you
were betting on what party I identified with, which would you put money on?”
d. Who’s most likely a Democrat, if it isn’t Bob?
e. What demographic splits evenly between Democratic and Republican?
f.
What’s the best predictor for party identification?
g. On page 251, they list a whole lot of traits for differences between Republicans and Democrats. Fill in the
blank with either a D for Democrat, R for Republican, or B for Both.
i. _____ View the policies and ideas of the Great Depression as a major part of this party’s core
platform.
ii. _____ Care more about the federal deficit
iii. _____ Voting base is made up of small business owners, upper middle class, and the very religious
iv. _____ Support a Constitutional ban on gay marriage
v. _____ The economy is often a key part of their platform
vi. _____ Support Obamacare
vii. _____ Want a decreased role of the federal government with respect to the economy and social
welfare issues.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
xiii.
xiv.
xv.
xvi.
_____ Want more control for state governments.
______ See the income inequality gap as a central problem to society.
______ Have mainly been in charge when the country has done well.
______ Focus on the environment.
______ Women should have the right to choose what happens with their body with respect to
abortions.
______ Supported by the religious right, the Moral Majority, and often times Southern Indiana
Catholics.
______ Tend to get the votes of more minorities.
______ Working class voters tend to favor them.
______ Have been involved in scandals involving the Executive branch of the government.
9. Face Two: Party Organization (AKA: The party apparatus)
a. According to this guy below, “All politics is ____________.” Meaning most of it happens at the local and
county level.
 Tip O’Neil. ‘Nuff Said.
b. National Parties
i. Big deal during the election year because they host the RNC and DNC. If their person wins, then they
get to step out of the light a bit. If not, they head the people that disagree with policy decisions who
are not in power, known as the ____________________________________________.
ii. Also important: Raising _______________ for candidates. Same old, same old, right?
c. State Parties
i. Buckley v. Valeo: (Why is it important? Is it still relevant? Link it to something we have
already talked about in class:___________________)
10. Face Three: The Party in Government
a. So you win an election and how you are in power. How much power do you have (Check One)?
i. Completely Unchecked Power
ii. A Lot
iii. A Little
iv. No Power, It’s Just an Illusion
b. That map on 253 shows what about State Legislatures in 2014? (By the way, that’s the House and the Senate
at the State Level)
c. Notice the kickbacks for supporting people at the local level, in regards to the positions of solicitor, planner,
city engineer, etc… All politics is local, right?
d. What’s it mean if you’re “on the other side of the aisle”?
e. At the federal level, the House is controlled by Republicans and the Senate is controlled by Democrats. The
President is Democratic. Is this divided government? Why or why not? If not, change it so it would be. Also,
create an example of truncated government using the following three political parties: Hobbits, Potters, and
the Trunders.
11. In the words of Miley Cyrus, Party in the USA. (Now it’s stuck in your head.)
a. How did the founders feel about political parties? (Factions!!!!)
b. What type of party system do we have in the U.S.?
c. What’s realignment mean? (Have we had any realignment during your lifetime?)
12. Historically, what was the first political party in the U.S.? Who was their leader? Was he successful in getting
elected? What did he do that was different from previous elections?
A little flow chart may help you keep it straight
Anti-Federalists  __________________ Republicans  Democratic - __________________  Today: _____________
13. Why do they call it the Era of Good Feelings? Who was in charge?
14. Do you see any irony in the development of political parties and what they started as versus where they are today?
What word would you use to describe this?
15. Who succeeds after the Jeffersonian Republicans split? (linkage: realignment!) Who is their leader? What ideas do
they stand for (populism and the spoils system explained)?
16. How did the election process change under Jackson (did more or less people have the right to vote)?
17. Big issue before the Civil War (1860’s) in American politics? Who wins the elections after the Civil War? What group
votes for them that doesn’t today?
18. A big city party organization that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters was
called a ____________________________________. The name of this in New York was _____________________.
(It should kind of remind you of Jackson’s Spoils System, when it talks about patronage.) One good thing they did
was, like the family, it ________________________ people to the political process. (Gangs of New York, a good
movie that kind of discusses this stuff, by the way.)
19. What political party back Teddy Roosevelt and split the Republican ticket, giving Democratic candidate Woodrow
Wilson the victory in 1912?
20. Who leads during the 1920’s?
21. Who leads during the Depression? How many times was he elected? What was his social welfare program called?
22. Are we in a new political system? Who dominated after 1968? When was the last time the Senate was split 50/50?
23. Generally speaking, has political party power changed over the past several decades? Why (answered below)?
a. You have to take a ______________ _____________ exam to help prove you are qualified.
b. Now the government provides _________________________ instead of the parties themselves.
c. They won on their own by going to voters instead of relying on the party to help them win their
_________________ ___________________.
d. Now people get their news from various sources, not just _______________________.
e. Campaigns that center on a ________________ instead of an entire party’s message.
24. Why do political scientists make the argument that the two parties will continue and that this is not their end?
(probably two reasons)
25. What is dealignment? When did it start?
26. What do you like better: Winner-take-all or proportional representation? What do we have in the U.S.?
And because I’m running out of time and tired of rewriting these questions, here are the last 10 like they would be on
your quiz.
The election laws at the federal and state levels
A. are provided by the United States Constitution.
B. are written primarily by Democrats and Republicans.
C. give all political parties an equal opportunity to
compete for votes.
D. cannot be scrutinized by either federal or state
courts.
E. None of these answers is correct.
In what year did Green Party presidential candidate
Ralph Nader likely tip the presidential election to
Republicans?
A. 1980
B. 1984
C. 1988
D. 2000
E. 2004
Why would it be a difficult for a third major party to be
successful?
A. The support for a third major party is spread across
people of widely varying ideologies.
B. The support for a third major party is well below 50
percent.
C. The support for a third major party is concentrated
among far-right conservatives.
D. The support for a third major party is concentrated
among far-left communists.
E. The United States Constitution specifically states that
there should be only two major parties.
Between 2003 and 2011, the greatest increase in
support for a third major party came from
A. liberals.
B. moderates.
C. conservatives.
D. liberals and moderates equally.
E. moderates and conservatives equally.
Which of the following parties is an example of an issue
advocacy party?
A. Green Party
B. Libertarian Party
C. Socialist Party
D. States' Rights Party
E. Progressive Party
Which of the following is an ideologically oriented
party?
A. Republican Party
B. Progressive Party
C. Green Party
D. Tea Party
E. None of these answers is correct.
Because of its sometimes fractured relationship with
the Republican Party, which of the following has caused
people to wonder whether or not it might become a
splinter party?
A. Green Party
B. Libertarian Party
C. Tea Party
D. States' Rights Party
E. Progressive Party
When was the most recent presidential election in
which an independent or third party candidate received
at least 10 percent of the vote?
A. Ralph Nader in 2000
B. Ross Perot in 1992
C. George Wallace in 1968
D. Henry Wallace in 1948
E. Robert LaFollete in 1924
Which of the following are key principles of Tea Party
supporters?
A. less government and more fiscal responsibility
B. lower taxes and states' rights
C. national security and border defense
D. access to education and access to employment
opportunities
E. less government, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes,
states' rights, and national security
Under the leadership of President Obama, the
Democratic Party now MOST closely resembles the
Democratic Party of the
A. 1990s.
B. 1980s.
C. 1960s.
D. 1920s.
E. 1870s.
On which of the following do voters increasingly rely for
political information and knowledge?
A. the Internet and cellular phones
B. newspapers and television
C. magazines and periodicals
D. public meetings and candidate appearances
E. postal information and peer groups