AP Gov: Chapter 8

Question 1

Political party

Answer 1

Organized groups of people with similar political ideologies & goals

Question 2

Linkage institutions

Answer 2

Channels that connect people with the gov

Question 3

Robocalls

Answer 3

Prerecorded phone messages deleted automatically to large numbers of people to remind people to vote for their candidates & to discourage voting for opposing candidates.

Question 4

Platform

Answer 4

A written list of beliefs & political goals

Question 5

Republican party

Answer 5

conservative, strong national defense, restriction in gov spending, limited regulations on business

Question 6

Democratic party

Answer 6

Support aggressive efforts for minority rights, stronger protection for environment, a strong federal government, social equality, environmental protection, & a robust social safety net, including healthcare access.

Question 7

National convention

Answer 7

A supreme governing body of a political party, held every four years to formally select the presidential and vice-presidential nominees, approve the party platform, and unify the party.

Question 8

Campaign

Answer 8

An organized, usually temporary effort by a candidate, party, or interest group to influence voters and win elective office.

Question 9

War chest

Answer 9

The accumulated funds, donations, and financial resources a political candidate or party collects and holds in reserve specifically for election campaigns.

Question 10

Democratic National Committee (DNC)

Answer 10

the principal governing organization of the U.S. Democratic Party, established in 1848. It directs party strategy, coordinates campaigns, raises funds, and organizes the Democratic National Convention to nominate presidential candidates. It supports candidates nationwide from local to federal levels.

Question 11

Republican National Committee (RNC)

Answer 11

the principal administrative organization of the United States Republican Party, responsible for developing the national party platform, promoting election integrity, fundraising, and supporting Republican candidates in federal, state, and local elections.

Question 12

National chairperson

Answer 12

The chief executive officer of a national political party (RNC or DNC), responsible for managing day-to-day operations, fundraising, recruiting candidates, and promoting the party platform.

Question 13

McGoven-Fraser Commission

Answer 13

A Democratic Party body formed after the chaotic 1968 election to overhaul the presidential nominating process. It mandated open, representative, and timely delegate selection, directly causing most states to adopt primaries over caucuses and reducing the power of party bosses in favor of voter participation.

Question 14

Superdelegates

Answer 14

Unpledged, unelected Democratic National Committee (DNC) members, members of Congress, and party officials who are not bound by primary/caucus results.

Question 15

Party realignment

Answer 15

A dramatic, long-lasting shift in the political landscape where voting coalitions change, and one party replaces another as the dominant force.

Question 16

Critical elections

Answer 16

Turning-point contests that produce a sharp, lasting change in the party coalition, often resulting in a new party becoming the dominant force.

Question 17

The First Alignment

Answer 17

The long-term, stable association of voters, interest groups, or regions with a specific political party, forming a stable coalition.

Question 18

Democratic-Republicans

Answer 18

The first U.S. opposition party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, advocating for a strict interpretation of the Constitution, states’ rights, and an agrarian-based economy.

• Opposed federalists

Question 19

Jeffersonians

Answer 19

An early American political faction led by Thomas Jefferson in the 1790s, advocating for agrarianism, strict constructionism, states’ rights, and a decentralized federal government.

Question 20

Jacksonian Democracy

Answer 20

A 19th-century political movement emphasizing the “common man” expanding suffrage to all white males, and increasing the power of the presidency.

Question 21

Whig Party

Answer 21

A major US political party formed to oppose “executive tyranny” under Andrew Jackson.

Advocating for congressional supremacy, modernization, and the “American System” (protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements), the party united former National Republicans, anti-Masons, and disaffected Democrats.

Question 22

New Alliances for the Republicans: The Second Realignment

Answer 22

The post-2016 shift from traditional Reagan-era conservatism to a populist, working-class coalition focused on trade protectionism, stricter immigration, and nationalism.

• Driven by Trump

Question 23

“Grand Old Party” or GOP

Answer 23

A nickname for the Republican Party, one of the two major contemporary U.S. political parties, established in 1854 to oppose slavery’s expansion.

• Right wing, conservative

Question 24

Expanding Economy & the Realignment of 1896

Answer 24

Established long-term Republican dominance (the Fourth Party System) by shifting the political focus from sectionalism to industrial economic issues.

Question 25

Democrats, the Depression, the Fourth Realignment

Answer 25

The Fourth Realignment (1932) saw the Democratic Party, led by FDR, displace the Republican dominance after the Great Depression. It created the "New Deal coalition" of working-class, minority, and Southern voters, redefining the federal government's role to focus on economic security and regulation.

Question 26

New Deal Coalition

Answer 26

The alignment of diverse interest groups and voting blocs that supported the Democratic Party from the 1930s to the late 1960s.

Question 27

Divided gov

Answer 27

When one party controls the presidency (executive) while another party controls one or both houses of Congress (legislative).

Question 28

Shifts since the 1960s

Answer 28

Have shifted from party-centered organizations to candidate-centered campaigns, driven by direct media engagement and primaries.

Question 29

Party dealignment

Answer 29

A significant portion of the electorate abandons strong partisan affiliations—moving from Republican or Democrat to independent—without switching to a new party.

Question 30

Minor parties

Answer 30

(or third parties) are political organizations, excluding the two dominant parties (Democrats and Republicans), that rarely win major elections but significantly influence the political process.

Question 31

Third parties

Answer 31

Any political party other than the two dominant, major parties (Democrats and Republicans).

Question 32

Ideological parties

Answer 32

A group of people who have certain beliefs that the support, usually different that mainstream Republican and Democratic parties.

Question 33

Splinter parties

Answer 33

A type of third party that breaks away ("splinters") from one of the two major parties (Democrats or Republicans) due to disagreements over platform, leadership, or policy.

Question 34

Economic-protest parties

Answer 34

A type of minor party (third party) that emerge during periods of economic distress to express anger against the established political and economic system.

Question 35

Single-issue parties

Answer 35

A type of minor party that campaigns almost exclusively on one specific public policy matter or narrow range of issues, rather than a broad, comprehensive platform.

Question 36

Single-member districts

Answer 36

An electoral system where one representative is elected per district to a legislative body, such as the U.S. House of Representatives or state legislatures.

Question 37

Ballot access

Answer 37

State laws that specify prerequisites for the names of candidates to appear on election ballot s are known as ballot access requirements.

Question 38

Winner-takes-all voting

Answer 38

Voting system is an electoral mechanism where the candidate who receives the most votes (a plurality) in a district or state wins all of that area's representation or electoral votes.

Question 39

Swing states

Answer 39

U.S. states where the two major political parties have similar levels of support, meaning either party's candidate has a reasonable chance of winning.