HW Assignment # 3! Answers to come!

POS 3443 – Study Guide for Book Questions/Extra-Credit Homework Assignment
Exam 3 – spring 2008

MRH – Chapt. 1 (p. 13-25):

What have been the five “major” parties in American party history and what time span does each party cover?

What similarities do you see in the issue positions of the original Democratic and Republican parties and the issue positions of the parties today?

What “historic gift” did the Federalist Party give to American democracy?

What socio-political development helped to establish the “Golden Age” of political parties?

What are the two “main rules” of American politics? Explain.

MRH – Chapt. 6:
What sort of socialization functions do political parties in Europe perform that American political parties do not?

Are people more likely to alter their evaluations of prominent politicians or political parties?

Considering the seven-point Likert scale of party identification, which group is responsible for the resurgence in party identification?

Study figures 6.2 and 6.3. What patterns do you discern?

Briefly discuss two or three of the arguments that are put forth about the number of “Independents” in American politics.

MRH – Chapt. 7:

Some people have argued that the US began a sixth party system in 1981. What arguments can be used to either support or deny this claim? You can use data in Table 7.1 and Figure 7.1 to help you make your arguments. Is there a 7th party system? Again, what evidence is there to support your answer?

Briefly describe each of the five party systems in American history. Include in your discussion which was the dominant party in each party system and events associated with the change in the party system.

What is the difference between a “maintaining election” and a “deviating election?”

MRH – Chapt. 8:
In what decades was voting turnout in US elections the highest? What do you think might explain, in large part, the drop in voter turnout in 1920?

By what decade did all the American states drop property requirements; drop citizenship requirements?

If eliminated—what legal barrier to voting would create the greatest gains in voter turnout?

Simply list and briefly define “political” influences on voter turnout?

What intervening variables account for the difference in voter turnout between African Americans and Whites? What “racial” group had the lowest voter turnout in 2000?