COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS QUIZ

United States: Political Conflict and Competition

INSTRUCTIONS: Read and answer the following items carefully. Shade the letter of the
correct answer in your ZipGrade answer sheet.
The quiz that you are about to take is TEXT-DEPENDENT, meaning the items are
constructed based from the readings that have been provided and assigned to you. Specifically,
the main text is Cases in Comparative Politics by O’Neil, Fields and Share

1. What is a consequence of the multiple
levels and branches of elected office in the
U.S. political system?
a. Voters cast fewer votes compared to other
democracies
b. Voters in the United States go to the polls
more frequently
c. Voters in the U.S. have limited choices in
elections
d. U.S. voters only cast votes in national
elections
2. When was the voting age lowered from
twenty-one to eighteen in the United
States?
a. 1965
b. 1920
c. 1971
d. 1828
3. What is a characteristic of the
Democratic Party in the United States?
a. Supports rural dwellers and evangelical
Christians
b. Embraces policies that enhance market
competition
c. Tends to oppose state intervention in
social issues
d. Supports minorities, urban dwellers, and
organized labor
4. Which party in the U.S. has historically
appealed to northern commercial
interests and moral conservatives?
a. Democratic Party
b. Third Parties
c. Green Party
d. Republican Party
5. How have election campaigns in the
United States evolved since the 1950s?
a. They have become less centralized and
professionalized
b. Campaigning is primarily done by
grassroots party workers
c. Media campaigns have become less
important
d. Campaigns are now highly centralized
and professionalized
6. What is a common feature of U.S.
presidential election campaigns?
a. Limited use of media sound bites
b. Emphasis on grassroots campaigning
c. Low expenditures compared to other
countries
d. Denigration of opponents through
advertising
7. How have observers described the U.S.
civil society historically?

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a. Weak and disengaged c. 1856
b. Vibrant and civically engaged d. 1990
c. Apathetic and uninterested in politics
13. When did the franchise in the United
d. Highly centralized and controlled
States extend to African American men?
8. What has been a trend in U.S. political
a. 1920
parties' influence over time?
b. 1965
a. Growing cohesion and strength c. 1856
b. Decreased influence on voters d. End of the Civil War
c. Weakening and fragmentation
14. What has been a challenge for third
d. Increased reliance on special-interest
parties in the U.S. political system?
groups
a. Lack of voter interest in new parties
9. What do interest groups in the United
b. Difficulty establishing national viability
States typically focus on?
c. Strong support from dominant parties
a. Promoting specific candidates d. Limited financial regulations
b. Associated with a particular political party
15. How do U.S. elections differ from
c. A variety of issues or a single issue
countries with parliamentary systems?
d. Only supporting large corporations
a. Fixed terms for elected offices
10. What kind of organizations are
b. Varying rules for primary elections
political action committees (PACs)?
c. No media campaigns
a. Independent from political parties d. Limited access to voting locations
b. Restricted to supporting individual
16. What is the main focus of
candidates
electioneering in the United States since
c. Operate without any financial regulations
the 1950s?
d. Focus solely on voter mobilization
a. Grassroots campaigning
11. How do interest groups influence U.S.
b. Professional media campaigns
politics?
c. Limited expenditures
a. Through illegal means only d. Nonexistent polling
b. By limiting their financial contributions
17. What is a characteristic of the
c. By promoting candidate-specific
Democratic Party's historical dominance
campaigns
in U.S. politics?
d. Through legal and sometimes
questionable lobbying techniques a. Weak support from urban dwellers
b. Emphasis on rural interests
12. In what year did the Republican Party
c. Strong opposition to organized labor
first contest elections in the United
d. Majority wins in political scenes
States?
18. What is a consequence of the
a. 1930
weakened political parties in the United
b. 1860
States?

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a. Decreased voter turnout
b. Strengthened democracy
c. Increased party cohesion
d. Emergence of more political parties
19. How have U.S. political parties
evolved over time?
a. From top-down to grassroots
organizations
b. Shifted from national to state-level focus
c. Increased ties to voters and citizens
d. Weakened and become more fragmented
20. What is a challenge faced by third
parties in the U.S. political system?
a. Lack of incumbent advantages
b. Ease of ballot access
c. Strong support from major parties
d. Favorable campaign finance laws

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Answer Key
1. b. Voters in the United States go to the polls more frequently
2. c. 1971
3. d. Supports minorities, urban dwellers, and organized labor
4. d. Republican Party
5. d. Campaigns are now highly centralized and professionalized
6. d. Denigration of opponents through advertising
7. b. Vibrant and civically engaged
8. c. Weakening and fragmentation
9. c. A variety of issues or a single issue
10. a. Independent from political parties
11. d. Through legal and sometimes questionable lobbying techniques
12. c. 1856
13. b. 1965
14. b. Difficulty establishing national viability
15. a. Fixed terms for elected offices
16. b. Professional media campaigns
17. d. Majority wins in political scenes
18. a. Decreased voter turnout
19. d. Weakened and become more fragmented
20. c. Strong support from major parties

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