STUDY GUIDE|^187PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEMS
E Show how American political parties and party systems have evolved over time. Pages 163–69
SUMMARY
Political parties are a central feature of American politics,
though they look and act very diff erently today than they
have over time. Political scientists use the term party sys-
tem to refer to a period of party stability; in all, there have
been six diff erent party systems in the country’s history.
Party systems have been separated by realignments, which
occur when some of the defi ning factors of the party sys-
tem are changed or specifi ed, and when rifts in the group
develop because of these changes.
KEY TERMS
party organization (p. 164)
party in government (p. 164)
party in the electorate (p. 164)
party system (p. 164)
party principle (p. 165)
spoils system (p. 166)
political machine (p. 166)
New Deal Coalition (p. 167)
realignment (p. 168)
CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION
Is the spoils system a good idea or a bad idea? Why?
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS
- Which were the fi rst well-known parties in the United
States?
a) Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
b) Democrats and Republicans
STUDY GUIDE
c) Whigs and Federalists
d) Democratics and Whigs
e) Whigs and Republicans- The idea that a party is not just a group, but an organi-
zation that exists apart from its candidate, is called the
.
a) party system
b) spoils system
c) conditional party government
d) party identifi cation
e) party principle - The third party system (1857–96) was broken up by
which issue?
a) the creation of a national bank
b) the size and regulatory power of government
c) the admission of California to the Union
d) the adoption of the greenback
e) the New Deal
CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION
How would we know when a realignment takes place in
American politics?S PRACTICE ONLINE
“What Do Political Scientists Do?” video exercise:
Divisions in Political PartiesPRACTICE ONLINE with WWNORTON.COM/STUDYSPACE
Diagnostic Quiz & Key Term Flashcards for This Chapter