STUDY GUIDE|^189SUMMARY
There are many minor political parties, and while they
rarely make a signifi cant impact on the political stage, they
do occasionally infl uence election outcomes. The two big
issues facing minor parties are (1) their platforms do not
appeal to a large portion of Americans, and (2) the electoral
system makes it hard for minor parties to win elections.
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS
- In American politics, minor parties __.
a) are very prominent at the state and local levels
b) are only prominent in congressional elections
c) win few offi ces at any level of government
d) win a signifi cant number of offi ces at all levels
e) are more infl uential today than in the past
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS
- Which is not one of the ways that political party
organizations support candidates?
a) by controlling who runs in House and Senate races
b) by contributing money to campaign activities
c) by off ering advice on how to deal with the press
d) by organizing get-out-the-vote activities
e) by off ering advice on which issues to emphasize - Why do most candidates support their party platforms?
a) because candidates are required to support the
platforms
b) because all candidates vote on the platforms that
are written
c) because candidates get kicked out of the party
for not doing so
d) because both major parties’ platforms are
essentially the same
e) because most candidates and their constituents
generally agree with the platform- When the president, House, and Senate are controlled
by the same party, this is called __.
a) party in government
b) responsible party government
c) unifi ed government
d) divided government
e) conditional party government - The issue positions of minor parties are usually ____.
a) very diff erent from those of the major parties and
most Americans
b) very similar to those of the major parties and most
Americans
c) developed with input from a national network
d) based on the preferences of the party's members in
government
e) not the reason people vote for minor party
candidates
S PRACTICE ONLINE
“Big Think” video exercise: Are Two Parties Enough?MINOR PARTIES
E Consider the role of minor parties in a system dominated by two major parties. Pages 183–86
Aldrich, John. Why Parties? Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
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Carmines, Edward G., and James A. Stimson. Issue Evolution:
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NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989.
Cohen, Marty, David Karol, Hans Noel, and John Zaller. The Party
Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform.
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Cox, Gary, and Mathew McCubbins. Setting the Agenda: Party
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Fiorina, Morris. Retrospective Voting in American National
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Green, Donald, Bradley Palmquist, and Eric Schickler. Partisan
Hearts and Minds. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press,
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Polsby, Nelson. Consequences of Party Reform. New York: Oxford
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Rohde, David. Parties and Leaders in the Post-Reform House.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.
Schattschneider, E. E. Party Government. New York: McGraw-
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Schlesinger, Joseph. Political Parties and the Winning of Offi ce.
Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994.
Sundquist, James L. Dynamics of the Party System. Rev. ed.
Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 1983.SUGGESTED READING