Deck 8: Political Parties

Question 1

Which of the following statements about party families is FALSE?

A) Social democratic parties often ally closely with labour unions.
B) Liberal parties tend to campaign for higher taxes and more government spending.
C) Christian democracy tends to be weak or non-existent in countries with strong conservative parties
D) Communist parties in Western Europe sought to distance themselves from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and adopted a platform of "Eurocommunism".

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A society with many different cross-cutting cleavages…

A) will always have a multiparty system.
B) will always have a two-party system.
C) is more likely to have multiparty system, especially if it has a proportional electoral system.
D) is more likely to have a multiparty system, especially if it has a majoritarian electoral system.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following party families did NOT originate in the class cleavage?

A) Social Democratic Parties
B) Communist Parties
C) Christian Democrats
D) Socialist Parties

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Parties can only either be culturally left and economically left or culturally right and economically right.
B) The cultural dimension of politics describes the level of education the voters of certain parties have.
C) The cultural dimension of politics is rooted in the church-state cleavage.
D) The cultural dimension of politics reflects non-economic values such as attitudes towards immigration, identities and civil rights.

Question 5

According to Inglehart, which development led to the rise of green and new left parties?

A) An increase in immigration.
B) A new generation of voters with more post-materialist values such as the environment and civil rights.
C) The end of economic struggles between workers and capital owners.
D) The decline of social democratic and socialist parties.

Question 6

Which statements about political groups in the European Parliament is FALSE?

A) They have to consist of a minimum of 25 MEPs from at least 7 member states.
B) They are rooted in one or more European political parties (Europarties)
C) The European Parliament has traditionally been dominated by two large political groups from Christian democratic and social democratic/socialist parties.
D) All Eurosceptic and Anti-EU parties are organized in one political group in the European Parliament.

Question 7

Which of the following statements best describes a cadre party?

A) A party that aims for support among the wider electorate, seeking to maximize electoral support while sacrificing ideological purity.
B) A party that is organized around an elite group in parliament that funds the party out of their personal wealth.
C) A party funded around a large but homogenous member base that controls decision-making.
D) A party organized a single wealthy entrepreneur.

Question 8

Which of the following statements best describes a mass party?

A) A party that aims for support among the wider electorate, seeking to maximize electoral support while sacrificing ideological purity.
B) A party that is organized around an elite group in parliament that funds the party out of their personal wealth.
C) A party funded around a large but homogenous member base that controls decision-making.
D) A party organized a single wealthy entrepreneur.