Deck 13: Social Cleavages and Party Systems

Question 1

A nonpartisan democracy is:

A) a democracy with no political parties.
B) a democracy in which the political system is not heavily divided.
C) a democracy in which the party system is based on ethnic divisions.
D) a democracy in which voters do not identify with the political parties.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A one-party dominant system has only one legal party.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Political parties do what?

A) They help to structure the political world.
B) They mobilize the masses.
C) They recruit and socialize the political elite.
D) They provide a link between the rulers and the ruled.
E) All of these
F) Only (C) and (D)

Answer 3

E

Question 4

What does it mean for a social cleavage to be politically salient?

A) All social cleavages that can be identified in a country are politically salient.
B) If a social cleavage in a given country defines a political conflict, it is said to be politically salient. The same social cleavage might be politically salient in one country but not in another.

Question 5

Table 1 illustrates how society X is divided up along two identity cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 1: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country X }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { English Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { East } & 34 & 2 \\\hline \text { West } & 4 & 60 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-According to the information in Table 1, does society X have crosscutting or reinforcing cleavages?

A) crosscutting
B) reinforcing
C) neither

Question 6

Table 2 illustrates how society Y is divided up along two identity cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 2: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country Y }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \text { French speaking } & \text { English speaking } \\\hline \text { East } & 23 \% & 25 \% \\\hline \text { West } & 25 \% & 27 \% \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-According to the information in Table 2, does society Y have crosscutting or reinforcing cleavages?

A) crosscutting
B) reinforcing
C) neither

Question 7

Table 1 illustrates how society X is divided up along two identity cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 1: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country X }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { English Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { East } & 34 & 2 \\\hline \text { West } & 4 & 60 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$ Table 2 illustrates how society Y is divided up along two identity cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 2: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country Y }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \text { French speaking } & \text { English speaking } \\\hline \text { East } & 23 \% & 25 \% \\\hline \text { West } & 25 \% & 27 \% \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-Based on the correlation and distribution of attributes in countries X and Y above, which country do you expect to have more politicized social groups (controlling for other factors)?

A) X will have more.
B) Y will have more.
C) X and Y will have the same.

Question 8

Table 3 illustrates how a hypothetical society A is divided up along two cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 3: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country A }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { Flemish Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { Catholic } & 55 & 2 \\\hline \text { Protestant } & 3 & 40 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-According to the information in Table 3, does Society A have crosscutting or reinforcing cleavages?

A) crosscutting
B) reinforcing

Question 9

Table 4 illustrates how society B is divided up along two cleavages. In order to be in power in society B, you need the support of 55% of the population.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 4: Cleavage Structure of Society B }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { Flemish Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { Catholic } & 35 & 20 \\\hline \text { Protestant } & 30 & 15 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-According to the information in Table 4, does society B have crosscutting or reinforcing cleavages?

A) crosscutting
B) reinforcing

Question 10

Table 4 illustrates how society B is divided up along two cleavages. In order to be in power in society B, you need the support of 55% of the population.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 4: Cleavage Structure of Society B }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { Flemish Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { Catholic } & 35 & 20 \\\hline \text { Protestant } & 30 & 15 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-If you were a Flemish-speaking Catholic political entrepreneur interested in mobilizing a minimal winning coalition (consisting of at least 50% of the population), which group would you try to politicize in society B?

A) French speakers
B) Flemish speakers
C) Protestants
D) Catholics

Question 11

Table 3 illustrates how a hypothetical society A is divided up along two cleavages.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 3: Identity Matrix for a Hypothetical Country A }\\\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { Flemish Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { Catholic } & 55 & 2 \\\hline \text { Protestant } & 3 & 40 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$ Table 4 illustrates how society B is divided up along two cleavages. In order to be in power in society B, you need the support of 55% of the population.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 4: Cleavage Structure of Society B }\\\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \\\hline & \begin{array} { l } \text { French Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} & \begin{array} { l } \text { Flemish Speaking } \\( \% )\end{array} \\\hline \text { Catholic } & 35 & 20 \\\hline \text { Protestant } & 30 & 15 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-Based on the correlation and distribution of attributes in countries A and B, which country do you expect to have more politicized social groups (controlling for other factors)?

A) A will have more.
B) B will have more.
C) A and B will have the same.

Question 12

In Table 5, we illustrate the distribution of attributes in a hypothetical community in the New York City Borough of Queens that is divided along language and race lines. Use this table to answer the following three questions.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 5: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Queens Neighborhood }\\\\\begin{array} { |l | l l l |} \hline & \text { White (\%) } & \text { South Asian (\%) } & \text { Latino (\%) } \\\hline \text { English speaking } & 18 & 14 & 14 \\\text { Spanish speaking } & 7 & 2 & 13 \\\text { Hindi speaking } & 0 & 7 & 0 \\\text { Polish speaking } & 25 & 0 & 0 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-If you know that someone is a Latino, can you predict with much certainty what language he or she speaks?

Question 13

In Table 5, we illustrate the distribution of attributes in a hypothetical community in the New York City Borough of Queens that is divided along language and race lines. Use this table to answer the following three questions.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 5: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Queens Neighborhood }\\\\\begin{array} { |l | l l l |} \hline & \text { White (\%) } & \text { South Asian (\%) } & \text { Latino (\%) } \\\hline \text { English speaking } & 18 & 14 & 14 \\\text { Spanish speaking } & 7 & 2 & 13 \\\text { Hindi speaking } & 0 & 7 & 0 \\\text { Polish speaking } & 25 & 0 & 0 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-If you know that someone is a Hindi-speaker, can you predict with much certainty what racial group he or she belongs to?

Question 14

In Table 5, we illustrate the distribution of attributes in a hypothetical community in the New York City Borough of Queens that is divided along language and race lines. Use this table to answer the following three questions.
$$\begin{array}{l}\text { Table 5: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Queens Neighborhood }\\\\\begin{array} { |l | l l l |} \hline & \text { White (\%) } & \text { South Asian (\%) } & \text { Latino (\%) } \\\hline \text { English speaking } & 18 & 14 & 14 \\\text { Spanish speaking } & 7 & 2 & 13 \\\text { Hindi speaking } & 0 & 7 & 0 \\\text { Polish speaking } & 25 & 0 & 0 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$

-Let's assume that experience from recent elections in this New York community have led political analysts to expect that in order to win political office, a candidate needs to win at least 48% of the vote. Let's also assume that political entrepreneurs will try to mobilize voters along either racial or linguistic lines. If this is the case, what identity category or categories COULD be activated or politicized to win the election? In other words, what identity category or categories (racial or linguistic) form minimal winning coalitions?

A) Latino
B) English speaking
C) White
D) English speaking or South Asian
E) White or Polish speaking

Question 15

Answer the following questions.
Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$

-If you know that someone is an English speaker, can you predict with much certainty what racial group he or she belongs to?

Question 16

Answer the following questions.
Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$

-If you know that someone is a Latino, can you predict with much certainty what language he or she speaks?

Question 17

Answer the following questions.
Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$

-If you know that someone is Asian, can you predict with much certainty what language he or she speaks?

Question 18

Answer the following questions.
Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$

-Based on your answers to the previous three questions, would you say that the attributes in this hypothetical Los Angeles community are more crosscutting or more reinforcing?

A) crosscutting
B) reinforcing

Question 19

Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$ Let's assume that in order to win political office in this Los Angeles community, a candidate needs to win at least 50% of the vote. Let's also assume that political entrepreneurs will try to mobilize voters along either racial or linguistic lines, using the existing identity categories listed above.

-If this is the case, what identity category or categories COULD be activated or politicized to win the election? In other words, what identity category or categories (racial or linguistic) form minimal winning coalitions?

A) Latino
B) English speaking
C) Black
D) Asian
E) Either (A) or (B)
F) Either (B) or (C)
G) Either (A) or (D)
H) Either (B) or (D)

Question 20

Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$ Let's assume that in order to win political office in this Los Angeles community, a candidate needs to win at least 50% of the vote. Let's also assume that political entrepreneurs will try to mobilize voters along either racial or linguistic lines, using the existing identity categories listed above.

-If you answered the previous question correctly, you will find that there are two identity categories that form minimal winning coalitions. According to the logic of the theory that predicts minimal winning coalitions, which of these two identity categories do you think is most likely to be politicized?

A) Latino
B) English speaking
C) Black
D) Asian

Question 21

Table 6: Distribution of Attributes in a Hypothetical Los Angeles Community

$\begin{array}{l|llll}\hline & \begin{array}{l}\text { English } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Spanish speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} & \begin{array}{l}\text { Korean speaking } \\(\%)\end{array} \\\hline \text { Latino } & 20 & 31 & 0 \\\text { Asian } & 17 & 0 & 14 \\\text { Black } & 10 & 0 & 0 \\\text { White } & 8 & 0 & 0\end{array}$ Let's assume that in order to win political office in this Los Angeles community, a candidate needs to win at least 50% of the vote. Let's also assume that political entrepreneurs will try to mobilize voters along either racial or linguistic lines, using the existing identity categories listed above.

-In the previous questions, you should have found that there were two identity categories that form minimal winning coalitions. Are there any groups of individuals that are members of both minimal winning coalitions? If so, who are they?

A) No.
B) Yes, English-speaking Latinos
C) Yes, English-speaking Asians
D) Yes, Spanish-speaking Latinos
E) Yes, English-speaking Blacks

Question 22

When we talk about "district magnitude" we are referring to:

A) Whether a district is important or not for a national candidate's victory.
B) The population size of a district.
C) The average income of the population in a district.
D) The number of representatives elected in a district.

Question 23

The mechanical effect of an electoral system refers to the way that votes are translated into seats.

Question 24

In disproportional electoral systems, the mechanical effect rewards large parties and punishes small ones.

Question 25

The existence of the mechanical effect of electoral systems creates an incentive for voters and elites to behave strategically.

Question 26

Is the incentive to vote strategically higher or lower when the district magnitude is large?

A) higher
B) lower
C) the same

Question 27

No electoral rules allow a perfectly proportional transfer from votes into seats, although some electoral systems are much more proportional than others.

Question 28

Why do electoral rules affect how many parties a country has?

A) mechanical effect
B) strategic voting
C) strategic entry
D) all of these, because the mechanical effect provides incentives for (B) and (C)

Question 29

What is the connection between district magnitude and the permissiveness of an electoral system?

A) When district magnitude is low, permissiveness is high.
B) When district magnitude is high, permissiveness is high.

Question 30

France has recently banned people from covering their faces in public, which was widely understood to target Muslim women from wearing full-face veils. This indicates that the ______ cleavage is still salient in France.

A) urban-rural
B) confessional
C) class
D) secular-clerical

Question 31

According to Duverger's theory, when are you likely to see many parties in a country?

A) When the country uses a proportional representation electoral system.
B) When the country has many politically salient cleavages.
C) When the country has many politically salient cleavages and the electoral system is not proportional.
D) When the country has many politically salient cleavages and the electoral system is proportional.

Question 32

The results of empirical tests of Duverger's theory show that increasing ethnic heterogeneity always leads to more legislative parties, regardless of the permissiveness of the electoral system.

Question 33

Nonpermissive electoral systems (such as single-member district plurality) are thought to benefit a small number of large parties because:

A) they have a strong mechanical reductive effect on the way votes are translated into seats.
B) there are many incentives to engage in strategic voting.
C) there are many incentives to engage in strategic entry.
D) all of the above explain the benefits to larger parties.

Question 34

Duverger's theory predicts that if a country with a homogeneous society (few cleavages) uses permissive electoral rules, then it will have many parties.

Question 35

Duverger's theory predicts that if a country with a homogeneous society (few cleavages) uses disproportional electoral rules, then it will have many parties.

Question 36

According to the logic of Duverger's theory, if a country with a heterogeneous society (many cleavages) like Israel switched from its current permissive electoral rules to a disproportional system (such as the one the United States uses), what would you expect to happen to its party system?

A) The number of parties in the legislature would decrease.
B) The number of parties in the legislature would increase.
C) The number of parties in the legislature would stay the same.

Question 37

According to the logic of Duverger's theory, if the United States changed its electoral rules and adopted a permissive form of PR (with large district magnitudes), what do you predict would happen? (You should assume that the United States has a fairly heterogeneous society-i.e., many cleavages.)

A) The number of parties in the legislature would decrease.
B) The number of parties in the legislature would increase.
C) The number of parties in the legislature would stay the same.

Question 38

To test Duverger's theory, we need to have a measure of the number of cleavages in a society. The measure that is used most often is the effective number of ethnic groups. What does an analyst need to assume if she is to use this measure?

A) That ethnicity is the only type of cleavage that exists in a society.
B) That all of the nonethnic cleavages in a society (class, religion, region, and so on) are highly correlated with the ethnic cleavages.
C) That there are no ethnic cleavages in a society.

Question 39

The results of empirical tests of Duverger's theory show that increasing ethnic heterogeneity always leads to more legislative parties, regardless of the permissiveness of the electoral system.

Question 40

Posner's study of the Chewas and Tumbukas in Zambia and Malawi suggests that ethnic groups in Africa nearly always organize politically along ethnic lines, unlike ethnic groups in other parts of the world, who are typically more responsive to the logic of minimal winning coalitions.

Question 41

How might Duverger's Law be used to explain why there are only about two effective parties in the United States?