POLS 1101 EXAM #4 |59 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(political science 1101 final exam)
Bureaucracy - -executive branch departments, agencies, boards, and commissions that
carry out the responsibilities of the federal government
-Patronage - -political system in which the government programs and benefits are
awarded based on political loyalty to a party or politician
-Pendleton Act - -act that established a merit and performance based system for federal
employment
-Federal Corporations - -federal organizations that is similar to a private business in that it
provides a service or commodity for a price to the public but that also received federal
funding
-Federal Regulatory Commission - -federal organization that has a define number of
appointed overseers to oversee a particular issue (economic or political)
ex. securities and exchange commission (SEC)
-Independent Agencies - -federal organizations that has independent authority and does
not operate within a cabinet department
ex. environmental protection agency (EPA)
-Civil Service - -system of employment in federal bureaucracy under which employees are
chose and promoted based on merit
-Iron Triangle - -the relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and
federal agencies
-Federal Administrations - -federal organizations responsible for running or
administering a federal program
ex. federal aviation administration (FAA)
-National Endowment - -federal organization that distributes funds to promote a public
good or service
ex. national endowment for the arts
-Third Parties - -minor political parties that present a 3rd alternative to two dominant
political parties in the American political system.
ex. Green Party & Libertarian Party
-Levels of Party Organization - -local and county level, state level, national level
-Local and County Level - -(party organization)
, 1st levels of political participation
-grassroots participation
-recruit for local office
-register voters
-draft resolutions
-participate in local caucus
-participate in county conventions as delegates
-State Level - -(party organization)
-state committee (state leadership)
-helps recruit and raise money for statewide candidates
-aid in recruitment planning
-draft state party platform
-National Level - -(party organization)
-national committee(national party leadership)
-coordinates national presidential campaigns
-national convention (4yrs, where they tweak national party platform)
-national party platform
-Political Ideology - -set of consistent political beliefs
-Impact of minor political parties - -1. influencing the major parties
2. affecting the outcome of an election
ex. spoiler effect - when a third party takes votes from the closest party ideologically so the
opposing party wins
-Party Alignment - -party identification with a political party in repeated elections
-Party Platform - -document that lays out a party's core beliefs and policy proposals for
each presidential election
-3 Functions of Political Parties - -1. provide political organization
2. influence government (policy)
3. provide party identification
-Multi-Party Systems Benefits - -1. more representative of the people (candidate choice =
more rep)
2. encourages cooperation & compromise (coalitions to form working majorities)
3. reduces the probability of "tyranny of the majority"
-Multi-Party Systems Challenges - -1. less stability (splintering of coalitions)
2. less accountability
3. increases opportunity for special interest exploitation & ignoring geographic interests
(increase probability factions can take over)
(political science 1101 final exam)
Bureaucracy - -executive branch departments, agencies, boards, and commissions that
carry out the responsibilities of the federal government
-Patronage - -political system in which the government programs and benefits are
awarded based on political loyalty to a party or politician
-Pendleton Act - -act that established a merit and performance based system for federal
employment
-Federal Corporations - -federal organizations that is similar to a private business in that it
provides a service or commodity for a price to the public but that also received federal
funding
-Federal Regulatory Commission - -federal organization that has a define number of
appointed overseers to oversee a particular issue (economic or political)
ex. securities and exchange commission (SEC)
-Independent Agencies - -federal organizations that has independent authority and does
not operate within a cabinet department
ex. environmental protection agency (EPA)
-Civil Service - -system of employment in federal bureaucracy under which employees are
chose and promoted based on merit
-Iron Triangle - -the relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and
federal agencies
-Federal Administrations - -federal organizations responsible for running or
administering a federal program
ex. federal aviation administration (FAA)
-National Endowment - -federal organization that distributes funds to promote a public
good or service
ex. national endowment for the arts
-Third Parties - -minor political parties that present a 3rd alternative to two dominant
political parties in the American political system.
ex. Green Party & Libertarian Party
-Levels of Party Organization - -local and county level, state level, national level
-Local and County Level - -(party organization)
, 1st levels of political participation
-grassroots participation
-recruit for local office
-register voters
-draft resolutions
-participate in local caucus
-participate in county conventions as delegates
-State Level - -(party organization)
-state committee (state leadership)
-helps recruit and raise money for statewide candidates
-aid in recruitment planning
-draft state party platform
-National Level - -(party organization)
-national committee(national party leadership)
-coordinates national presidential campaigns
-national convention (4yrs, where they tweak national party platform)
-national party platform
-Political Ideology - -set of consistent political beliefs
-Impact of minor political parties - -1. influencing the major parties
2. affecting the outcome of an election
ex. spoiler effect - when a third party takes votes from the closest party ideologically so the
opposing party wins
-Party Alignment - -party identification with a political party in repeated elections
-Party Platform - -document that lays out a party's core beliefs and policy proposals for
each presidential election
-3 Functions of Political Parties - -1. provide political organization
2. influence government (policy)
3. provide party identification
-Multi-Party Systems Benefits - -1. more representative of the people (candidate choice =
more rep)
2. encourages cooperation & compromise (coalitions to form working majorities)
3. reduces the probability of "tyranny of the majority"
-Multi-Party Systems Challenges - -1. less stability (splintering of coalitions)
2. less accountability
3. increases opportunity for special interest exploitation & ignoring geographic interests
(increase probability factions can take over)
