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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Political Parties And Elections
The States’ Rights Party (The Dixiecrats) was led by __________.
Ross Perot
John C. Breckinridge
Thomas Jefferson
Strom Thurmond
Theodore Roosevelt
Strom Thurmond
The States’ Rights Party, also popularly called the Dixiecrats, was led by Strom Thurmond, who ran for President on the platform of States’ Rights and the continuation of segregationist policies in the election of 1948. The Dixiecrats carried four states—South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Example Question #2 : Historic Political Parties
Which of these Presidential or political actions is most antithetical to the political beliefs of that President or politician?
Alexander Hamilton and the creation of the National Bank
James Madison and the War of 1812
Richard Nixon and the opening of trade with China
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the extension of Social Security
Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase
All of these politicians are matched with political actions that are consistent with their political parties and the political beliefs that they held, apart from Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was an ardent Democratic-Republican. As such, he purported to favor a weak central government, stronger power for the States, and many protections against the possible tyranny of the Executive Branch; however, as President, he unilaterally acted to purchase the Louisiana territory, greatly expanding both the territory of the United States and the powers of the President. Few Americans would suggest he acted wrongly, but he certainly acted contrary to his own public conscience.
Example Question #2 : Historic Political Parties
Which of these political figures is incorrectly matched with his political party?
Andrew Jackson: Democrats.
James Monroe: Democratic-Republicans.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Democrats.
Thomas Jefferson: Democratic-Republicans.
Henry Clay: Democrats.
Henry Clay: Democrats.
Of these political figures, only Henry Clay is incorrectly matched with his political party. Henry Clay was the leader of the Whig party during the Second Party System in the United States; as such, he was a rival of the Jacksonian Democrats.
Example Question #1 : Historic Political Parties
Which of these third-parties has had the most success in an American election?
The Anti-Federalists
The Populist Party
The Know-nothing Party
The Green Party
The Progressive Party
The Progressive Party
The Progressive Party, led by Theodore Roosevelt in the election of 1912, is the third party which has had most success in American political history. Roosevelt carried eight states in the electoral college; however, Roosevelt’s success ended up splitting the Republican support base, ensuring that Wilson, a Democrat, was elected with only forty-two percent of the popular vote.
Example Question #1 : Political Parties
Which of these political parties fell apart during the election of 1856?
Democratic-Republicans
Republicans
Whigs
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Whigs
From the early 1830s through 1856, American politics had been dominated by the Democrats and the Whigs, but in the election of 1856 the Whig Party fell apart, as many of the politicians and its support base migrated and formed the Republican Party.
Example Question #3 : Historic Political Parties
Eugene Debs was __________.
convicted of the assassination of John F. Kennedy
the first leader of the Populist Party
convicted of selling war secrets to the Japanese during World War Two
a Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America
a Presidential candidate for the Green Party during the 1980s
a Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America
Eugene Debs was one of the most famous socialists in American history. He ran for Presidency as the candidate of the Socialist Party of America on five separate occasions, once attracting over five percent of the popular vote.
Example Question #2 : Political Parties And Elections
Which of these politicians was affectionately known as "The Great Commoner?"
Daniel Webster
William McKinley
Henry Clay
William Jennings Bryan
John C. Calhoun
William Jennings Bryan
It is probable you had not heard this nickname before. As such you would have to try and infer the correct answer from what you know about the five men who are given as options. William Jennings Bryan was the representative of the Populist movement with the Democratic Party throughout the waning decades of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century. He supported many issues that favorably affected the common man and had great faith in the ability of the common man to make informed decisions. For this faith he was affectionately called "The Great Commoner."
Example Question #3 : Political Parties And Elections
Which of these groups would have been most likely to vote for the Populist Party in the 1890s?
African-Americans
The urban working class
Bankers
The rural working class
Industrialists
The rural working class
The Populist Party arose very quickly in the 1880s and early 1890s and disappeared even quicker after the election of 1896. The Party was a coalition of the poor and farmers from the South and the western plains. They primarily wanted to see America come off the gold standardin order to put a stop to the rapid deflation that was affecting the price of agricultural products.
Example Question #1 : Political Parties
In the 1940s America was dominated by __________.
the Democratic-Republicans
the Republicans
the Democrats
the Federalists
the Whigs
the Democrats
From the beginning of Roosevelt’s government in the 1930s—during The Great Depression—all the way through to the mid 1960s, American politics was dominated by the Democratic Party. This dominance fell apart in the dealignment election of 1968, when much of the Democratic Party’s support base migrated towards the Republicans.
Example Question #4 : Political Parties And Elections
Which political party became the dominant political party in America in the election of 1860?
The Democratic-Republican Party
The Whig Party
The Republican Party
The Constitutional Union Party
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
The election of 1860 was the last election before the Civil War, and it demonstrated a stark sectional divide in political preference. Lincoln, and the Republican Party, carried every Free Soil state and won the electoral vote with only thirty-nine percent of the popular vote. This election propelled the Republican Party into a period of national dominance.
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