Unit 5: Political Parties, Interest
Groups, and the Bureaucracy Exam
2025 Questions and Answers
Blue States - ✔✔states that vote Democratic in the majority of elections
Caucus - ✔✔a group of like-minded representatives in Congress OR a meeting of party
members to nominate a candidate
Closed Primary - ✔✔a primary election to nominate a candidate that is only open to
registered voters with party affiliation
Coalition - ✔✔a group of individuals with a common interest which forms and
supports the political party
Critical Election - ✔✔an election which causes party dealignment and realignment
Democratic Party (Modern) - ✔✔political party advocating for increasing the scope of
government, started with FDR's election (1932) after the stock market crash
Democratic Party (Jackson) - ✔✔political party advocating for democracy of the
common man, starting with the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson
Dixiecrats - ✔✔people who left the Democratic parties when the Democratic party
introduced civil rights extensions
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Era of Divided Government - ✔✔time period during which most of the U.S.
government has been divided, starting in 1968 with Nixon's election and lasting until
the present
Era of Good Feelings - ✔✔era during which most of the U.S was politically united after
victory in the War of 1812 and lasted from 1815-1825
Faction - ✔✔parties or interest groups that form in government
Green Party - ✔✔a political party based on green politics, such as social justice,
environmentalism, and nonviolence
Independent - ✔✔a voter without party affiliation who may vote using ticket splitting
Libertarian Party - ✔✔a political party based on policies promoting extension of civil
liberties
Linkage Institution - ✔✔the channels of information between citizens and the
government: the three main linkage institutions are political parties, interest groups,
and the mass media
Majority of Votes - ✔✔more than 50% of votes in an election, regardless of amount of
candidates running; for example, in a 3 candidate election, if one candidate gets 40%,
another gets 35%, and the last gets 25%, the first two candidates must have a runoff
election until one gets more than 50% of the votes
Minor Party - ✔✔in a two-party system, a party that is not one of the main parties, but
serves to bring light to issues
Multi-Party System - ✔✔a political system in which more than two groups have control
of the government, representing a vast range of ideologies
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Groups, and the Bureaucracy Exam
2025 Questions and Answers
Blue States - ✔✔states that vote Democratic in the majority of elections
Caucus - ✔✔a group of like-minded representatives in Congress OR a meeting of party
members to nominate a candidate
Closed Primary - ✔✔a primary election to nominate a candidate that is only open to
registered voters with party affiliation
Coalition - ✔✔a group of individuals with a common interest which forms and
supports the political party
Critical Election - ✔✔an election which causes party dealignment and realignment
Democratic Party (Modern) - ✔✔political party advocating for increasing the scope of
government, started with FDR's election (1932) after the stock market crash
Democratic Party (Jackson) - ✔✔political party advocating for democracy of the
common man, starting with the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson
Dixiecrats - ✔✔people who left the Democratic parties when the Democratic party
introduced civil rights extensions
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Era of Divided Government - ✔✔time period during which most of the U.S.
government has been divided, starting in 1968 with Nixon's election and lasting until
the present
Era of Good Feelings - ✔✔era during which most of the U.S was politically united after
victory in the War of 1812 and lasted from 1815-1825
Faction - ✔✔parties or interest groups that form in government
Green Party - ✔✔a political party based on green politics, such as social justice,
environmentalism, and nonviolence
Independent - ✔✔a voter without party affiliation who may vote using ticket splitting
Libertarian Party - ✔✔a political party based on policies promoting extension of civil
liberties
Linkage Institution - ✔✔the channels of information between citizens and the
government: the three main linkage institutions are political parties, interest groups,
and the mass media
Majority of Votes - ✔✔more than 50% of votes in an election, regardless of amount of
candidates running; for example, in a 3 candidate election, if one candidate gets 40%,
another gets 35%, and the last gets 25%, the first two candidates must have a runoff
election until one gets more than 50% of the votes
Minor Party - ✔✔in a two-party system, a party that is not one of the main parties, but
serves to bring light to issues
Multi-Party System - ✔✔a political system in which more than two groups have control
of the government, representing a vast range of ideologies
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
