Upon completion of Chapter 8, you should should be able to:
1. Define the term "political party" and identify the elements
that make up a major political party.
2. Identify and discuss some of the vital functions that political parties
perform within the American political system.
3. Describe the historical roots of the present-day Democratic and Republican
Parties.
4. Analyze the cultural, historical, and political factors that contribute
to the persistence of the two-party system in the United States.
5. Explain why there has been a long-term decline in party allegiance
in the United States and a significant decrease in the power of political
parties.
6. Compare and contrast the public images of the "typical"
Democrat and the "typical" Republican, and evaluate the accuracy
of these images in describing the two major political parties.
7. Explain that American political parties are decentralized and only
loosely organized.
8. Describe the day-to-day highlights and proceedings of a national
political convention.
9. Evaluate the national presidential primary as a possible reform of
the party nominating system.
10. Explain why some critics argue that American political parties are
not "responsible" to the voters.
