You have previously been assigned ONE of the following essay questions. Prepare your response, following the designated INSTRUCTIONS.

1.  Describe the three major components of an American political party and what the major tasks of a party are. Do parties make sense to you? Why is our politics so reliant on parties to organize public opinion? Explain.

2.  Describe the nature and functions of political parties in America. What major tasts do the parties perform?

3.  Explain the role of the party in the electorate. What recent trends are occurring in party identification and what effect does this have on party politics and elections?

4.  Describe and evaluate party organization at the local, state, and national levels. What have been the recent trends in the distribution of party power?

5.  Why have the old big-city political machines pretty much died out over the past hundred years? What were the strengths and weaknesses of party machines? Is civil service an improvement over the patronage system? Explain.

6.  Do parties keep their campaign promises? Of what purpose is a party platform and how well does it predict the policies the party attempts to carry out when its candidates win office? In your opionion, are America's two political parties sufficiently different, or too much the same? Explain.

7.  Evaluate the claim that in a democracy, candidates should say what they mean to do if elected and be able to do what they promised once they are elected. To what extent do party promises result in public policy? What changes do the advocates of the "responsible party model" suggest in order to ensure that party promises be turned into public policy?

8.  Describe the significance of a critical election, party realignment, and what is meant by a "party era." Do you think 1992 was a critical election? Why, or what not?

9.  Briefly describe the five major "party eras" in U.S. history, which party was dominant and which was secondary in each, and explain the reasons success for the dominant party's success. Be specific.

10.  Using examples from the history of party eras in the United States, explain the pattern and process of shifting party dominance.

11.  Some political scientists talk about a party dealignment in process today. What is meant by this and what evidence do they give for it? How do party neutrality and the the split-level party fit into this area? Explain.

12.  Compare and contrast the reforms and changes that have occurred within the Democratic and Republican parties since the late 1960s. What effects have these changes had on the two parties?

13.  Describe the impact of third parties in American elections. What are the different types of third parties. How successful have they been? What role do they serve in the system? Would you prefer to see more parties to choose from on the ballot? Why, or why not?

14.  Explain the role of third parties in American politics. Give examples to illustrate your answer.

15.  Some have argued that America's winner-take-all system fails to adequately represent differences of opinion in government. Would you prefer to see proportional representation? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Explain.

16.  Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a two-party system compared to a multiparty system. What would the United States be like if it had a multiparty system?

17.  Describe the responsible party model and explain why its advocates believe it would make for sounder and more reliable government in the United States. Do you agree? What do you think are its strengths and weaknesses? Explain.

18.  Present evidence to support the argument that political parties have waning influence on on American politics.

Chief Justice RichardBarajas
Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics
Cathedral High School, El Paso, Texas
Last updated: July 12, 2000