The national party convention serves several purposes. Examine its functions, assessing the importance of each. How has electoral participation, through political parties, changed over time? How has the convention process affected American democracy?
Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. Describe the national convention as a forum for selecting the party platform and the presidential nominee every four years.
2. Explain the importance of the party platform to the functioning of the party and offer a critique. (For instance, students may argue that a party platform has little real substance; that it is a general guide containing no specific policy preferences to give the party the flexibility to compromise with the opposing party and to limit accountability among the voting base. They may also note that failures of party discipline often affect the utility of the party platform.)
3. Evaluate changes that have altered electoral participation, particularly Progressive reforms.
4. Assess the role of the party convention in promoting democracy.
5. Offer a concise summary and effective conclusion.
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_____,a self-governing possession of the United States, is represented by a nonvoting resident commissioner.
A. Puerto Rico B. New Mexico C. Delaware D. Vermont E. New Jersey
Which statement describes the primary reason that U.S. policy making is characterized by conflict over which policies to adopt?
A. government officials, interest groups, and citizens promote their views about what to do B. the political parties have become highly polarized C. government regulations have become increasingly complex, and government has grown D. the media increasingly exposes the decline in ethics among public officials