Lesson 3.2.1.6

3.2.1.6 Political parties Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 3.2.1.6, Political parties: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Politics (7152), Unit 2: Government and politics of the USA and comparative politics, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What does factionalism within a US political party refer to?

    • Internal ideological divisions
    • Formal party splits
    • Bipartisan agreements
    • Voter abstention rates

  2. Which term describes a party outside the Democrats and Republicans that rarely wins federal office?

    • Third party
    • Super PAC
    • Independent candidate
    • Incumbent faction

  3. What defines an independent candidate in US elections?

    • Automatic ballot access
    • No major party nomination
    • State governor backing
    • Congressional endorsement

  4. Which broad ideological label applies to the modern US Democratic Party?

    • Social conservative
    • Fiscal libertarian
    • Strict constructionist
    • Liberal interventionist

  5. What does the term party polarisation describe in US politics?

    • Widening ideological distance
    • Declining party membership
    • Bipartisan consensus
    • Increasing voter turnout

  6. What is the primary function of a US political party's national committee?

    • Drafting state legislation
    • Appointing Supreme Court justices
    • Coordinating national campaigns
    • Running federal agencies

  7. Which development is most closely associated with the decline of US party influence?

    • Candidate-centred campaigns
    • Elimination of primaries
    • Centralised candidate selection
    • Stricter party discipline

  8. Which electoral feature helps sustain the two-party system in the USA?

    • Multi-member constituencies
    • Single-member plurality districts
    • Proportional seat allocation
    • Mandatory coalition governments

  9. Why might a third party win national votes yet secure zero Electoral College votes?

    • Support lacks state pluralities
    • Automatic disqualification
    • Federal funding limits
    • Voter registration laws

  10. Why are US political parties often described as having weak internal organisation?

    • Strict national discipline
    • Centralised candidate selection
    • Direct primaries bypass leaders
    • Mandatory party membership

  11. Which term describes US political parties adapting to regain control and influence?

    • Partisan dealignment
    • Party decline
    • Party renewal
    • Party polarisation

  12. Which electoral system feature creates a major barrier for US third parties?

    • Proportional representation
    • First-past-the-post
    • Alternative vote
    • Mixed-member proportional

  13. Which factor maintains two-party dominance in US politics despite voter dissatisfaction?

    • Institutional barriers
    • Public campaign funding
    • High voter turnout
    • Proportional representation

  14. Which term describes US voters aligning strictly along distinct party and ideological lines?

    • Ticket splitting
    • Ideological sorting
    • Gerrymandering
    • Partisan dealignment

  15. What is a major legislative consequence of strong party factionalism in Congress?

    • Rapid bill passage
    • Bipartisan consensus
    • High executive power
    • Policy gridlock

  16. Which core ideological principle is traditionally associated with the US Republican Party?

    • Wealth redistribution
    • Federal regulation
    • Universal healthcare
    • Limited government

  17. According to the party renewal thesis, how do US parties respond to modern challenges?

    • By adapting structures
    • By abolishing primaries
    • By banning PACs
    • By dissolving committees

  18. Where do internal party factions exert the most influence during US presidential elections?

    • Supreme Court hearings
    • Primary elections
    • General elections
    • Electoral College votes

  19. What key role do state-level party organisations perform in US politics?

    • Appointing judges
    • Setting national tariffs
    • Passing federal laws
    • Voter registration drives

  20. Which campaign development has reduced candidate reliance on traditional US party organisations?

    • Mandatory party funding
    • Candidate-centred campaigns
    • Closed primary bans
    • Unit rule voting

All AQA Politics quizzes