American Political Parties and Splinter Groups Quiz

Answer: James K. Polk

At its full power the Whigs were a personality-driven party. All-star politicians were Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Harrison, Tyler, and Fillmore. Even Abe Lincoln was a Whig for awhile. In reality, only Harrison and Zachary Taylor were elected Whigs; both died in office and Tyler and Fillmore finished terms. James Polk was elected in 1844 to split the eight-year Whig dominance.

The Whigs rose to ascendance in part as a reaction to the populist policies of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Just being opposed to the Democrats was not really enough. The Party got off to self defeating start in 1836 when it nominated four candidates for president including Daniel Webster and William Henry Harrison. Harrison was able to nab the post in 1840. Democrat James K. Polk presided for four years defeating Henry Clay 1844.

Answer: Boston Tea Party

The so-called "Tea Party" consists mainly of libertarians, populists, and conservative citizens. Most, however, follow the Republican Party. Their influence can be felt within the GOP as tilting the platform to a more conservative dynamic against the traditional business-oriented and moderate positions of the past. Estimates are that 10% of voters adhere to Tea Party principles.

The Tea Party Platform has ten goals:

1-Eliminate excess taxes
2-Eliminate national debt
3-Eliminate deficit spending
4-Protect the market place
5-Abide by the Constitution
6-Promote civic responsibility
7-Reduce size of government
8-Personal responsibility
9-Change dynamic of politics
10-Local Control

The Tea Party has galvanized the Republican Party. Party leaders have modified their public statements. The "Huffington Post" characterized Tea Party movement as contradictory, incoherent, with contempt for facts or reason. The Tea Party has been criticized as being veiled racists and anti-gay. Much of its funding it is alleged to come from industries mainly interested in federal de-regulation. An example is the group's opposition to Obamacare, many of whom collect Medicare/Medicaid payments.

Answer: All of these

In 1933, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess gave Heinz Spanknöbel authority to form an American Nazi organization. He did this by combining several German heritage groups. The prescribed uniform was a white shirt and black trousers for men and a black hat; women members wore a white blouse and a black skirt. The early days of the movement found the Bund insisting that German language newspapers publish pro-Nazi letters and to counterattack the boycott of German goods by Jewish-led organizations. The collateral acts by Spanknöbel led to his being deported for failure to resister as a foreign agent.

If one would pinpoint one incident, it was the rally in 1939 of 20,000 Bund members at Madison Square Garden. Fran Fritz Kuhn, the designated Bund leader, criticized President Roosevelt by referring to him as "Franklin D. Rosenfeld", calling New Deal the "Jew Deal", denouncing Bolshevik-Jewish American leadership, and provoking violence between Bund stormtroopers and protesters.

Kuhn was eventually found guilty of embezzling funds from the Bund. His defense was that the Fuhrer was not subject to such laws and neither was he. He was sent to prison but not deported back to Germany until 1945.

Answer: Former President Millard Fillmore

There is little doubt about the core objective of the movement. It was clouded with distrust of Catholicism and the paranoia that the Pope might dictate policy from the Vatican. It was to persist as an underlying belief in American politics until the election of John F. Kennedy even though the 'Know Nothings' had long since faded from the political scene. Only avowed Protestants were allowed to join.

The term 'know nothings' derived from secret conclaves who when questioned about political activities would say only "I know nothing". They had the most success politically in local elections, particularly in areas that had an influx of Irish and German Catholic immigrants. In its peak it had 52 members of the House of Representatives and 6 senators. The party ran in 1856 as "The American Party" with Millard Fillmore as its ticket leader. At the same time the country was being fractured by the slavery issue that left the Know Nothings in political disarray.

Answer: Bull Moose Party

In what might be described as an ego trip for Roosevelt, resulted in loss of the White House for eight years. Roosevelt split the Republican vote. The Republicans garnered 57% of the popular vote but Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat got 43%, enough to capture the presidency. Taft ended up on the Supreme Court, Roosevelt continued as a glamorous former president.

In 1912, Roosevelt campaigned not only against Taft and Wilson but on his platform that included women's suffrage, social welfare, farm relief, banking revisions, health insurance, and worker's compensation. Very much like Wilson was proposing.

Robert La Follette carried on as representative of Progressive Party in the 1920s.

Answer: Southern Democrats drifted to the Republican Party

When Hubert Humphrey stood before the 1948 Democratic Party Convention and pleaded for the civil rights plank of the platform, he little realized the dramatic shift that would evolve. The Democrats had relied on the 'solid south' when southern states could be relied upon to deliver needed votes. Hardly had the convention hall cleared when southern democrats nominated their candidate for president, Strom Thurmond, ignoring the party's endorsement of incumbent Harry S. Truman.

The Republicans were ecstatic. They saw an easy path to the presidency for their candidate Thomas E. Dewey with the split in the opposing party. However, Truman had a special populous appeal and in a political upset was elected. Thurmond carried four states with 38 electoral votes. Truman carried the Midwest and West while Dewey won the Northeast. The final count was Truman 303 to 189 electoral.

After 1948 The Dixiecrats went back to the Democratic Party, the rest of the Party was still trying to push for more Civil Rights. However, they still enjoyed their seniority and power in the Senate guaranteeing slow to little progress on Civil Rights, Democrats like Stevenson and Kennedy still got the Southern States in 1952, 1956, and 1960. In 1964 Strom Thurmond switched to the Republican Party as they became more conservative and Barry Goldwater's Anti- Civil Rights stance was seen as a friend to the segregationist, Goldwater became the first Republican since Reconstruction to carry the South. By 1968 in what's seen as the 'Nixon Southern Strategy' more of the South switched over to the Republican Party. Though there are still traditional Democrats there, but the South is more likely to go Republican then Democrat.

George Wallace was to later echo the Dixiecrat themes but mostly ran as a Democrat.

Answer: Ross Perot

Perot had a fast rise in business, enough so that he personally paid for most of his campaign. He had no formal party but what he referred to as five million concerned citizens who got him on the ballot in all fifty states. With his television ads featuring his charts, graphs, and a pointer, he struck a populous and resounding cord with many voters.

In early June of 1992, a national poll revealed that Perot led the polls with 39% with George Bush trailing at 31% and 25% for Bill Clinton. This struck a note of panic in the two major parties. By November, however, many had returned to their traditional political affiliations. In the popular vote Clinton got about 43%, Bush 37.5%, and Perot 19%. With his nearly 20 million votes, Perot failed to win any electoral votes.

In 1996 Perot returned with a better organization and federal funding, His appeal had slackened and got just over eight million votes with 8% and again no electoral votes. This time around he was excluded from the presidential debates; it is believed to be by collusion between the major parties.

Answer: Jerry Falwell

In the early 1970s, Falwell toured the country holding rallies with his message that railed against the Equal Rights Amendment, homosexuality, pornography, and women's liberation. The solution was to mold a new nation that would combine Christian principles with the political process. In 1979, he formed Moral Majority with support from a wide range of ministers and laymen. Many have given him credit for the election of Ronald Reagan.

He drew criticism when he failed to endorse Pat Robertson's candidacy and increasing opposition in his own followers. Falwell disbanded the Moral Majority in 1989 but was trying to revive it just before his death in 2007.

Regarding the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Farwell proclaimed they were God's punishment for sinful behavior, such as abortion, homosexuality, and the lack of moral fiber in the United States.

Answer: Eugene V. Debs

Debs worked with the railroad industry. When he came on the scene the railroads had separate unions for engineers, brakemen, and firemen. He was able to combine them into one powerful labor organization. In 1894, the Pullman Strike froze the railroad system throughout the nation and required federal intervention. Debs was arrested and imprisoned. While in prison Debs increased his reading into Socialist principles.

As a Socialist, he was called upon the carry the banner of the party five times. In 1912 and 1920 he received over 900,000 votes, but no electoral votes. However, the Socialist Party over its course elected at least two members of Congress and hundreds of mayors, city councilmen, and school board members on the local level. Frank Zeidler, for instance, was elected mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin three times.

Eugene Debs made his last run for president in 1920--from prison. He was imprisoned for being a war protester of World War One. Debs was nominated but did not win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Answer: thing as a free lunch

The Libertarian policy on civil rights is crystal clear according to its website: "The Libertarian Party is for all who don't want to push other people around and don't want to be pushed around themselves. Live and let live is the Libertarian way".

Since 1971 it has grown to be the most popular third party, getting 1% of the presidential votes in 2012. It has had much success in local elections but little on the national scene. The party did receive one electoral vote in 1972 when Roger L. MacBride of Virginia refused to vote for the Nixon/Agnew ticket.

Are you a Libertarian? Their website provides a simple test. (I came out left of center.)