3 Flashcards
Linkage institutions
The political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues in the policy agenda
Party in the electorate
Members of a political party who vote for candidates from that party
Pasty as an organization
Keep the party running between elections
Party in government
Members of the party who holds an office
•members of congress, reps
Rational choice theory
A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians—-individuals act in their own interest
Party identification
A citizen’s self proclaimed preference for one party or the other
Ticket splitting
Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices
Party machines
A type if political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern
Patronage
One of the key inducements used by party machines.(job, promotion, contract given for political reasons)
Close primaries
Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidates thus encouraging greater party loyalty.
Open primaries
Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the democratic or republican contests.
Blanket primaries
Votes choose candidate for each office without regard to party
National convention
The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform
National committee
One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions
National chairperson
Is responsible for the day to day activities of the party and is usually hand picked by the presidential nominee
Coalitions
A group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends
Critical elections
An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, & the majority party is often displaced by the minority party
Party alignment
Party alignment is what happens when the balance of power between a country’s political parties changes greatly
Divided government
When one party controls the White House an the other party controls one or both houses of congress
Dealigned
People who are gradually moving away from both political parties
(Shrinking party identification)
Party neutrality
Many Americans are indifferent toward the 2 major political parties
Third parties
Electoral contenders other than the two major parties
Winner take all systems
An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies
Proportional representations
An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the # of votes won in an election
