ch 8 Flashcards
Party polarization
the growing gap between the stands of the parties on different political issues.
Party image
what voters perceive to be what each political party (Dems and Reps) stands for
Party identification
the party a citizen proclaims themselves to be a part of, influenced by party image
Patronage
a tool used by party machines. A patronage job/promotion/contract is awarded for political reasons instead of merit or competence.
Sometimes, political parties will openly sell patronage jobs or government positions to raise money
Party machines
a party organization that rewards its’ members with material possessions, and relies on buying votes and loyalty. Notoriously corrupt; were especially present from late 1800s to 1930s
Closed primaries
only people who have been registered with a specific party can vote in a primary election, and only can vote according to which party they registered with (encourages party loyalty)
- allows party organizations to gauge who supports who (party organizations therefore tend to like closed primaries)
- Keeps policy distinctions between Dems and Reps clear
Linkage institutions
institutions that sift through all political issues and identify the most pressing ones, put them on political agendas, so they can be translated into real political change. Parties, elections, interest groups, and the media are the main linkage institutions
Ticket splitting
voting for one party for one office, and another for another office position. Practiced by a lot of Independents. Different politicians of different parties can thus have the chance to serve at different levels of government
Open primaries
voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote for the Dem or Rep candidate. Widens participation. CON: voters of the other party can “raid” the primaries of the other party to try and nominate a presidential candidate who isn’t likely to win the general election
Rational-choice theory
emphasis on pragmatism. explains the actions of politicians and voters. Politicians have goals and will pursue them as sensibly and efficiently as possible, weighing the costs and benefits. Politicians will pursue policy goals that are most widely supported
- Most successful parties have rarely been too extreme. Most were around a “midpoint”/center
National Committee
Each party has an institution that keeps the party in operation, composed of representatives from states and territories.
National Convention
supreme power of each party. After primaries, each party holds a national meeting where party delegates choose a presidential candidate and a vice president , and to write the party’s platform
Critical election
a marked election where new issues emerge, a party’s coalitions are replaced by new ones, and the majority party is displaced by the minority party. Marks the end of a party era, and the beginning of another one
Party eras
periods of time where one party generally dominates over the other, when a majority of voters cling to the party in power. Example: the
New Deal Coalition
a coalition forged by the Democrats and ignited a Dem party era from the 1930s to 1940s. This coalition consisted of urban working class people, labor unions, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jewish people, poor, southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals, who all united under FDR’s “New Deal”
Third parties
electoral parties other than the two major parties; rarely win elections.
Example: Single-issue parties, parties that promote extreme ideals (socialism), splinter parties/parties that are offshoots of the major parties, parties that are just an extension of a presidential candidate
Coalition
a group of individuals with a common interest.
National Chairperson
responsible for running day-to-day activities for a National Party. Hires staff, raises money, pays bills, etc. Usually handpicked by presidential nominee
Party realignment
usually associated with a major event or trauma in a nation’s history. A rare event where the majority party is displaced by the minority party. Usually takes place during a critical election period
Winner-takes-all
system the U.S. has in place for presidential elections. Whichever candidate wins the most popular votes in a state wins all the electors for that state.
Proportional representation
an electoral system used throughout multiparty nations in Europe where legislative seats are awarded to parties in proportion to how much of the vote they got in an election. Allows smaller parties to still have a voice in Parliament. Most countries have a minimum percentage of the vote a party must obtain to be represented in Parliament. Israel’s is 2%.
Party dealignment
gradually, many people are moving away from both parties. Scholars fear this may make parties ineffective, and in turn, the federal government
Responsibility Party Model
arties must have distinct yet comprehensive plans for governing, every party’s candidate must have the discipline and organization to carry out their plan, majority parties must implement their promises, the minority party must state what it would do if in power, majority party must accept responsibility for the performance of the government.
- promoted by people who think the winner of presidential elections should try to fulfill their election promises
