Chapter 7: Parties & Competition

Question 1

Political Parties

Answer 1

play larger role in state elections (than local); local elections are often non-partisan: candidates’ party affiliations not included on ballot

Question 2

Description of Interest Groups

Answer 2

formal, organized; role more visible at state level than in local politics – conflicts bigger there and so are opportunities for wider impacts

Question 3

How do Political Parties and Interest Groups Compare?

Answer 3

parties need large numbers: generates votes at polls, votes in legislature; interest groups can use money to compensate for size (role amplified by SC’s citizens united decision in 2010), parties become less important in politics, while interest groups become more so

Question 4

What Do Parties Do?

Answer 4

parties are more visible during election seasons, but are functioning all the time in 3 ways

Question 5

3 Functions of Parties

Answer 5

Constituent Functions, Information Functions, Government Functions

Question 6

Constituent Functions - Political Parties

Answer 6

select candidates for ballot via primaries; formal process governed by state and federal law; support selected candidates for office

Question 7

Information Functions - Political Parties

Answer 7

develop a program and educate public; establish set of beliefs – nearly comprehensive; set out policy goals and programs for gov’t

Question 8

Government Functions - Political Parties

Answer 8

winners organize gov’t, legislatures, and caucuses; get legislative committee assignments largely by party; governor makes appointments largely by party; judges tend to render similar decisions by party

Question 9

Why Only 2 Political Parties?

Answer 9

winner-take-all elections system blocks out third parties; no proportional representation in our system; to win, parties just have to attract more support than competition

Question 10

Many General Elections Are Uncompetitive?

Answer 10

yes, general elections for state legislature seats are considered “safe races” for one major party

Question 11

Do Primary Elections Matter?

Answer 11

to win a partisan office, candidates must win 2 different elections: primary and general; primary elections winnow a filed of candidates who all want that major party’s monition down to a single nominee that will go on to the general election

Question 12

Primaries + Uncompetitive General Elections = ?

Answer 12

primaries are disproportionately important when followed by uncompetitive general elections; therefore, when a general election rave will be uncompetitive, the winner is predetermined by the associated primary election

Question 13

Another Problem with Primary Elections

Answer 13

absence of competition in general elections leads directly to representatives who have no rational reason to compromise with other party

Question 14

Closed Primary

Answer 14

voters must declare party by a given deadline in advance to vote in its primary; may only vote in that party’s primary

Question 15

Semi-Closed Primary

Answer 15

voters with a declared party may only vote in that party’s primary; voters without a declared party may vote in either primary

Question 16

Open Primary

Answer 16

voters may choose to vote in either primary, regardless of their party affiliation; may not vote in both

Question 17

Top 2 Primary

Answer 17

uses a combined ballot that lists all candidates from all parties; voters get one voter per office, regardless of party affiliation; top 2 candidates go to general elections, regardless of party affiliation

Question 18

Mixed Primaries

Answer 18

not a type of primary; indicated that the 2 parties in the state use different forms of primaries

Question 19

Low Turnout Can Be Good For A Leading GOP Candidate

Answer 19

the more votes a state-wide Republican candidate receives, the lower the probability they will win the election in TX

Question 20

Lower Turnout Can Be Good For Parties in Power

Answer 20

parties in power tend to seek low turnout in elections for state-wide offices when they have a minority in the potential electorate; definitely want to also avoid any controversy that would stimulate high turnout from the opposing party

Question 20

What Are Interest Groups?

Answer 20

orgs of people who share one or more interest; no need to balance/find middle ground; work to influence political system and policy outcomes

Question 21

What Do Interest Groups Do?

Answer 21

interest groups are most active between election seasons, but are busy all the time in 3 ways: constituent function, information function, and government function

Question 22

Constituent Function - Interest Groups

Answer 22

limited; do not select candidates but support candidates; can and do support both contestants for same office

Question 23

Information Function - Interest Groups

Answer 23

beliefs usually not comprehensive in scope; primary target is group members rather than entire public

Question 24

Government Function - Interest Groups

Answer 24

DO NOT organize gov’t; DOES provide information to gov’t for specific policy goals; DOES provide a large percentage of state and national election campaign funds

Question 25

Interest Group Assets

Answer 25

wealth, expertise, and status

Question 26

Pecking Order of Interest Groups in TX

Answer 26

business types of IGs, Occupational types of IGs, Ethnic/Racial IGs

Question 27

To Lobby

Answer 27

to attempt to influence policy makers face-to-face

Question 28

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Answer 28

formed an interest groups, industry or individual for the purpose of collecting money and then contributing that money to selected political candidates and causes; concentrates financial clout of large numbers of individuals and influences public policy more effectively than can a single, ordinary individual; only some states limit the amount of money that PACs can contribute to sate campaigns; politicians often listen and cater to private interests of PACs, as opposed to public interests of the masses

Question 29

Advantages of Interest Groups

Answer 29

communicates with gov’t year-round, information source, high intensity of preferences stay focused on its issues, independent of geography, exert rapidly increasing greater influence than parties

Question 30

Disadvantages of Interest Groups

Answer 30

over-represent narrow segments of our political society, provide biased information to both gov’t and public, can feed gridlock in legislatures