Chapter 8: Political Parties Flashcards
political parties
organizations that run candidates for political office and coordinate the actions of officials elected under the party banner
party organization
specific political party’s elders and workers at the national, state, and local levels
party in government
group of office holders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party
parties in the electorate
group of citizens who identify w/ a specific political party
realignment
transition to party systems
national committee
american political party’s principal organization, comprising of party representative from each state
constituency group
organizations w/in the party that woe to attract the support of particular demographic groups (teams)
individual groups
aim to build support from specific individuals or politicians
interest groups
loosely affiliated w/ political parties, but support them
Tom Pendergast
affiliated w/ political machine, spoils system, and was a powerbroker (provided welfare in KC in exchange for votes)
political machine
unofficial patronage system w/in a political party that seeks to gain political power and gov contacts, jobs, and other benefits for party leaders, workers, and supporters
spoils system
practice of rewarding party supporters w/ benefits like federal gov positions
party caucus serves variety of functions:
- forum for debate, compromise, and strategizing among a party’s elected officials
- decided legislative committee assignments, leadership positions on committees, and leadership positions w/in the caucus
- leaders also serve as a spokespeople for their respective party, especially when prez is from the other party
unified government
can hold people accountable
divided government
doesn’t really hold people accountable, modern
deep attachment
early theories suggested that one’s party identification was a deeply held belief acquired early in life and rarely changed over time
running tally
if you agree w/ party give +, if not give -
enough - w/o + could cause you to change affiliation
primary election
voters choose major party nominees for political office
- closed: only registered primary members (strategic voting)
- non-partisan: candidates of both parties on same ballot
- open: any registered voter
caucus election
- group together w/ you favored candidate
- can be persuaded to change or if not enough w/ group, gets eliminated
party platform
- set of objectives outlining the party’s issue positions and priorities
- candidates are not required to support their party’s platform
independents
do not find parties attractive enough to affiliate w/ them
single member plurality system
highest vote-getter wins, even if less than half of the vote
multimember proportional representation
- number of seats a party gets in legislature is determined by number of votes that party receives (other countries)
- reason why minor parties are not popular in US bc we don’t have this
Duverger’s Law
in democracy w/ single member districts and plurality voted, only 2 party candidates will have realistic chance (US)
Median Voter Theorem
candidates will tend to move towards the median voter in a single-member plurality system (closer to the middle)
Proposition 7
allowed cross-filing to continue, but required party label
Masket
primaries have low turnout, little advertising, no rival party labels among which to choose and no media attention
Informal Party Organizations
nominations easily controlled by political insiders, including legislative leaders, interest groups, activists, etc. (Maxine Waters)
5 groups of IPOs
- leader
- inner circle
- benefit seekers
- activists (purely motivated by ideology) *IPO can’t exist w/o
- brokers (bring activists in contact w/ inner circle)
