Comparative Government and Politics - Political Parties Flashcards
what is a political party
a group identified by name and ideology that fields candidates at elections in order to win public office and control government
what is a political cleavage
the practice by which voters are divided into like-minded voting groups based on national ethnic, religious, linguistic or social differences
what is a catch-all party
a political party that works to attract voters with a wide variety of political views and ideologies
what is a party system
the overall configuration of political parties, based on their number, variety, relative importance, interactions and the laws that regulate them
what are the features of a no party system
no political parties are allowed to compete with the ruler’s authority
where are examples of no party systems
iran, oman, qatar and saudi arabia
what is a single party system
only one party matters. any minor parties are strictly subordinate
where are there single party systems
china, cuba, north korea, laos, vietnam
what is a dominant party system
where one party is almost always in government, whether alone or in coalition
where is an example of dominant party system
algeria, Japan, South Africa, Turkey
what is a two party system
where two major parties compete to form single party governments
where is an example of a two party system
australia, US
what is a multi party system
the assembly is composed of several minority parties, leading to government by coalition or a minority party
where is an example of a muti party system
most of europe
what is a niche party
a political party that appeals to a narrow section of the electorate, usually highlighting non-economic issues
what is the iron law of oligarchy
states that the organisation of political parties, even those formally committed to democracy, becomes dominated by a ruling elite
what is a safe district
an electoral district in which a political party has such strong support that its candidate(s) are all but assured of victory
what is a selectorate
the members who nominate a party’s candidates for an election
what is a primary election
a contest in which the relevant electorate selects its candidate for a subsequent election. A closed primary is limited to a party’s registered supporters
what is a cartel party
a leading party that exploits its dominance of the political market to establish rules of the game, such as public funding, which reinforces its own strong position
