Political Parties Flashcards
Government run by religious officials
Theocracy
Believing the same basic beliefs about life, culture, government, and society
Ideological Party
One formed by several parties who combine forces to obtain a majority
Coalition Government
Political party that splits from a major party
Splinter Party
Focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issues
Single-Issue Party
Any political party other than one of the two major parties
Third Party
A voting district
Precinct
Large district comprising several adjoining precincts
Ward
Statement of political party’s principles, beliefs, and positions
Platform
Second election between two candidates who had the most votes
Runoff Election
Gathering of local or state parties to choose presidential candidates
National Convention
Representatives from the 50 state party of organizations who run a party
National Committee
Private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office
Caucus
All American citizens have the right to vote
Fifteenth Amendment
Women’s suffrage
Nineteenth Amendment
Abolition of the poll tax
Twenty-Fourth Amendment
American citizens can vote when they are 18
Twenty-Sixth Amendment
Functions of State Committees
- Help elect candidates
- Assist local party candidates
- Coordinates activités of local organizations
- Raise funds
Effect of Wasted Vote Syndrome on Third Parties
- Discourages minor parties because a person’s vote may go towards a minority patty but the majority party since has a chance of winning it all; therefore, in a sense, the voter has “wasted their vote”
Difficulty for Third Parties to Succeed
Institutional Barriers: Single-member district system, electoral college, winner-take-all system, ballot access laws
Attitudinal Barriers: Wasted Vote Syndrome, history, tradition, consensus
Criticism of the Primary Election System
- Too long and expensive
- Media coverage emphasizes personalities, not issues
- States move primary elections to earlier in the ear because primary elections influence the race
Pros and Cons of Open and Closed Primaries
Open Primaries
- Pros: Allows more people to participate because all voters may participate
- Cons: Voters can only select names from the one list of candidates; allow other parties to come in and change the outcome
Closed Primaries
- Pros: Registered members of a political party can vote for their party’s candidates; prevents the other party from interfering
- Cons: Prevents independents from voting
