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AP U.S. Government and Politics > Political Parties > Flashcards

Political Parties Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a political party?

A

a group of citizens who organize to…

  1. win elections
  2. hold public offices
  3. operate the govt
  4. determine public policy
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2
Q

Are party organizations independent?

A

yes and not centrally controlled

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3
Q

functions of parties

A
  1. recruiting and nominating candidates for public office
  2. running political campaigns
  3. articulating positions on issues
  4. critiquing the policies of the party in power
  5. serving as a linking institution that connects citizens to govt
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4
Q

A party connects citizens to govt by…

A
  1. providing info about candidates running for office
  2. mobilizing voters to elect party candidates
  3. raising funds to support party candidates
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5
Q

One-party system

A
  • total control over govt

- China, North Korea, and Iran

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6
Q

Multiparty system

A
  • a number of political parties compete for public offices
  • widely different ideologies
  • France, Italy, and Israel
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7
Q

Two-party systems

A
  • two major political parties compete for office

- US, UK, India, and Jamaica

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8
Q

core political values:

A
  • freedom, political equality, individualism, and equality under the law
  • never a strong socialist party dedicated to creating an entirely new political system
  • moderates who fall between liberal and conservative
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9
Q

single-member districts

A
  • one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot
  • candidate who receives the most votes
  • dominated by two political parties
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10
Q

plurality vs. majority election

A

plurality: winner - person who receive most votes
majority: winner - the person who receives more than half of all votes cast

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11
Q

winner-take-all, single-member district plurality vs. proportional

A

proportional: each party awarded legislative seats in proportion to vote it receives (state with congressional seats: 20% of votes = 2 seats)
winner-take-all: no seats

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12
Q

Why does a winner-take-all discourage the emergence of minor parties?

A

forces them to wagger expensive campaigns with a minimal chance of winning political offices

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13
Q

legal barriers to third parties

A
  • names of Democratic and Republican candidates are placed on state ballots
  • minor party candidates must persuade registered voters to sign petitions in order to have their names placed on the ballot
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14
Q

force of historic tradition

A
  • two-party system since 1800

- two-party system has self-perpetuating law and traditions, so very difficult for minor party to rise

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15
Q

force of historic tradition

A
  • two-party system since 1800

- two-party system has self-perpetuating law and traditions, so very difficult for minor party to rise

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16
Q

party era

A

historical periods dominated by one party

17
Q

critical election

A
  • national crisis forces voters to confront divisive issues that fracture party coalitions
  • significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty
18
Q

party realignment

A
  • triggered by a critical election

- majority party is displaced by the minority party, ushering in a new party era

19
Q

first party system (1796-1824)

A

Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
Federalists: Alexander Hamilton, strong federal govt and national bank, coalition: financial, commercial, and manufacturing interests
Democratic-Republicans: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, limited federal govt and opposed national bank, coalition: farmers, shopkeepers, laborers, and planters

20
Q

Jackson and the Democrats (1828-1856)

A

Democratic Party vs. Whigs
Democratic party: supported voting rights for all white males, opposed national bank, used the spoils system to reward party loyalists, Andrew Jackson, coalition: debtors, frontier pioneers, and small farmers
Whigs: Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, supported high tariffs and national bank, coalition: bankers, merchants, industrialists, and owners of large plantations (only presidents: Harrison and Taylor)

21
Q

Republican Era (1860-1928)

A
  • issue of slavery dominated 1850’s and led to demise of Whigs
  • Republicans vs. Democrats
  • Republicans = leading party until Depression, antislavery party, Lincoln - only transition from minor to major party
  • 1896 - Bryan (Democrat with coalition of farmers and labor unions), advocated free silver and regulations to control railroads vs. McKinley (coalition of industrialists, financial monopolies, and small businesspeople), backed gold standard, high tariffs, and industrialization
22
Q

FDR and the New Deal Coalition (1932-1964)

A

-FDR advocated a program of relief from Great Depression, recovery, and reform known as the New Deal

23
Q

New Deal coalition:

A
  • urban dwellers
  • labor unions
  • Catholics and Jews
  • Southerners
  • African Americans
  • urban dwellers and African Americans previously Republican
  • did not include Northern business leaders and wealthy industrialists
24
Q

Divided govt (1968 - present)

A

election of Nixon marked Republican dominance in presidential politics

25
Q

Divided govt (1968 - present)

A

-election of Nixon marked Republican dominance in presidential politics

26
Q

“Southern strategy”

A
  • designed to break Democrats’ long dominance in the South

- occurred as Southern conservatives transferred their loyalty to Republicans (2008 - majority in Senate)

27
Q

Divided govt (1968 - present)

A
  • election of Nixon marked Republican dominance in presidential politics
  • house/senate different dominant party than presidency
28
Q

“Southern strategy”

A
  • designed to break Democrats’ long dominance in the South

- occurred as Southern conservatives transferred their loyalty to Republicans (2008 - majority in Senate)

29
Q

consequences of divided govt:

A
  1. heightened partisanship and make it more difficult for moderates to negotiate compromises
  2. slowed both the confirmation and the legislative processes, thus creating gridlock
  3. increased public frustration, thus contributing to the decline in trust and confidence in govt
30
Q

party dealignment

A

disengagement of people from political parties; more independents

31
Q

types of minor parties

A
  1. dominated by charismatic leaders
  2. organized around a single issue
  3. organized around an ideology
32
Q

parties dominated by charismatic leaders

A
  • Theo Roosevelt “Bull Moose”/Progressive party split Republicans, thus enabling the Democrats to capture the White House
  • George Wallace’s American Independent Party expressed Southern backlash to civil rights demonstrations, urban riots, and antiwar protests
  • Ross Perot’s presidential campaigns expressed widespread public outrage at “politics as usual”
33
Q

Parties organized around a single issue

A
  1. Free Soil Party opposed the spread of slavery
  2. The Know Nothings opposed Irish-Catholic immigration
  3. Right to Life Party opposes abortion
34
Q

Parties organized around an ideology

A
  • Socialist Party supported labor unions and advocated new laws to regulate big businesses
  • Libertarian Party emphasizes individualism and a reduction of govt programs
35
Q

obstacles to minor party candidates

A
  • winner-take-all format of the electoral college (ex- Perot won 19% overall vote, but not a single electoral vote)
  • single-member districts = no seats in Congress
  • excluded from presidential debates
36
Q

importance and impact of minor parties

A
  • strong views on controversial issues
  • push major parties to adopt their ideas
  • “spoiler role” by affecting the outcome of a presidential election (ex- pulled critical support from democratic party in 2000 election)

AP U.S. Government and Politics (20 decks)

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