Political Parties Flashcards
Congressional Campaign Committee
Committee in congress that provides funds to members
Critical period
Periods when a major shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties
Ideological party
A party that values principled stands on issues above all else
Mugwumps
Republican Party faction of the 1890’s to the 1910’s composed of reformers who opposed patronage
National Chairman
Day to day manager elected by the national committee
National committee
Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions
National convention
A meeting of party delegates held every four years
Office - bloc ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a Massachusetts ballot
Party - Column Ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party, also called an “Indiana” ballot
Personal following
Support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks
Plurality system
An electoral system in which the winner is that person who gets the most votes, even if he she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections
Political machine
A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage
Political party
A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office
Solitary incentives
The social rewards that lead people to join political organizations
Split ticket
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election
