Political Parties Flashcards
The Party Primary System
when a political party will nominate its top candidates. In many cases each party will back the candidate who has the highest likelihood to win the general election
Congressional Party Caucuses
meeting of party members to discuss common legislature objectives, caucus consistently votes for the policies their parties promise year after year
First-Past-The Post
election that’s won by the candidate with more votes than any others, common (not universal) feature of electoral system. Single member legislative districts. Generally results over time with 2 party competition
Partisan Sorting
- Increased ideological distance between Democrats and Republicans
- The role of social issues in party divisions
Australian Ballot
voting system in which state governments run elections and provide voters with the option of choosing candidates from multiple parties; also called the secret ballot
Winner-take-all Primaries
an electoral system in which whoever wins the most votes in an election wins the entire election. (meaning the majority race/gender would win every time.) (ex. white males)
Duverger’s Law
One of two hypotheses proposed by Duverger. Asserts that plurality rule elections structured within single member districts tends to favor a 2 party system (dem vs repbs)
The Party Convention System
a meeting of members at a political party at the local, state, or national level to select party leaders and candidates for office and to determine party policy
Proportional Representation
concept in voting system used to elect an assembly or council. # of seats won by a party or group of candidates = # of votes received. Ex: if 30% of voters support a particular party then roughly 30% of seats will be won by that party
Responsible Party System
is when a political party will nominate its top candidates. In many cases each party will back the candidate who has the highest likelihood to win the general election
