Political Parties Flashcards
POLITICAL
PARTIES
People with similar ideas who join together to try and influence government, via elections and winning office
Main
Functions
of Parties
Elect & Support Candidates, Inform The Public, Carry the People’s Message, Serve as a “Watchdog , Simplify Choices
Name of
first political
parties
Federalists &
Anti-Federalists
Why do 3rd
parties have
little success in
the US?
Most states make
it more difficult for
3rd Parties to get
on ballot
Why does the
US have a 2
party system?
History, Tradition,
Structure, &
Ideological
Consensus
Party
Platform
Values and positions of the Party that contribute to its goals for public policy.
Symbol of the
Republican
Party.
Elephant
Symbol of the
Democratic
Party.
Donkey
Where did the
Demo Donkey and
Repub Elephant
first appear?
Cartoon in
Harper’s
Weekly
ROLE OF
3RD
PARTIES
Spoiler
& Critics
TYPES OF
MINOR/3RD
PARTIES
Ideological Parties, Single Issue Parties, Economic Protest Parties, & Splinter Parties
Example of
Ideological
Parties
Libertarian,
Marxist,
Communist
Example of
Single Issue
Parties
Marijuana,
Right to Life,
Free Soil,
Temperance
Example of
Economic
Protest Parties
Greenback
Party
Example of
Splinter
Parties
Progressive/Bull
Moose &
Dixiecrats
When are
Congressional
& Presidential
elections held?
1st Tuesday
after the 1st
Monday in
November
What is a
precinct
Smallest
Geographic
Unit
What percentage
of the population
could vote in
1789?
6%
What type of
turnout do local
elections
typically have?
Low voter
turnout
What did the
Greeks
someone who
does not vote?
IDIOTS
What is a
Cannot
Voter
Felons, physically unable, mental patients, dishonorably discharged, and non-citizens
Non-Voting
Voters
People who vote
for only some of
the races on a
ballot
Voter
Fatigue
Vote for big offices (Pres, Governor) but ignore the smaller state and local races.
Voter
Characteristics
Higher Levels of Income Higher Levels of Education More Affluent Jobs Community Oriented Sense of Party Identification
Non-Voter
Characteristics
Under 35
Unmarried
Unskilled
Apathetic
Name the
3 types of
Primaries
Open, Closed,
and Partially
Open
Open
Primary
Any registered
voter can declare
which party ballot
to vote.
Closed
Primary
Must be a party
member party
to obtain the
party ballot
IL has a
_______________
primary
Partially
Open
Most commonly
used form of
election?
Primary
How many states use the Caucus method in the 2020 Presidential election?
3
When is the
next
Congressional
Election?
2022
How many members of the US House are up for election every 2 years?
All/435
What fraction of
the US Senate are
up for election
every 2 years?
1/3
What are
Midterm
Elections?
An election
where the
Presidency is
not on the ballot.
INCUMBENCY/INCUMBENT
The person
who already
holds the office
Franking
Privilege
Free Government
Postage for
communicating
with Constituents
What is the
Federal Elections
Commission
(FEC)?
Agency in charge of monitoring the \$\$ involved with Congressional and Presidential elections.
How much can
any US citizen
can donate to a
campaign?
$2,800
