Unit 4: Chapter 8: Political Parties Flashcards
Political Party
an organization that recruits, nominates, and elects party members to office in order to control govt
platform
the formal statement of a party’s principles and policy objectives
Grassroots organizing
tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters
Responsible Party model
political scientists’ view that a function of a party is to offer a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances diff from those of rival parties
party in electorate
individuals who identify with or tend to support a party
party identifier
individuals who identify themselves as a member of one party or the other
independent
a voter who does not belong to any organized political party; often used as a synonym for an unaffiliated voter
Tea party movement
a grassroots, conservative protest movement that opposed recent govt actions, includ. economic stimulus spending and health care reform
Great Depression
a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II.
party organization
the formal party apparatus, includ. committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers
loyal opposition
a role that the party out of power plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the govt in power
soft money loophole?
In what court case?
- Buckley V. Valeo
- supreme court interpretation of campaign finance law that enabled political parties to raise unlimited funds for party building activities such as voter registration drives and get out the vote (GOTV) efforts
Party in Govt
the partisan identifications of elected leaders in local, county, state, and federal govt
Truncated govt
when one chamber of congress is controlled by the same party that controls the white house, while the other chamber is controlled by the other party
divided govt
the situation that exists when congress is controlled by one party and the presidency by the other
characteristics of political parties
- Political parties are organized to support and advance a particular platform, or group of principles
- Each party typically has national, state and local organizations which help choose, fund and support party candidates in various elections.
- They help to shape public opinion
What are the three faces of parties (Party organization)
- party in govt (elected officials)
- party org (party workers)
- party in the electorate (party identifier)
Describe what parties do and variety of functions
- encourage civic participation
- foster cooperation between divided interests and factions
- foster effective govt
- make govt more effective and have provided important cues for voters
Party system
the categorization of the number and competitiveness of political parties in a polity
realignment
a shift in party allegiances or electoral support
populism
a philosophy supporting the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites
Spoils system
the practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs
political machine
big-city party organization that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters
patronage
system in which a party leader rewarded political supporters with jobs or govt contracts in exchange for their support of the party
New Deal
Franklin roosevelt’s broad social welfare program in which the got would bear the responsibility of providing a “safety net” to protect the most disadvantaged members of society
New Deal Coalition
the group composed of southern Democrats, northern city dwellers, immigrants, the poor, catholics, labor union members, blue-collar workers, african americans, and women that elected FDR to the presidency four times
Dealignment
the situation in which fewer voters support the two major political parties, instead identifying themselves as independent, or splitting their ticket between candidates from more than one party
ticket splitting
the situation in which voters vote for candidates from more than one party
candidate ocmmittees
organizations that candidates form to support their individual election
third party
a party org as opposition or an alternative to the existing parties in a two party system
winner-take-all
electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins that office, even if that total is not a majority.
Proportional representation system
an electoral structure in which political parties win the number of parliamentary seats equal to the percentage of the vote the party receives
Straight ticket voting
when a voter votes for all candidates from one party
superdelegates
an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party’s national convention.
explain the development of the 5 party systems in U.S. history
1st party system : 1789-1828
*federalists and anti-federalist
2nd party system: 1828-1860
*the democrats rise to power…the jacksonian democrats
3rd party system: 1860-1896
*the republicans’ rise to power…Grand Old Party (GOP)
4th party system: 1896-1932
*republican dominance
5th party system: 1932-1968
*democratic dominance…because of great depression
why do two parties dominate politics and govt
*there is naturally two sides of an argument
*there are cleavages
*fed and anti fed created two party system
*election laws favor two party system because they are written by parties
*because people usually inherit the ideologies of their parents meaning there is only republican or democrat
*
arguments that parties are in decline?
- elimination of political patronage through the requirement of civil service qualifications for govt employees has hurt parties ability to reward loyal followers with govt jobs
- govts increased role over time in providing social welfare
- media now gives info not IG
- campaigns are more candidate centered campaigns
list the types of third parties
- issue advocacy parties (focus on particular issue-short lived)
- ideologically oriented parties
- splinter parties (split from main two parties)
how do third parties influence political systems?
- influence electoral outcomes
- provide people who are disgruntled with the two major parties the ability to join or form another political party
- put a variety of issues on the national political agenda
an example of a third party in 21st century
- tea party movement
- -believe in less govt, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, states’ rights, and national security
