VIII - Political Parties Flashcards
Political party
Group trying to win elections & control of the gov’t
Party membership
Open
Fluid
Party as an organization
National
State
Local
Party in gov’t
Elected officials who hold political office
Political parties are an example of a
linkage institution
Tasks of Parties
Select/Recruit candidates
Run campaigns
Articulate policies & platforms
Coordinate policy-making between executive & legislative branches
How were party candidates nominated during 19th century?
Through nomination by leadership
How are party candidates decided?
Party membership voting in primary elections
Policy articulation can lead to what?
Mobilization & education of voters
Party identification
Preference for one political parties over another
“Independents”
Voters that align with neither Democrats or Republicans but rather vote for policies not candidates
Straight ticket voting
Voter chooses candidates from same political party for every office up to election
Ticket splitting
Vote for different political parties for different political offices
Local parties
the main party organization in the past
Example of local party
Boss Tweed in NY
How did local parties lead to corruption?
Urban political machines got vote & rewarded voters for support
Patronage
Jobs given to supporters/ campaign contributors
What happened to political machines during Progressive Era?
Reforms required jobs to be merit-based
State party
Organizations decide the rules for voting
Open primary
All voters can vote in the election
Don’t have to be registered with political party
Closed primary
Must be registered party member to vote
National convention
takes place every 4 years to formally nominate the presidential candidate and to adopt the party platform
National committee
Ran by National Chairperson who manages the operations of the party
Tasks of national committee
Hires staff
Raise money
Represent party in media
Daily duties of party
Political party in power will have
the most influence over public policy