Voting Flashcards
Functions of a political party include:
- find a nominate candidates
- Activate or inform supporters
- Bonding agent function
- Governing
- Watchdog function
Making decisions on what their parties want.
Partisanship
Why do we have a two party system?
- Federalists and anti-Federalist were established.
- Tradition
- Politically the middle road
- Stacked electoral system
Alternatives to a two party system?
Multiparty: Parliament
One – party:dictatorship
There is a bod Friday of minor parties but for distinct types can be identified:
- Idealogical parties: based on very well defined set of beliefs.
- ex:communism, socialism, libertarians.
- Single issue parties: only has one court believe.
- ex:US pot party, pro-life party
- Economic protest parties: protest bad economy.
- ex:ocupy Wall Street party
- splinter parties: broke away from 1 to 2 parties.
- ex:tea party, green party, reform party.
Why are minor parties important?
- take stance on controversial issues.
- innovated, different ideas then everyone else.
- spoiler role: change outcome of the election.
Party organization is decentralized meaning top to bottom. – National, state, and local levels. Separate organizations at each level.
-role of presidency:
Party in power, lessens the decentralized portions.
Components that make up a party:
Party is made up of people – people in office, membership and the electorate, etc. But they are also certain organizations within their party that make them run – the party “machinery.”
- 1). National convention: official nominees are chosen. Takes place every four years.
- 2). National committee and committee chairs person: handles the national committee in between the conventions. Raise money.
- 3). Congressional campaign committees: groups that look at parties and prioritize congressional elections.
Future of the major parties?
Major parties can change. Predictions data trans such as growing affiliation with the independent political party.
-split-ticketing rather than straight ticket voting: Democrat president and republican vp vs. all democrat or all republican.
Right to vote:
Suffrage
Eligible voters; all the people allowed to vote
Electorate
Expansion of electorate:
1) early 1800s: dropped landholding requirement.
2) post-Civil War: all men.
15th amendment:can’t take away the right to vote due to the race or religion.
3) early 1900s: Women the right to vote. (19th amendment)
4) 1960s: so his rights movement (making the 15th amendment a reality).
23rd amendment: Washington DC gets electoral votes.
24th amendment: poll taxes are illegal.
Universal voter qualifications:
Citizen, resident, age
Voter qualifications:
Citizen, residents, age, registration
Banned requirements:
Poll tax
Literacy tests
