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53 Cards in this Set
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Party System |
A concept in comparative political science concerning the system of government by political parties in a democratic country -idea is that political parties have basic similarities: they control the government, have a stable base of mass popular support, and create internal mechanisms for controlling funding, information and nominations. |
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Political Socialization |
The process of learning political values and factual assumptions about politics |
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Party Identification |
The political party you identify with. Parties provide continuity and a political community in a political world that is otherwise quite fluid |
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Recall |
Rare type of election that allows voters to remove an official at any time, not just at regularly scheduled elections. Not used frequently, added during the Progressive era. |
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Referendum |
A provision of elections allowing citizens to vote directly on constitutional amendments or changes in law |
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Partisanship |
In politics, a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is used for politicians who strongly support their party's policies and are reluctant to compromise with their political opponents |
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V.O. Key's three concepts of parties |
1. Party in the electorate (Voters) 2. Party in Office (Office Holders) 3. Party Organization - the party organizational units at the state, national, and local organization. Those in the party office. |
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Voter turnout in the US |
Very low voter participation, about 50% of the voting population actually turns out. -low education -lack of responsibility -low cultural pressure -busy -fragmented/staggered elections -Low efficacy (the power to produce an effect) -Purging |
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Influences on who votes - ways governments manipulate the composition of electorate |
-purging: taking people off the ballot because they die, move out of state, become a felon, or lack activity
-personal registration requirements -voting access -poll taxes, literacy tests -voter ID controversies |
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Current restrictions states use in conducting elections |
No felons must be 18+ Must be a resident of the state registered |
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Caucuses |
gathering of party supporters at the neighborhood level who select delegates to a state nominating convention, which in turn selects delegates to the national nominating convention |
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Closed Primary |
A primary election in which only those who have registered with a party designation may vote only in that party's primary |
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Open Primary |
A primary election in which all voters may participate and may choose which party's primary they wish to vote in |
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Primary Agents of Socialization |
Typically members of one's immediate nuclear family |
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Secondary Agents of Socialization |
1. Educational institutions, such as schools 2. Peer groups, such as neighborhood friends and associates 3. Mass media, i.e. television, radio, internet 4. Religion 5. The workplace, including co-workers and supervisiors 6. Government, i.e. police officers, crossing guards, social workers, attorneys, and counselors |
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Political Culture: Core Values of American Democracy |
Thomas Patterson, political scientist and author of "We the People" suggests these are enduring idealized core values of American democracy |
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Liberty |
the principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well being of others. |
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Self-government |
The principle that people are the ultimate source of governing authority and that their general welfare is the only legitimate purpose of government. |
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Equality |
Holds that all individuals have moral worth, are entitled to fair treatment under the law, and should have equal opportunity for material gain and political influence |
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Individualism |
A commitment to personal initiative, self-sufficiency, and material accumulation. This principle upholds the superiority of a private-enterprise economic system that allocates wealth through the marketplace and includes the idea of the individual as the foundation of society. |
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Diversity |
Holds that individual differences should be respected and that these differences are a source of strength and a legitimate basis of self-interest. |
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Unity |
Principle that Americans are one people and form an indivisible union. |
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Life |
Protected by the US Constitution, includes all personal rights and their enjoyment: acquire knowledge, rights to marry, establish a home, freedom of worship, speech, assembly and press |
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The Pursuit of Happiness |
The right to seek happiness if doing so does not infringe upon others' rights |
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Electoral college |
they system by which presidents are elected in the United States. Voters vote for a set of electors, and the set that wins casts its vote for the candidate to which it is pledged. States get different numbers of electoral votes, each state gets the same amount of electoral votes as the number of house seats they have +2 |
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Why Parties? |
A political party is an organization whose primary purpose is to nominate candidates and contest general elections, AKA win elections. They were created for a specific purpose by politicians in the US. Parties campaign, recruit candidates, mobilize voters, define and educate on issues, socialize potential members, and control/facilitate the government. |
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Third parties in a 2-party system |
Third parties are minor parties. They normally take a strong stance on a single issue. A major party will absorb the issue if it becomes a threat |
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Retrospective voting |
voting to reelect an official in your life and the lives of those around you have gone well over the years that the person has been in office; if not, voting to oust the official. |
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Prospective Voting |
the theory of democratic elections in which voters decide what gov't will do in near future by choosing a certain political party with distinct stances on issues. |
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Political party |
An organization combining activists and potential officeholders, whose purpose is to determine who will hold office |
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Mobilization |
Energizing of large numbers of people to act together |
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First Party System |
The period from 1800 to 1820, which was marked by the appearance of the new Democratic-Republican Party and the gradual decline of their opponents, the Federalists |
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Era of Good Feeling |
A brief period centering on the election of 1820 when the Federalists were in sharp decline and there was no organized opposition to the dominant Democratic-Republican Party |
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Whig Party |
A party active from 1830 to the verge of the Civil War; it opposed the extension of presidential power and supported development of transportation and infrastructure. |
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Second Party System |
The period from the early 1830's until just before the Civil War, which was marked by rivalry between the Democratic Party and the Whigs. |
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Political Machine |
A party organization providing its supporters with benefits such as city jobs and other favors, and in return controlling them politically |
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Patronage |
Financial rewards (especially public jobs) given to people in return for their political support |
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Progressive movement |
A movement of mostly middle-class reformers in the early twentieth century who worked to eliminate machine politics |
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Direct Primary |
An election to determine a party's nominee for a general election. |
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Civil Service laws |
laws requiring that public jobs be filled on the basis of competitive examinations |
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Split-ticket voting |
When several candidates for different offices appear on a ballot, the practice of voting for a candidate of one party for one office and a candidate for another party for another office |
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Critical election |
An election that causes the bases of support for the two main parties to change fairly suddenly |
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Electoral realignment |
a new and lasting rearrangement of the geographic and social bases of support for the parties, ushered in by a critical election |
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Party in the electorate |
The party's supporters in the electorate, including those who identify with the party and vote for it and activists who campaign for it |
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Party organization |
a formal structure that conducts managerial and legal tasks for the party |
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Party in the Government |
The elected officials of a party, who organize themselves along party lines |
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National committee |
A committee that oversees the day-to-day business of the political parties on the national level |
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National nominating convention |
A national gathering of delegates to choose a political party's presidential nominee, write a platform of policy positions, and transact other national party business |
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Party Platform |
A set of policy positions adopted by a party at its national nominating convention |
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Congressional campaign committees |
Four committees, two for each party in the Senate and the House of Representatives, that recruit able candidates for Senate or House seats and raise money for congressional campaigns. |
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Two-party system |
a party system with two, and only two, parties that regularly nominate a candidate with a serious chance of winning |
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Multiparty System |
A party system in which three or more parties regularly have a significant chance of gaining office |
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Third parties |
small political parties that are greatly handicapped by the single member, plurality electoral system in the United States and other obstacles that have a low probability of winning office. |
