Party Competition The battle of the parties for control of public offices Political Party A team of men and

nd women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election. Three headed political giants 1) The party in the electorate, 2) The party as an organization, and 3) The party in government As linkage institutions, political parties should serve 5 purposes: 1) Pick candidates, 2) Run Campaigns, 3) Give cues to voters (inform voters where they generally stand), 4) Articulate policies, and 5) Coordinate policymaking. Linkage Institutions Institutions which allow the public opinion to be heard and placed on the governments policy agenda. Major linkage institutions are elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media. Rational-Choice Theory A theory explaining the actions of both voters and politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives. -1) voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by the government, 2) parties want to win office. Party identification A citizens self proclaimed preference for one party or the other Ticket-splitting voting with different parties for different offices. Increasingly common. Political party organization: National committee chairperson National committee and National Convention state party organizations local party organizations Party machines A type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements such as patronage to win votes and to govern. They are local parties and much more organized. Patronage A reward used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone. Closed Primaries Elections to select part nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that partys candidates. This encourages party loyalty. Open Primaries Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic of Republican contests Blanket Primaries Elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and some Republicans if they like. National Convention The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates and write the partys platform. National Committee One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories. National Chairperson The person responsible for the day to day activities of the party and is usually hand-picked by the presidential nominee. They hired the staff, raise the money, pay the bills, and attend to the daily duties of the party. Coalition a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends Party eras Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections. Critical election An electoral earthquake where new issues emerge new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Party realignment The displacement of the majority party by the minority party. New Deal Coalition A coalition forged by the Democrats (they dominated from 1930s -60s). Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals. (In favor of Democrats) Party dealignment The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by the shrinking party identification Party neutrality a term used to describe the fact that many Americans are indifferent towards the two political parties. Third Party A party that is neither major party. The occasionally attract the publics attention but rarely win elections. There are three types of third parties: 1) Parties that promote certain causes, 2) Splinter parties, which are split-offs of major parties, 3) Extensions of popular individuals with presidential aspirations Winner-take-all-system An electoral system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state. Proportional representation = An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election. Coalition government When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature. This form of government is common in the multiparty systems of Europe. Responsible Party Model A view on how parties should work. 1.) Parties must present distinct, comprehensive programs for governing the nation, 2) Each partys candidates must be committed to its program and have the internal cohesion and discipline to carry out its program, 3) The majority party must implement its programs, and the minority party must state what it would do if it were in power, 4) The majority party must accept responsibility for the performance of the government.

Caucus - A meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention.

Presidential primaries Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate (or delegates pledged to him or her). Most delegates to the National party conventions are chosen this way. McGovern-Fraser Commission A commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation. Super delegates National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention. Frontloading the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention. Criticisms of Primary and Caucus systems: 1) Disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries )New Hampshire and Iowa) because they build momentum, generate money, and generate media attention. 2) Prominent politicians find it difficult to take time to run, 3) Money plays too big of a roll, 4) Participation is low and unrepresentative, 5) The system gives too much power to the media. National Primary A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries, which would replace these electoral methods with a nationwide primary held early in the election year. Regional primaries A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries to replace these electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographic region. Party platform A political partys statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. It is drafted prior to the Party convention by a committee whose members are chose in rough proportion to each candidates strength. It is the best formal statement of a partys beliefs. Direct mail A high-tech method of raising money for a political cause or candidate. It involves sending information and requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past. Federal Election Campaign Act A law passed in 1974 to reform campaign finances. It created the Federal Election Commission, provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions. Federal Election Commission (FEC) A six-member bipartisan agency that administers and enforces campaign finance laws. Presidential Election Campaign Fund Money from the $3 federal income tax check-off goes into this fund, which is then distributed to qualified candidates to subsidize their presidential campaigns. Matching funds Contributions of up to $250 are matched from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to candidates for the presidential nomination who qualify and agree to meet various conditions, such as limiting their overall spending. Soft money Political contributions earmarked for party building expenses at the grassroots level or for generic party advertising. Unlike money that goes to the campaign of a particular candidate, such party donations are not subject to contribution limits. Political Action Committees Funding vehicles created by the 1874 campaign finance reforms. A corporation, union, or some other interest group can create a PAC and register it with the FEC, which will meticulously monitor the PACs expenditures. Selective Perception The phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions.

Legitimacy A characterization of elections meaning that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders. Referendum A state-level method of direct legislation that voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment. Initiative petition A process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petitions calling for such a referendum. Suffrage the legal right to vote given to the African Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment and to women by the Nineteenth Amendment, and to people over 18 by the twenty sixth amendment. Political Efficacy The belief that ones political participation really matters that ones vote can actually make a difference Civic duty the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote. Voter registration A system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day. A few states permit Election day registration. Motor Voter Act (1993) It requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for their drivers license. Demographic factors that are related to turn out: Education, Age, Race, Gender, Marital status, Union membership. Mandate theory of elections The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate form the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory way better than political scientists do. Political scientists focus on three major elements of voters decisions: 1) Voters party identification, 2) voters evaluation of the candidates, and 3) the match between voters policy positions and those of the candidates and parties a factor termed policy voting. Policy voting Electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues. Electoral college An institution providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Althought the electoral college vote usually reflects a popular majority, the winner take all rule gives clout to big states. Retrospective voting A theory of voting in which voters essentially ask, What have you done for me lately?. Interest group an organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals. Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas.

Pluralist theory A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among gourps, each one pressing for its own preferred policies Elitist theory A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper middle class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization. Hyper-pluralist theory A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Its an extreme and exaggerated form of pluralism. Potential group All of the people who might be interest group members because they share a common interest. A potential group is almost always larger than an actual group. An actual group is the part of the potential group that actually joins Collective good Something of value (money, a tax write off, prestige, clean air, ad so on) that can not be withheld from a group member. Free-rider problem The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the groups activities without officially joining. The bigger the group, the more serious the problem. Olsons law of large groups A principle stating that the larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good. Selective benefits Goods (such as information publications, travel discounts ,and group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues. Single issue groups Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. Lobbying A communication by someone other than acitizen acting on his own behalf, irected to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision. Lobbyists help by providing important pieces of information, helping politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through, helping to formulate campaign strategy and getting the groups members behind a politicians reelection campaign, and being a source of ideas and innovations. Electioneering Direct group involvement in the elector process. Groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to wrok for candidates, and some form PACS. Litigation to contest in legal proceedings through the judicial branch. If interest groups fail in congress to get only vague piece of legislation, the next step is to go to court in the hope of getting specific rulings. Amicus curiae briefs Legal briefs submitted by a friend of the court for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a courts decision. Class action suits Lawsuits permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similarly situated. Union shop A provision found in some collective bargaining agreements requiring all employees of a business to join the union within a short period, usually 3- days, and to remain members as a condition of employment. Right to work law a state law forbidding the requirements that worker must join a union to hold their jobs. Public interest lobbies organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activities of the organization.