Unit 3 - Political Parties and Elections Flashcards
(29 cards)
Anthony Downs
“Team of men (and women) seeking control the governing apparatus by gaining in a duly constituted election”
Edmund Burke
“An organized assembly of men, united for working together for a national interest, according to the particular principle they agreed upon.”
One- Party System
- The party IS the government
- Communist - socialist
- Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, Afghanistan
- Iraq under Sadaam
- If you are in the party, you are government, it is beneficial because you have full control and can act quickly, If you are not in the group, there is no chance of you getting in power, they are less beneficial for you.
Multi- Party Systems
- Many INFLUENTIAL parties
- Germany - 6 parties
- Sweden - 7 parties
form a coalition government,
- form a coalition from compromising with other groups.
Two- Party Systems
two MAIN parties
- May be countless minor parties/candidates
- In the US
- Most time one of the two main parties win
What are the tasks of the party
Recruit Candidates
- Decide who we get to vote for
Educate public
- Tell us ideas and why we should
like them
Operate the government
- Run the government and get ideas in motion
Dispense “Patronage”
- Help the people that helped you get there
Loyal Opposition 👎🏼 (less present today)
- Represent those NOT represented by the majority
Reduction of conflict 👎🏼 (less present today)
- Compromise so the government can work
3 types of third parties
Single Issue
Ideological
Splinter
What is a Single issue party
- Party only concerned with 1 issue
- Parties devoted to legislation
- Free soil party - first party devoted solely to ending
slavery - not very likely to make voting waves, though brings up
interesting points.
What is a ideological party
- Overall Systemic change
- Socialist party
What is a Splinter party
- Breaks off from major party
- Progressive aka bull moose party
- Ex: Roosevelt
Positive impacts of 3rd parties
- Bring up controversial issues (big parties cannot do that with the risk of loosing votes)
- Much freer to speak mind
- Give a way to disagree with “politics as usual”
- Reinforce “democracy”
Negative impacts of 3rd parties
- lots time and effort running with very little to show for it
- “Spoiler effect” - may “steal” votes away from more ideologically similar major candidate. (might steal votes from a similar “buddy” major party that might need the votes.)
Obstacles of 3rd parties
- Cost
- Appeal
- Name Recognition
3 types of elections
Primaries - Pre-election elections to choose candidates. not the next president, but who gets on the ballot. Each parties nominee for the larger election.
General Elections - Actually picking people for office
18 y/o, non-felon
Policy Questions -
What is the alternative to the pre-elections that a few states still practice?
Caucus meetings
In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting. Caucuses are local gatherings of voters who vote at the end of the meeting for a particular candidate. Then it moves to nominating conventions, during which political parties each select a nominee to unite behind.
3 types of elections
Primaries - Pre-election elections to choose candidates. not the next president, but who gets on the ballot. Each parties nominee for the larger election.
General Elections - Actually picking people for office
18 y/o, non-felon
Policy Questions -
- Process of Referendum, puts policy question to
voters.
3 types of elections
Primaries - Pre-election elections to choose candidates. not the next president, but who gets on the ballot. Each parties nominee for the larger election.
General Elections - Actually picking people for office
18 y/o, non-felon
Policy Questions -
- Process of Referendum, puts policy question to
voters.
Define:
Platform
A statement of a party’s official stand on major public issues. Political Party. organization of citizens who wish to influence governments by getting their members elected. Precincts.
3 types of elections
Primaries - Pre-election elections to choose candidates. not the next president, but who gets on the ballot. Each parties nominee for the larger election.
General Elections - Actually picking people for office
requirements 18 y/o, non-felon
Policy Questions -
- Process of Referendum, puts policy question to
voters.
- Initiative - props
Recall
Citizens vote to remove elected officials before the end of their term.
What is a political party
A political party is an organized group of people or bodies who seek to capture political power through an election in order to run the affairs of a country. It often puts forward candidates for public office.
What is a third party
In electoral politics, a third party is any party contending for votes that failed to outpoll either of its two strongest rivals. The distinction is particularly significant in two-party systems.
What are the factors influencing voters decisions
hi
Why did the framers of the constitution create the electoral collage method of selecting a president rather than using the popular vote?
Framers did not trust voters, wanted to keep the power of voting to the elites, educated people, people with political knowledge. Lots of uneducated people, did not want them to make a bad choice.
