Unit 4 Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations

AP Comp gov miller unit 4

Proportional Representation

an electoral system in which a political party's share of legislative seats is closely proportional to its share of the popular vote.

Single Member District

an electoral system in which each geographic district elects only one representative to a legislative body.

Multi-Member District

districts are electoral systems where more than one representative is elected from each geographic constituency.

Plurality vs Majority

A plurality winner receives the most votes but not necessarily more than 50%, while a majority winner must receive over 50% of the total votes.

First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)

an electoral system where the candidate who wins the most votes in a single-member district is elected.

Ranked Choice Voting

an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one.

Runoff or Two Round Voting system

a single-winner electoral method that requires a candidate to win an absolute majority (over 50%) to be elected. If no candidate achieves this threshold in the first round, a second election is held with only the top two vote-getters.

Dominant Party system

political systems in which one political party consistently holds power over an extended period. Although other parties may exist, they have limited influence and struggle to challenge the dominant party's control.

Multi-party system

are political systems in which multiple political parties compete for power and representation. These systems allow for a broader range of political ideologies and give voters more choices.

Pluralism

the political theory that politics and decision-making are located mostly in the framework of government but that many non-governmental groups use their resources to exert influence.

Political Co-optation

is a strategy where a ruling power incorporates opposition groups, rivals, or social movements into its own structures.

Patron-Clientelism

a political system where a powerful patron (like a politician) provides benefits (e.g., jobs, assistance) to less powerful clients in exchange for their political support and loyalty, such as votes.

Corporatism

an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come together and negotiate contracts or policy (collective bargaining) on the basis of their common interests.

Rent-Seeking

the pursuit of economic gain through manipulating the political environment and public policy, rather than through productive activities

Single Peak Association (SPA)

a state-sanctioned interest group that acts as the official representative for a specific sector, like labor or business, in a corporatist system.

Transmission Belt

a term used to describe a political party that acts as a crucial link between the government and the people, often in authoritarian states, to convey government directives to the masses and funnel public opinion back to the authorities.