comp gov unit 4: party and electoral systems and citizen organizations

Catch-All Political Party

is often the dominant party in a dominant party system that earns support from groups with different characteristics, attracting popular support with ideologically diverse platforms

Dominant Party System

exists when elections allow multiple parties to run in elections, but one major party inevitably wins governing power

Divided Government

is a condition in a presidential system wherein the executive branch is controlled by one party and the legislative branch is controlled by an opposing party

Executive Election Plurality System

is one which one candidate wins the election as the sole executive by winning the most votes (not necessarily a majority of 50% plus at least 1 vote)

First-Past-the-Post

is an electoral system based on single-member districts in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins

Grassroots Social Movements

exert their power up from the local level to the regional, national, or international level

Interest groups

are groups organized to represent and advocate for a specific interest or policy issue

Majoritarian Rules

exists when a winning candidate must win a majority of the vote (50% plus at least 1 vote)

Multi-Party System

exists when elections feature more than two parties competing for governing power

One-Party System

exists when only one political party is allowed to hold political power and the existence of opposition parties is restricted by the state

Patronage (also known as a Patron-Client Relationship or Clientelism)

allows government officials to distribute government jobs and services in return for voter loyalty by institutionalizing a quid pro quo (“this for that”) relationship between elected officials and voters. This is often viewed as examples of corruption by those not benefiting from the patronage relationship.)

Proportional Representation

is an election system in which the party appoints legislature members proportional to the election results. This system promotes multiple parties being represented in the legislature branch and is sometimes called party list elections and often features multi-member districts. With the appointment of representatives by party leaders, proportional representation systems can help increase the number of women and minority community representatives.

Second Round, Runoff Election System

is an election system in which a candidate for a sole executive position or legislative position must win a majority of the vote (50% plus at least 1 vote). In a multi-candidate race, the winning candidate must win a majority of the vote either in the first round of balloting or in the second round of balloting that features the top two vote earners in the first round.

Single-Member District, Plurality System

is an election system in which one candidate with the most votes (not necessarily a majority of 50% plus at least 1 vote) in a district wins the sole representative seat. This system tends to promote two-party systems. It provides voters with strong constituency service and accountability because there is a single representative per district. This type of system ensures geographic representation.

Single-Peak Associations (SPAs)

are interest groups that commonly represent professional or commercial groups and help establish standards for the profession or industry

Social Movements

involve large groups of people pushing collectively for significant political or social change such as indigenous civil rights, redistribution of revenues to different classes, fair and transparent elections, and fair treatment of citizens of different sexual orientations

Two-Party System

exists when elections feature two major parties competing for governing power