Broadcast Media and Political Party Dynamics

Broadcast Media

Television, radio, and other media that transmit information to a broad audience

High-Tech Politics

A politics in which the behavior of citizens, policymakers, and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology.

Investigative Reporting

The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, often putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders.

Mass Media

Forms of communication, such as newspapers, radio, television, and the internet, that reach large audiences.

Media Event

Events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous; these can be staged by individuals, groups, and government officials.

Narrowcasting

Media programming on cable TV (e.g., on channels like ESPN, MTV, or C-SPAN) or the Internet that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience.

Policy Agenda

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time.

Print Media

Newspapers and magazines, as compared with broadcast media.

Sound Bite

A short clip of speech or music extracted from a longer piece of audio, often used in news coverage.

Trial Balloon

An intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.

Blanket Primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties and can select some from one party and some from another.

Coalition Governments

Governments where multiple political parties cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party.

Closed Primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, encouraging greater party loyalty.

Critical Elections

Electoral 'earthquakes' where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party.

Linkage Institutions

The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda (e.g., elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media).

National Chairperson

The person responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party and is usually handpicked by the presidential nominee.

National Committee

One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions, composed of representatives from the states and territories.

National Convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.

Open Primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests. Anyone can participate.

Party Competition

The battle between political parties for control of public offices.

Party Dealignment

The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.

Party Eras

Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win most elections.

Party Identification

A citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or another.

Party Image

The voter's perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism or liberalism.

Party Machine

A type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and govern.

Party Neutrality

The idea that many Americans are indifferent toward the two major political parties.

Party Realignment

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.

Patronage

A system in which jobs and promotions are awarded for political reasons rather than for merit or competence.

Political Party

A team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.

Rational-Choice Theory

A theory that explains the actions of voters and politicians as those based on self-interest and the pursuit of personal advantage.

Third Parties

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties; they rarely win elections but can influence political outcomes.

Ticket-Splitting

Voting for one party for one office and another party for other offices; common in American voting behavior.

Winner-Take-All System

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies.