Political Parties and Partisanship

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary from the lecture on political parties, partisanship, and political behavior, aiding in exam preparation.

Partisan Loyalty

The tendency of individuals to strongly support their own political party regardless of issues.

Heuristic

A mental shortcut that allows people to make decisions quickly based on certain cues, often related to party affiliation.

Epiphenomenal

A term indicating that partisanship arises from underlying issues without influencing them, suggesting people vote based on policy first.

Running Tally

A perspective that suggests individuals evaluate past experiences with parties to inform future voting decisions.

Social Identity Theory

A theory suggesting that party affiliation becomes a part of an individual’s identity, influencing their political behavior.

Primary Elections

Elections held to determine a party's candidate for the general election.

Favorability

An individual's positive or negative assessment of a political party.

Democrat vs. Republican

The two primary political parties in the United States, often representing liberal and conservative ideologies respectively.