Unit 4b, Political Parties and Interest Groups

database

A collection of organized data that allows access, retrieval, and use of data -- used by political parties and candidates to find out what voters want, what their desires are, to help win the election

party-centered campaigns

Election campaigns and other political processes in which political parties, not individual candidates, hold most of the initiative and influence -- are less common in the 21st century, as candidates can rely on media/social media for more publicity and fund-raising

candidate-centered campaigns

Election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not political parties, have most of the initiative and influence.

nomination

The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party -- generally, success in the nomination game requires momentum, money, and media attention.

critical elections

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displayed by the minority party. Sometimes caused by a national crisis (e.g., Civil War, Great Depression).

party realignment

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually happening as a result of a critical election

party dealignment

The gradual disengagement of people from both major parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification and increases in independent voters.

party platform

A party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.

policy agenda

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

political party

Group of citizens with similar policy views who seek to control government by running candidates and winning elections

linkage institutions

The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include political parties, interest groups, the media, and elections

party identification

A citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other -- THE most significant factor in how a person votes

national convention

Meeting of party delegates every four years to officially nominate a presidential/vice-presidential candidate, and to write the party's platform

divided government

Refers to the situation in which one party controls the presidency while the other party controls Congress. In other words, one party controls the executive while the other party controls the legislature.

party in power

The party of the President, which controls the White House

third parties

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

single issue party

Third party type that concentrates on only one public policy matter (e.g., the National Right to Life Party)

ideological party

Third party type based on a particular set of beliefs or ideology (e.g., the Libertarian Party)

splinter party

Third party type that has split off from a major party because of major disagreement (e.g., the Bull Moose Party of T. Roosevelt in 1912)

spoiler role

Function of third parties where the third party candidate siphons votes from an ideological similar major party candidate, effectively decreasing electoral results for said candidate.

innovator role

Function of third parties where the third party candidate presents policy options that are less moderate or are riskier than what the major party candidate is willing to present.

interest group

An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals by INFLUENCING government officials

pluralist model of democracy

A theory of democracy emphasizing that many groups, each pressing for its preferred policies, compete and counterbalance one another, benefiting society -- in other words, political parties and interest groups are GOOD for the country

elite model of democracy

A theory of democracy contending that an upper-class elite will hold most of the power and thus in effect run the government -- they control the parties and the interest groups

lobbying

A communication by a member of a special interest group, directed to a governmental decision maker, with the hope of influencing his or her decisions.

free rider problem

For an interest group, the problem of people not actually becoming members because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining -- so, if you're a gun owner, you benefit from the NRA's activities even if you never join, contribute money, etc.

selective benefits

Benefits that an interest group can restrict to those who actually join -- helps to overcome the free-rider problem

single issue groups

Groups that have a narrow interests, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics (e.g., National Right to Life Committee)

business groups

Interest groups representing business OWNERS (small or large businesses, or specific trades) (e.g., National Chamber of Commerce)

labor unions

An organized association of workers, often in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests -- will also lobby the government for laws/policies that benefit their trade

environmental groups

Groups primarily concerned with issues of conservation or preservation of natural resources (e.g., Greenpeace)

equality groups

Groups centered around ensuring equal protection under the law for various minority groups (e.g., NAACP)

professional groups

Groups that advocate for people in a particular profession, such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers (e.g., American Medical Association)

Political Action Committees (PAC's)

Section of an interest group devoted to making political campaign contributions. A corporation, union, or some other interest group can create a one and register it with the Federal Election Commission, which will monitor its expenditures.

electioneering

Direct interest group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, or forming political action committees.

litigation

When an interest group seeks to influence the government by bringing lawsuits against any part of the government that's acting in ways that are against the group's interests -- or, the group submits amicus curiae briefs in someone else's lawsuit, if their winning would benefit their group

amicus curiae brief

A "friend of the Court" brief filed by an interest group or interested party to influence a Supreme Court decision.

lobbyist

Professional, paid member of an interest group whose job it is to personally influence members of Congress to vote in ways that benefit the interest group's members.

iron triangle

Also known as subgovernments, a mutually dependent, mutually advantageous relationship between interest groups interested in a particular policy, government agencies that administer that policy, and the congressional committees and subcommittees that handle it. Iron triangles dominate some areas of domestic policy making

polarization

the presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties since the 1990's

coalition government

When no political party has a 51% majority by itself, and so two or more parties join together to form a majority in order to be able to pass any laws -- common in European democracies, but this is not how the U.S. Congress works, since the two major parties dominate, and no meaningful third parties challenge them

"winner-take-all" system

an election system (used in Congress) where every House district in the country can have only one winner/representative -- different than many other democracies, where electoral districts have multiple representatives