Set 4: Political Parties & Electoral Systems

Political Party

An organization that seeks to gain governmental power by winning elections and representing specific interests or ideologies.

Party Systems

The patterns of competition and cooperation among political parties within a country's political system.

Political Recruitment

The process through which parties select and prepare candidates to run for political office.

Representative Functions

How parties connect citizens to government by articulating interests and integrating people into political life.

Procedural Functions

How parties help organize government by coordinating leaders, setting agendas, and ensuring stability.

Members-Voters Gap

The difference between the social or political profiles of party members and the voters who support the party.

Duverger's Law

Theory stating that single-member plurality (first-past-the-post) electoral systems tend to produce two-party systems.

Two-Party Systems

Systems in which two major parties dominate elections and alternate in power.

Multiparty Systems

Systems where several parties compete and often form coalition governments.

Dominant-Party Systems

Systems where one party consistently wins elections and governs for long periods.

Coalition

An alliance of two or more political parties that agree to cooperate in forming or supporting a government.

Catch-All Parties

Parties that try to attract support from a broad range of voters rather than a single social group.

Clientelist Parties

Parties that provide benefits or favors to voters in exchange for electoral support.

Descriptive Representation

When elected officials physically or socially resemble the groups they represent.

Substantive Representation

When representatives advocate for and act in the interests of the groups they represent.

Symbolic Representation

When representatives' presence or visibility inspires feelings of inclusion among underrepresented groups.

Political Representation

The overall process through which citizens' interests are expressed and acted upon in government.

Electoral Rules

The laws and procedures that determine how votes are cast and translated into seats.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An electoral system that allocates seats to parties roughly in proportion to the votes they receive.

Closed-List Proportional Representation

A PR system where voters choose parties, not individual candidates, and parties determine seat order.

Open-List Proportional Representation

A PR system allowing voters to influence which individual candidates from a party are elected.

Mixed-Member Systems

Electoral systems combining elements of proportional representation and single-member districts.

Gender Quotas

Rules requiring that a certain percentage of candidates or seats be held by women.

Gender Parity

A system aiming for equal (50/50) representation of men and women in politics.

Quota Law

Legislation mandating gender or minority quotas in electoral systems.

Voluntary Quotas

Quotas adopted internally by political parties rather than required by law.

Ethnic Quotas

Rules ensuring representation of ethnic or minority groups in government.

Power Sharing

Institutional arrangements that guarantee participation of different social or political groups in governing.

Politics of Presence

The idea that having diverse individuals physically present in political institutions changes how issues are represented.