Political Parties and Campaigns

Political Party

an organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization’s name

Nomination

designation of a person as an official candidate of a political party

Political system

a set of interrelated institutions that links people with government

What are the Four Important Party Functions?

nominate candidates, educate the public, propose alternative gov’t programs, and coordinate the actions of gov’t officials

Nominating Candidates

reduce the field of candidates to a qualified few, thereby making voter selection easier

Educate the Public

Generates information on various policy issues so the electorate can make knowledgeable choices

Propose Alternate Gov’t Programs

candidates from different parties offer alternatives or improvements to current policies

Coordinate Actions of Gov’t Officials

bridge the separate powers to produce coordinated policies

T/F: There is mentions of political parties in the U.S. Constitution

False

What are the two earliest factions in the U.S.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Federalists

those who backed the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

those who opposed adoption of the Constitution

Critical election

an election that produces a sharp change in the existing pattern of party loyalties among groups of voters

Electoral realignment

the change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election

What were the three critical election years?

1860, 1896, 1932

1860 election

the country is divided between Republican northern states and Democratic southern states

1896 election

the Republican party becomes a majority party and finds an ally in business

1932 election

FDR’s victory united in a disparate mix of different religions, ethnicities, and religions

Electoral dealignment

a lessening of the importance of party loyalties in voting decisions

Two-party system

a political system in which two major political parties compete for control of the government

Bolter parties

formed from factions that split off from one of the major parties

Farmer-labor parties

“Populist Party,” “Progressive Party”

Ideological parties

criticize the established system; “Socialist Party,” “Libertarian Party”

Single-Issue parties

“Free Soil Party,” “Prohibition Party”

Majority representation

the system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes (first-past-the-post)

Proportional representation

the system by which legislative seats are awarded to a party in proportion to the vote that party wins in an election

Party Identification

a voter’s sense of psychological attachment to a party

Party platforms

the statement of policies of a national political party

National convention

a gathering of delegates of a single party to choose a party platform and candidates for president and vice-president

National committee

composed of party chair-persons and party officials from every state

Party conference

a meeting to elect party leaders and decide committee assignments

Congressional campaign committee

an organization maintained by the party to raise funds to supports its own candidates in congressional elections

Party machines

organizations that use tangible incentives such as jobs and favors to win loyalty among voters

Spoils system

the practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs

Responsible party government

a set of principles formalizing the ideal role of parties in a majoritarian democracy

Election campaign

an organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office

Primary elections

a preliminary election conducted within a political party to select candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent election

Closed primary

primary election in which voters must be registered members of the party before they are given the primary ballot containing that party’s potential nominees

Open primary

primary election in which voters don’t have to declare their party affiliation but must choose one party’s primary ballot to take into the voting booth

Blanket primary

primary election in which voters receive a ballot containing both parties’ potential nominees and can help nominate candidates for all offices for both parties

California Democratic Party v. Jones (2000)

ruled that a blanket primary was unconstitutional, it violated the political parties first amendment right to freedom of association; declared Proposition 198 unconstitutional (7-2 decision)

Presidential primary

a special primary election used to select delegates to attend the party’s national convention to nominate the presidential candidate

Local caucus

meetings of party supporters to choose delegates to attend a larger subsequent meeting, usually at the county, then state level

General election

a national election held by law in November of every even-numbered year

Straight ticket

a single party’s candidates for all the offices

Split ticket

choosing candidates from different parties for different offices

First-past-the-post elections

a term for elections conducted in single-member districts that award victory to the candidate with the most votes

Open election

an election that lacks an incumbent

Federal Elections Commission

a federal agency that oversees the financing of national election campaigns

Hard money

financial contributions given directly to a candidate running for congressional office or the presidency

Soft money

funds raised by parties to be spent on party mailings, voter registration, and get out the vote campaigns

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

limited contributions to political campaigns

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

allows corporations and unions to spend money on “electioneering communications” (political ads)

Party-Centered Strategy

rely on voters’ partisan identification and party organization to provide resources to conduct the campaign

Issue-oriented Strategy

seeks support from groups that feel strongly about various policies

Candidate-centered Strategy

campaign in which the individual seeking election is the focus

Short-term forces

arise from a combination of the candidates and the issues at the time

Long-term forces

operate through a series of elections, predisposing voters to choose certain types of candidates