Social Cleavages and Party Systems

Nonpartisan System

System with no official political parties

Single-Party System

A system in which only one political party is legally allowed to hold power (found in dictatorial systems)

One Party Dominant System

A system in which multiple parties may legally operate but in which only one particular party has a realistic chance of gaining power.

Political Parties

A group of officials or would-be officials who are linked with a sizable group of citizens into an organization. Ensure that its officials attain power/maintained in power

Party Identification

Convey to voters how they should feel about certain issues based on party affiliation

Whip

Ensures members of the party attend legislative sessions and vote as the party leadership desires.

Pre-industrial cleavages

-Urban rural cleavage

-Confessional cleavage

-Secular-clerical cleavage

Industrial/Post industrial Cleavages

-Class cleavage

-Post material cleavage

-Ethnic/Linguistic cleavage

Two Party System

A system in which only two major political parties have a realistic chance of holding power. (United States)

Multiparty System

A system in which more than two parties have a realistic chance of holding power (Netherlands, Japan, Israel)

Effective Number of Parties

A measure that captures both the number and size of parties in a country

Cross-cutting cleavages

Uncorrelated cleavage

Reinforcing Cleavages

correlated cleavage

Mechanical Effect of Electoral Laws

-Degree of proportionality : single member district plurality systems punish smaller parties, while rewarding larger parties.

Effective number of electoral parties

A measure of the number of parties that win votes

Effective number of legislative parties

A measure of the number of parties that win seats.

Strategic Effect of Electoral Laws

Whether to prioritize policy/idealogical alignment or balance it will viability.

Strategic Entry

refers to the decision by political elites about whether to enter the political scene under the label of their most preferred party that has a realistic chance of winning

Duverger’s Law

Single member district plurality systems encourage two-party systems

Duverger’s Hypothesis

Proportional representation electoral rules favor multi-party systems.