political parties 1

political parties

• organizations that seek political power by running candidates for office and coordinating elected officials’ actions

political machines

• party organizations that used patronage, jobs, and services to maintain loyalty

third parties

• parties outside of two major parties

• focus on specific issues or ideologies

duvergers law

• theory that plurality, single member district electoral systems tend to produce two major parties

plurality voting

• Candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.

Single-member district (SMD)

• Electoral system where each district elects one representative.

Proportional representation (PR)

• Parties win seats in proportion to their share of the vote; encourages multiparty competition.

Party realignment

Major, lasting shifts in party coalitions and voter loyalties (e.g., New Deal realignment)

Party identification

An individual’s psychological attachment to a political party.

Divided government

Situation where the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress are controlled by different parties.

Party polarization

Growing ideological distance and hostility between parties

What are political parties, and why are they essential to mass democracy?

Political parties are organizations that recruit candidates, coordinate campaigns, mobilize voters, and structure political conflict.
They are essential because:

• They simplify complex politics for voters by providing labels (“Democrat,” “Republican”) that signal general ideology.

• They organize government, helping elected officials coordinate and pass legislation.

• They mobilize citizens, turning political preferences into actual votes.

• They help link the public to government, translating public concerns into policy agendas.

Without parties, mass democracy becomes chaotic: voters lack information, elections become personality contests, and governing becomes fragmented.

Why are there only two competitive political parties in the United States?

The U.S. electoral structure fundamentally discourages third parties. Key factors:

• Duverger’s Law: Single-member districts + plurality (“first past the post”) voting produce two dominant parties.

• Wasted vote problem: Supporting a third party rarely leads to winning seats.

• Ballot access rules, campaign finance, and debate requirements are harder for minor parties.

• Major parties also absorb third-party ideas to neutralize them.

The system is designed in a way that naturally leads toward two large, broad coalitions.

How does the two-party system contribute to today’s political polarization?

Two parties create an “us vs. them” environment. Polarization increases because:

• Each party becomes more ideologically homogeneous over time.

• Voters develop stronger party identification, often rooted in identity rather than policy.

• The media amplifies partisan conflict.

• Competitive pressures increase negative partisanship (“I vote against the other side, not for mine”).

With only two major choices, political differences become sharper and more hostile.