Political Science Test #1

Jeffersonian View of Government

A view that government power should not be centralized. Values self-sufficiently. (It should be localized)

Hamiltonian View of Government

A view that government should be a strong, centralized government. (It should be Nationalized)

Hamiltonian vs Jeffersonian Debate Today

These ideas are still relevant today. We see a majority of democrats taking Hamiltonian Nationalistic actions while many republicans value state rights and state decisions.

Proportional Representation

The percentages of representatives from different parties in a district reflects the percentages of votes each party received. For example, if a party wins 20% of the votes in a district with 5 representatives, one of those 5 representatives will be from that party.

Single Member Districts

This format results in a winner-take-all system, where whichever party wins the majority of votes represents the entire district. This amplifies the two-party system.

PIE

Party in the Electorate; the citizens who identify with a particular party.

PO

Party as an Organization; the bureaucracy of the party. Being organized helps the party actually get stuff done

PIG

Party in Government; the people of a party who hold office within the government (like in Congress).

How has PIE changed over time?

PIE has gained more significance over time; for example, members of a party in the electorate now have influence over who the Electoral College representatives for their state will vote for. States have also given the PIE the opportunity to pick the presidential candidate for their parties in primary elections, whereas before picking the candidate was a job for a smaller group.

How does PIG differ between the Executive and Congress?

??? Only one party holds the executive office of the presidency at a time while multiple parties are represented in Congress. Of course, the majority party in Congress would usually hold more power. Congress can especially hold more power when the majority party matches that of the executive. A divided congress can also mean slow passing of legislation.

Critical Elections

An election that’s just more important. These tend to result in realignment.

Realignment Theory

A political science theory that suggests long-term shifts in party coalitions due to changing demographics, issues, and voter alignments. (Example: when the Republican party shifted away from being a party for Civil Rights after ___) We can usually see realignment happen after a critical election.

Why hasn’t the realignment theory helped us explain political developments since the 1960s?

How were the political parties connected to citizens in the 19th century?

Party Bosses would do personal favors for people to secure votes.

What developments during the New Deal and the Progressive Era redirected politics towards the roles, functions, and policies of the government?

-Australian Ballot

-Direct Primary Elections

-Merit System (eliminates favoritism)(Civil service to government positions)

-municipal ownership of utilities

Republican Party Coalitions- interests within the party

An “economic side” that is interested in low taxes, less federal regulation, states rights, ect as well as a “cultural side” that supports gun access, limits abortion, favors religion, and avoids multiculturalism

Democratic Party Coalitions- interests within the party

A distinct minority socialist coalition! Also:

Economic: more gov regulation, gov funding for a social safety net, union protections

Cultural: limit guns, support abortion access, protect and support minorities including LGBTQIA+

Responsible Party Government

Suggests that the party in power should make and enact a platform, in which the opposing party develops alternative policies or structures for. During the election, voters determine whether they should continue with the party in power’s platform or vote in the opposing party to enact their alternative ideas.

What period exhibits RPG and what challenges were faced during this time?

In the 1950s, the government had a split between the presidency and congress, and the APSA had said that the parties fell into a state where they could no longer address the country’s problems successfully. It would have put a lot of power into the presidency, which is why this idea of a RPG was created.

Third Parties

These parties like to form during a time of intense partisanship, when a coalition or group of people feel as though neither major party is correctly addressing the problems of the country.

What difficulties do third parties face?

-The Electoral College, which favors the two parties

-Ballot limitations, including the fact that they don’t necessarily have a guaranteed spot from one election to the next like the major parties do.

-Single Member Districts

-voters scared of “throwing away their vote” (Combatted by ranked choice voting)

The Electoral College

Each state has a set number of voters in the electoral college, which equals the number of people they have in congress. These electors vote for the president; when we vote on election day, we’re actually voting for the people who are in the Electoral College who are to vote for the candidate they represent.