Ap Government - Political parties

Developing party platforms (function of political parties)

Creating a document with all written positions and promises on each political issue

Party platform

A document outlining a political party's core principles, goals, and positions on specific issues

Acting as a watchdog (function of political parties)

Monitoring governments and corporations to make sure they are fully accountable and transparent about what is occurring

Nominating candidates (function of political parties)

Narrowing the number of candidates to one, to make it easier for voters to choose

Funding candidates (function of political parties)

Collecting money for political campaigns

Informing the public (function of political parties)

Educating the public on important issues and decisions

Bonding agent (function of political parties)

Coalition building - the unification of Americans with diverse interests to more easily win an election

Mobilizing voters (function of political parties)

Getting people to participate in elections (encouraging votes, building enthusiasm, registering voters, etc)

Split ticket voting

When a voter chooses candidates from different parties on the same ballot in a single election

Winner-take-all elections

The candidate who receives the most votes, wins the entire election or all of the representation

Single-member districts

Only one person wins in each district, despite several candidates running for an office, with no room for third parties

Major parties

Broad, coalition-based parties aiming to win majority support and govern

Minor/Third parties

Any party outside of the major parties

Ideological parties

Advocates total change of the political spectrum (longest lasting are socialist and communist)

Economic Protest

Opposes economic policies of the government in power (Ross Perot’s Reform Party)

Single-issue party

A party made to focus primarily on one specific public policy concern or political issie (Green Party - environment)

Splinter Party

Breaks away or secedes from a major party because its own principles go beyond the parameters of the two-party system

Who started the two-party system?

Federalists and anti-federalists set the precedent

Why has the two-party system thrived?

• third parties often struggle to compete with major parties for votes

• Election and finance governing laws favor major parties

• media primarily focuses on major parties

• winner take all features preclude an chance of a third party win

• third parties are unable to break their cycle of failure

How do minor parties affect American politics?

Third parties act as spoiler candidates because votes given to them are wasted, resulting in a huge effect in elections due to the influence of hundreds of votes in election results

Prospective voting

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Retrospective voting

Voting to decide whether the party of a candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past

Rational choice voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizens’ individual interest

Party line voting

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government

Political efficacy

Citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs

15th amendment

Allows black people to vote

19th amendment

Allows women to vote

24th amendment

Eliminates poll taxes

26th amendment

Changes voting age to 18