Chapter 5: Parties and campaigns in the states

Party

An organization that seeks to achieve power by winning public office in elections.

Responsible parties

A party system in which parties offer clear policy alternatives and hold elected officials accountable for carrying out party policies.

Responsible party model goals

Clarify policy positions, educate voters, recruit candidates, organize campaigns, hold officials accountable, and organize legislatures.

Purists vs realists debate

Debate over whether parties should strictly follow the responsible party model or whether practical politics matters more.

Problems with the responsible party model

Parties often avoid extreme positions, voters focus more on candidate image than issues, and parties cannot force elected officials to follow party platforms.

Why parties move toward the center

Most voters are moderates, so parties avoid extreme positions to win elections.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum criticism

Criticism that the two major parties are too similar in policy positions.

Candidate-centered politics

Campaigns where individual candidates, rather than parties, raise money, organize campaigns, and rely on consultants.

Reasons for the rise of candidate-centered politics

Primary elections, decline in party identification, mass media influence, decline of patronage, and rise of PACs and 527 organizations.

Primary election

An election used to determine a party’s nominee for office.

Closed primary

Only registered party members can vote in their party’s primary.

Semi-closed primary

Voters may change party affiliation on Election Day before voting.

Open primary

Voters may choose which party’s primary to vote in regardless of affiliation.

Blanket primary

Candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot.

Top-two primary

All candidates run in one primary and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.

Why California adopted the top-two primary

To reduce partisanship and encourage more moderate candidates.

Criticism of the top-two primary

Reduces third-party influence and may reduce policy differences between candidates.

Plurality winner

Candidate with the most votes, even if less than a majority.

Majority winner

Candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote.

Runoff primary

A second election between the top two candidates when no one wins a majority.

Purpose of runoff primaries

Prevent candidates from winning with only minority support and encourage broader appeal.

Criticism of runoff primaries

Lower turnout, higher costs, and possible racial disadvantages in some districts.

Party caucus

A meeting where party members select preferred candidates, especially in presidential races.

Presidential primary election

Election where voters choose preferred presidential candidates for the national convention.

Front-loading

States moving presidential primaries earlier to gain more influence in nominations.

Party identification

A voter’s psychological attachment to a political party.

Dealignment

Decline in party loyalty and increase in independent and split-ticket voting.

Split-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election.

Cross-over voting

Voting in another party’s primary election.

Raiding

Organized attempts to influence another party’s primary by voting for weaker candidates.

Why parties prefer closed primaries

Fear of crossover voting and raiding.

Party activists

Individuals active in party organizations and campaigns.

Ideologues

People who consistently hold liberal or conservative beliefs.

Why activists are more ideological

Activists are more politically involved and hold stronger beliefs than average voters.

How activists become candidates

Party involvement provides experience, contacts, and campaign knowledge.

Party professionals

Individuals who participate in campaigns and party politics year-round, often to secure jobs or strengthen the party.

Political amateurs

Part-time participants in campaigns who mainly support a specific candidate or cause during elections.

Patronage

Giving government jobs or favors in exchange for political support.

Decline of patronage

Civil service reforms reduced political rewards parties could distribute.

Party organization

National, state, county, and precinct party officials, workers, committee members, and convention delegates.

Decentralized party structure

American parties operate from the bottom up rather than top down.

Why American parties are decentralized

Federalism and local elections distribute power across state and local levels.

State party organizations

Groups that coordinate party activities, support candidates, and organize campaigns within states.

Functions of state parties

Recruit candidates, organize campaigns, register voters, raise money, provide campaign services, and mobilize turnout.

Why state parties strengthened recently

They became professional service organizations for candidates.

Party organizations today

More professionalized and service-oriented than in the past.

Services state parties provide

Polling, media consulting, fundraising help, voter lists, legal advice, and campaign training.

State committees

Governing bodies of state political parties.

County committees

Local governing bodies of party organizations.

State party chairperson

Leader of a state party organization who coordinates strategy and party activities.

Why local party organizations matter

They organize grassroots turnout and local campaigning.

Role of volunteers in campaigns

Help with phone banking, canvassing, voter registration, and GOTV efforts.

GOTV (Get-Out-The-Vote)

Efforts to increase voter turnout and encourage supporters to vote.

Grassroots campaigning

Direct voter contact through door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, texting, and social media.

Shoe leather campaigning

Traditional door-to-door campaigning.

Mass media influence on politics

Television, internet, and social media allow candidates to communicate directly with voters.

Professionalization of campaigns

Increased reliance on consultants, polling experts, media strategists, and technology.

Public relations firms

Professional groups hired to manage campaign strategy and advertising.

Polling

Surveying voters to measure opinions about candidates and issues.

Purpose of polling

Measure public opinion, identify important issues, guide campaign strategy, and track campaign progress.

Media event

Activity designed specifically to attract press coverage.

Name recognition

Extent to which voters recognize a candidate’s name.

Why campaigns care about name recognition

Familiar candidates are more likely to receive support.

Campaign themes

Simple slogans or messages repeated consistently throughout campaigns.

Message discipline

Repeating campaign themes consistently to strengthen voter memory and trust.

Microtargeting

Directing campaign messages to specific voter groups.

Media campaign

Campaigning through television, internet, newspapers, radio, and online ads.

Free media

News coverage candidates receive without paying for advertising.

Why candidates use media events

To gain free news coverage and publicity.

Why television ads matter

They reach large audiences quickly but are expensive.

Mobile campaigning

Use of smartphones, apps, and text messaging to communicate with voters and organize turnout.

Negative campaigning

Attacking an opponent to gain voter support.

Why negative ads work

Voters are often motivated by dislike of opponents.

Difference between issue attacks and personal attacks

Issue attacks are generally more effective than personal attacks.

Effects of negative ads

Can influence undecided voters and sometimes reduce voter turnout.

Fundraising

Raising money to finance campaigns.

Why early money matters

Strong early fundraising makes candidates appear credible and competitive.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

Organization that raises and spends money to support candidates.

527 organization

Independent group that can spend unlimited money for or against candidates but cannot coordinate with campaigns.

Incumbent advantage

Officeholders usually raise more money, receive more media attention, and have greater name recognition.

Why incumbents have advantages

Greater visibility, easier fundraising, and stronger media access.

Why campaign spending matters more in primaries

Voters know less about candidates and party labels matter less.

Law of diminishing returns in campaign spending

After a certain point, extra campaign spending becomes less effective.

Why money matters more in large states

Campaigns rely heavily on expensive mass media communication.

Why self-funded candidates often lose

Money alone cannot replace strong campaigning and voter support.

Unified party government

Governor and legislature controlled by the same party.

Divided party government

Governor and legislature controlled by different parties.

Legislative gridlock

Failure to pass major legislation because of political conflict.

Effects of divided government

More difficulty passing controversial legislation, especially on welfare, education, crime, and moral issues.

Why divided government increases conflict

Different parties disagree more on controversial policy areas.

Why less controversial legislation passes easier

Areas like transportation and agriculture create less partisan conflict.

Party competition

Degree to which parties are evenly matched in elections.

Factors affecting party competition

Voter registration, demographics, margins of victory, divided government, and electoral history.

Party turnover

Change in party control from one election to another.

Swing voters

Independent or undecided voters who can support either party.

Why independents matter

They often decide close elections.

One-party dominant states

States where one party consistently wins most elections.

Competitive states

States where both parties have realistic chances of winning.

Republican Party regional strength

Strongest in the South and Mountain West.

Democratic Party regional strength

Strongest in the Northeast, Rust Belt, and Pacific Coast.