political parties and democracy

What is a political party

• Political party:

  • An organized group of people who share common political beliefs and work together to win elections, operate the government, and shape public policy.

• Interest groups:

  • Try to influence specific policies but do not seek to control the operation of government or win elections 

    • Doesnt aim to win in the election

An organized group of people who share common political beliefs and work together to win elections, operate the government, and shape public policy.

political party

What..

Try to influence specific policies but do not seek to control the operation of government or win elections 

• Doesnt aim to win in the election

interest groups

Components of a political party:

• When we say the republican party supports a particular policy, who exactly are we referring to?

• party in the electorate

• party organization

• party in government

What component of a political party is being described

• Voter who identify with or support a political party

  • Republican idfetifying voters participate in primaries 

• Primary functions:

  • Provides electoral support and participates in elections 

party in the electorate

What is the primary function of party in the electorate

Provides electoral support and participates in elections

What component of a political party is being described

• Party leadership, comiteees, staff, and activists that coordinate party activities and electoral campaigns 

  • Ex: Republican National Committee who help coordinate campaign activities, fundraising, and voter mobilization.

• Primary function: Recruits and nominates candidates raises funds and mobilizes voter

party organization

primary function of party organization

Recruits and nominates candidates raises funds and mobilizes voter

What component of a political party is being described

• Elected officials who represent a political party and pursue its policy goals

  • Ex: a repubilican president and republican members of congress  

• Primary functions: Organize government and purseyses policy goals 

Party in government

Primary function of Party in government

• Organize government and purseyses policy goals 

Components of a political party:

• Party in the electorate: Voter who identify with or support a political party

partisanship and party identification

• Partisianship

  • Atatctchement to, support for, or alignment with a political party

    • Political loyalty, preferences, and behavior associated with a party (e.g. consistent support for democrat or favoring democrat positions)

• Party identification

  • An indivuals physiological tie to a political party

    • Sense of belonging or attatchment to a party (e.g.. “Im a strong democrat”)

What is being described

• Atatctchement to, support for, or alignment with a political party

  • Political loyalty, preferences, and behavior associated with a party (e.g. consistent support for democrat or favoring democrat positions)

partisanship

What is

• An indivuals physiological tie to a political party

  • physiological tie: Sense of belonging or attatchment to a party (e.g.. “Im a strong democrat”)

Party identification

What is a Sense of belonging or attatchment to a party (e.g.. “Im a strong democrat”)

physiological tie

(associated with party identification)

Political party systems:

Q: are there more than two political parties in the united states:

two major political parties: The democrats and republicans & 50+ third parties

Political party systems

• Two-party system

• multi-party system

• one-party system

What is being described

• Two major parties consistently dominate political landscape, winning nearly all elections and alternating in power, while smaller third parties struggle to gain significant representation 

  • Party (Electoral) coalition

    • A group of diverse voter, interest groups, and organizations that unite to support a specific political party or form a joint goveming majority 

  • United states and united kingdom

Two-party system

What is a..

group of diverse voter, interest groups, and organizations that unite to support a specific political party or form a joint goveming majority 

Party (Electoral) coalition

countries have two party system

United states and United kingdom

What is a

• Three or more competitive parties capture substantial shares of the vote and legislative seats 

  • Coalition government

    • A power-sharing arrangement where two or more political parties share exectuive power to form a governing majority 

  • European countries

Multi-party system:

What is a ..

power-sharing arrangement where two or more political parties share exectuive power to form a governing majority 

Coalition government

What counties have a Multi-party system:

European countries 

What is a

Only a single political party is legally or practically allowed to hold power and run the government, offering little to no open electoral competition 

One-party system

Why does the US have a two party system?

How electoral systems shape party systems:

• Plurality( system (first-past-the-post)

  • To win a seat in the representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election 

    • (If your share of the vote is the largest you win the vote)

    • Duvergers law

      • A principle stating that single-member district electoral systems using plurality voting (first pass the post) tend to produce and sustain a two party system 

        • Plurality system —> two party system

What is being described

• To win a seat in the representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election 

  • (If your share of the vote is the largest you win the vote)

Plurality( system (first-past-the-post)

What is a

• A principle stating that single-member district electoral systems using plurality voting (first pass the post) tend to produce and sustain a two party system 

  • Plurality system —> two party system

• Duvergers law

  • associated with Plurality( system (first-past-the-post)

Q: why does plurality voting produce a two party system?

• Duvergers law

  • mechanical effect

  • psychological effect 

Q: why does plurality voting produce a two party system?

• Durvergers law

Plurality system —> two party system

What is being described

• Under single membrer pluralitry rules, only one candidate wins each district, making it difficult for smaller parties to gain representation 

Mechanical effect of Durvergers law

What is being described

• Anticipating mechanical effect, voters may strategically support major-party candidates rather than their preferred third-party candidates

  • Voters realize supporting a weak third party risks “wasting” their vote or unintentionally helping their least preferred major candidate win

Psychological effect of Duverger’s law

Psychological effect of Duverger’s law

• Anticipating mechanical effect, voters may strategically support major-party candidates rather than their preferred third-party candidates

What are the reasons behind this?

Voters realize supporting a weak third party risks “wasting” their vote

or

unintentionally helping their least preferred major candidate win

Psychological effect of plurality voting chart (probably dont need to know this)

• 62% Americanas think we need third party 

• Most americans are hesitant because they think it will waste their vote or help least favorite candidate win 

• Between reps and dems also support third party and this is evidence of party (electoral) coalition 

Majority rule=

more than 50%

How electoral systems shape party systems:

• Plurality( system (first-past-the-post)

• Proportional representation system

What is being described

• To win a seat in the representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election 

  • (If your share of the vote is the largest you win the vote)

Plurality( system (first-past-the-post)

What is being described

• Allows each polticalty party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote 

• Duverger’s hypothesis 

  • Systems that use proportional represenation on second-balot majoritiatian runoffs tend to foster multi-party systems

  • Proportional representation —> multi-party systems

Proportional representation system

What is concept is being described

• Systems that use proportional represenation on second-balot majoritiatian runoffs tend to foster multi-party systems

• Proportional representation —> multi-party systems

Duverger’s hypothesis 

• associated with Proportional representation system

Question: Does the US constitution requireplurality voting for elections?

No, the US constitution allows states considerable flexibility in designing elections procedures 

How electoral systems shape party systems:

Q: does US constitution or federal law require single-winner election for US concgressional elections?

• US house of representatives: Yes. Federal law (2 USC and 2c) requires states with more than one representative to use single-member districts 

• US sentate: No. senators are elected statewide according to the US constitution (17th amendment) and each state elects two senators. However they are elected in separate contests rather than together in a multi-member election

→ US congressional elections are effectively single-winner elections

How electoral systems shape party systems:

Q: does US constitution or federal law require single-winner election for US concgressional elections?

• US house of representatives:

• Yes. Federal law (2 USC and 2c) requires states with more than one representative to use single-member districts 

How electoral systems shape party systems:

Q: does US constitution or federal law require single-winner election for US concgressional elections?

• US sentate:

• No. senators are elected statewide according to the US constitution (17th amendment) and each state elects two senators. However they are elected in separate contests rather than together in a multi-member election

US congressional elections are effectively

single-winner elections

Do all 50 states use plurality system? True or false

false

q: do all use states use plualirty system?

• No 

• Ranked choice voting (single transferable vote)

  • A voter ranks multiple candidiated from most preferred to least preferred

What is ranked choice voting

A voter ranks multiple candidiated from most preferred to least preferred

• Maine adopted ranked-choice voting through a statewide referendum in 2016

• Alaska adopted ranked-choice voting through a statewide ballot initiative in 2020

• Ranked Choice Voting is in use in 53 cities and counties in other states.

Pros of plurality

• Simplicity: simple to understand and administer; straightforward vote counting

pro of ranked choice and con

more voter choice: voters can express preferences for multiple candidates; less pressure for strategic voting 

con: difficult to understand

Single winner ranked choice voting:

• Question: are multi winner proportional representation used in the US

• Yes in some local government

• Multi-winner ranked choice voting (single transferable vote)

  • Ex: albany california 

Two party system and policial polorizartion:

Q: can two-party system reinforce political polarization?

“Political polization”

• Ideological polarization

• affective polarization

A two party system can reinforce partisan divisions and hostility between opposing political groups

What is being described"?

• Growing differences between political gorups in their policy preferences and ideological postions

• Ideological polarization

What is being described"?

• Growing emotional dislike, distrust, and anaimosity toward members of the opposing political party “i strongly disagree with democats, and i dont trust people who support the democratic party”

  • Negative partisanship

    • Political attitudes and behavior formed by strong opposition to a political party 

      • “I dont paticularlly like the republican candidate, but i will vote for them because i reallyl dont want a democrat to win”

Affective polirization

What is being described

• Political attitudes and behavior formed by strong opposition to a political party 

  • “I dont paticularlly like the republican candidate, but i will vote for them because i reallyl dont want a democrat to win”

Negative partisanship

• which is a type of Affective polirization

A two party system can reinforce partisan divisions and hostility between opposing political groups 

true

Two party system and party identifdical today:

Q: is the number of political independents growing in the United states

yes