Political Parties and Electoral Systems Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering terms, institutions, mechanisms, and models related to political parties and electoral systems.

Linkage institution

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, these include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Candidate centered politics

Politics that focuses directly on the candidates, their particular issues, and character, rather than on party affiliation, making political parties less important.

Personal following

The political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks.

Caucus

A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate.

Coalition

A group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends.

Coalition government

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature; this form of government is quite common in the multiparty systems of Europe.

Critical election

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Often marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring a new party era (such as 2016 when Republicans took the Presidency from the Democrats).

Critical or realignment period

Periods when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties.

Party dealignment

The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.

Party realignment

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.

Divided government

A situation where one party controls the presidency and the other party controls Congress.

Factional party

Parties formed by a split within one of the major parties (e.g., Bull-moose party).

Party in Government

The office holders who organize themselves and pursue policy objectives under a party label.

3rd/Minor party

A smaller sized political party that plays a lesser role than the major political parties (e.g., Communist party).

Single-issue party

A political party that focuses on one specific issue, such as the Green party or Marijuana party.

Party Organization

The workers and activists who make up the party's formal organization structure.

National chairman

The day-to-day party manager elected by the national committee.

National committee

Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions.

National convention

A meeting of party delegates held every four years.

Nominating convention

A political convention held every four years to decide who will become the Presidential candidate for that party; today it is largely symbolic because primaries and caucuses decide the winner.

Party eras

Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections.

Party identification

A citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other.

Party image

The voter's perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism or liberalism.

Party in the electorate

The voters who consider themselves allied or associated with the party.

Party platform

The statement of policies of a national political party.

Plurality/First past the post system

An electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if they do not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections.

Political machine

A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage.

Political party

A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office.

Proportional representation

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.

Responsible party model

A view favored by some political scientists holding that parties should offer clear choices to voters, who can then use those choices as cues for their candidate preferences, and once in office, parties should carry out their campaign promises.

Split ticket

Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election.

Straight ticket

Voting for candidates who are all of the same party.

Think tank

An institutional collection of policy-oriented researchers and academics who are sources of policy ideas.

Two-party system

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.