Chapter 14: Political Parties

Political party

an organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voters who work together to elect candidates to political office

Party identification

the degree to which a voter is connected to and influenced by a particular political party

Straight-ticket voting

voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party

Split-ticket voting

voting for candidates from different parties in the same election

Party platform

a set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to

Recruitment

the process through which political parties identify potential candidates

Party coalition

groups of voters who support a political party over time

(Party) Realignment

when the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

Critical election

a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between two parties

Party Era

time period when one party wins most national elections

Era of divided government

a trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party

Nomination

the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office

Delegate

a person who acts as the voters’ representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee

Primary election

an election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party’s nominee for a seat in Congress

Open primary

a primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation

Closed primary

a primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote

Caucus

a process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

Super delegate

usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the state’s primary or caucus

Front-loading

a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process

National convention

a meeting where delegates officially select their party’s nominee for the presidency

Candidate-centered campaign

a trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite

Two-party system

a system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all elections

Proportional representation system

an election system for a legislature in which citizens vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of the vote they receive

Single member plurality system (first-past-the-post)

an election system for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes

Third party

a minor political party in competition with the two major parties