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political parties
organized groups of people who share similar political beliefs and goals, aiming to influence government policy and gain political power through elections.
crucial role in democratic systems by representing diverse interests and facilitating political participation.
partisanship
strong, often blind allegiance to a particular political party or group. It can influence opinions, decisions, and behaviors, leading individuals to prioritize party loyalty over objective analysis or bipartisan cooperation.
can manifest in various forms, including voting patterns, media consumption, and public discourse.
two-party system
a political system in which two major political parties dominate the electoral landscape.
often leads to a stable government but can limit the representation of diverse political views, as smaller parties struggle to gain traction.
emerged in the 18th century (federalists v democratic-republicans)
nomination
the process by which political parties select candidates to run for public office. This can occur through primaries, caucuses, or conventions, where party members or delegates choose their preferred candidate to represent the party in elections.
primary elections
preliminary elections in which voters select candidates to represent a political party in the general election.
political caucus
meetings of members of a political party or faction to discuss and decide on policy, select candidates, or strategize for elections.
formal or informal gatherings and often play a crucial role in the nomination process for political offices.
platform for grassroots organizing and mobilizing party members.
party organization
the structured system of a political party, including its leadership, committees, and membership.
encompasses the processes for recruiting members, fundraising, campaigning, and coordinating activities to achieve political goals.
national conventions
large gatherings of political party members in a country, typically held to nominate candidates for upcoming elections, establish party platforms, and unify party members.
These events often include speeches, debates, and the adoption of party rules. In the United States, crucial for presidential elections, where delegates formally select their party's nominee.
political platforms
formal sets of principles and goals that a political party or candidate advocates for during an election. They outline the party's stance on various issues, such as the economy, healthcare, education, and foreign policy.
soft money
funds raised by political parties for activities that do not directly support a specific candidate, such as party-building activities and voter registration drives.
less restricted, allowing parties to raise unlimited amounts from individuals and organizations. However, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 imposed restrictions to national parties.
majority party
substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party
minority party
a political party that does not have a majority of seats in a legislative body. In a two-party system, it typically refers to the party that holds fewer seats compared to the majority party.
can influence legislation, represent specific interests, and provide alternative viewpoints. They often work to gain more support in future elections.
electoral realignment
significant and lasting shift in the political landscape, often characterized by changes in party systems, voter demographics, and political ideologies.
critical elections can lead to the emergence of new political parties or the reconfiguration of existing ones. Historical examples include the New Deal coalition in the 1930s and the Southern realignment in the 1960s.
party polarization
the growing ideological distance and division between political parties, leading to increased partisanship.
result in gridlock in governance and a decrease in bipartisan cooperation.
third parties
political parties other than the two dominant parties in a political system. They often emerge to represent specific issues or ideologies and can impact elections by drawing votes away from major parties.
democratic national committee
the formal governing body for the Democratic Party in the United States.
Functions:
Organizes the party's national convention.
Coordinates fundraising and campaign strategies.
Supports Democratic candidates at all levels.
Establishment: Founded in 1848, it plays a crucial role in shaping party policies and platforms.
republican national committee
the principal organization for the Republican Party in the United States. It is responsible for promoting the party's platform, coordinating fundraising, and organizing national conventions.
Key Functions:
Fundraising for Republican candidates
Organizing national conventions
Developing party strategies and policies
Established:1856
proportional representation system
seats in government are allocated to political parties based on their share of the total vote cast
linkage institutions
channel that connects people with the government - keeping people informed and trying to shape public opinion and policy
geographic single-member districts
electoral districts that elect one representative, where each district corresponds to a single legislative seat.
winner-take-all elections
electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins; there is no proportional representation for runners-up
plurality voting
voting system where the candidate only needs to receive the most votes to win, regardless of whether they achieve a majority
incentive to avoid third-party candidates
tendency of voters to refrain from voting for third-party candidates due to the belief that their vote may be wasted in a system where only one party can realistically win
functions of political parties
create leaders to run for political office
create competition among candidates
educate the public on policies and issues
make policy and govern
candidate recruitment
process by which political parties seek and encourage individuals to run for local, state, and national office
recruitment criteria
standards used by parties to select candidates, including loyalty to the party platform and the ability to raise campaign funding
loyalty to party platform
candidate’s commitment to the beliefs and policies advocated by their political party
fundraising ability
capacity of a candidate to secure financial support for their election campaign, essential for viability
challenges in candidate recruitment
difficulties faced by political parties in finding competitive candidates, often due to changing political landscapes and public perception
difficulty in finding candidates
increased political polarization, negative campaigning, and the high cost of running for office make it hard for parties to identify and attract viable candidates
competitive candidates factors
high investment to campaign
intense scrutiny on social media in the press
need to handle negative campaign ads run by opponents
single candidate strategy
approach by political parties to nominate only one candidate for the general election to avoid splitting votes among party members
vote splitting
multiple candidates from the same party run for office, potentially reducing the overall votes for the party and allowing opposing candidates to win
general election ballot
official list of candidates that voters can choose from during the general election
party unity
cohesive front among party members, ensuring that voters are consolidated behind a single candidate to maximize electoral chances
internal nomination
process by which political parties select their candidates for the general election, often through primaries or caucuses
open primary
primary election in which registered voters can choose to participate in any party’s primary regardless of their own party affiliation
closed primary
primary election in which only registered party members can vote to select their party’s candidate
semi-closed primary
primary election where registered party members can vote in their own party’s primary, while unaffiliated voters may choose which party primary to participate in
voter mobilization
efforts by political parties and organizations to encourage and assist voters in participating in elections at all levels
ways of voter mobilization
voter registration by nonprofit organizations, local community groups, mail notices, call voters, knock on doors, sick burns on twitter
voter mobilization as a science
mass use of computerized databases, data mining, social media, and other micro-targeting techniques have all modernized the American Political System
party organization
formal structure of a political party, including leadership, election committees, active members, and paid staff
functions of national conventions
nominate official candidates for president and vice president in upcoming election
establish party rules
adopt party’s platform
held every 4 years attended by delegates from every state
media event to promote party’s candidates
determine party rules
approve party platform
2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
Outlawed soft money to political parties, to circumvent this parties establish Super PACs as sources of outside money
super PAC
an independent expenditure-only committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against political candidates. They cannot coordinate directly with candidates or parties but can engage in political advertising and other forms of advocacy.
wedge issues
issues that polarize the fundamental differences between positions of democrats and republicans
examples of wedge issues
immigration, military spending, social programs, tax policies, economic intervention, abortion, infrastructure spending
1st party system
1790s: federalists vs democratic-republicans (jeffersonians)
key issues: location of capital, financial issues
federalists
hamilton & adams
strong central government & bank
protective tariffs
powerful navy
favored businesses & wealthy
support from NY and new england
loose interp of constitution
forgive states’ war debts
republicans
southern agricultural interests
party of jefferson & madison
weak central government
state banks
minimal navy
democracy for farmers, craftsmen and “ordinary people”
free trade
friendship with france
2nd party system
1830s: democrats vs whigs
key issues: tariffs (farmers v merchants), slavery
andrew jackson
2nd party system guy
gains fame & political success to widen the “common man electorate” of the democratic party
whig party
groups opposing “king jackson” united to form new political force
widened voting population by eliminating property qualifications
couldn’t win elections
dissolved in 1856 because they couldn’t agree on policy towards slavery
3rd party system
problems of the civil war: republicans vs democrats
key issues: slavery, reconstruction, industrialization
new republican party
1860
nominated abraham lincoln
south secedes → civil war
reconstruction
1865 - 1880s
union republicans strip southern democrats of political powers and set up system of checks for readmission
programs fail in 1870s
former confederate political systems to regain full control of internal state affairs & party politics
african americans still deprived of political rights
4th party system
the gilded & progressive eras: republicans v democrats
key issues: industrialization & immigration
gilded & progressive eras
rapid social/economic changes that led to variety of 3rd parties to form - challenging old political status quo
populist party
rises with appeal to small farmers and urban workers
successful in 1892 w james weaver carrying 4 states in pres election
1896 merges w democratic party
republican party
nation’s majority party in 1896 - 1932
american business growth, low taxes, high tariffs, minimum government regulation
5th party system
new deal system - reversal of fortune - republicans v democrats
after roaring 20s (great depression)
key issues: size & scope of federal government
new deal agenda
1932 when americans elected FDR & solidly democratic congress
roosevelt pushed this with premises of economic management and social welfare
new deal coalition
made democrats the majority party until the 1960s
unionized workers
upper-middle class intellectuals/professionals
southern farmers
jews & catholics
african americans
6th party system
contemporary american system
2nd half of 20th century
no party has true “majority” of population and parties continued to be split by major issues
key issues: size & scope of fg, civil rights, social issues, foreign policy
southern strategy
1970s - 1980s
nixon’s agenda that pulls old southern democrats to the gop
reagan’s coalition
broad coalition of voters in the 1980s, including religious conservatives, that contribute to republican party’s electoral successes
causes of realignment
new political issues
economic or politics crisis
mobilization of new voters
critical elections
elections that reveal sharp, lasting changes in loyalties to political parties
examples of critical elections
1800 - jefferson
1828 - jackson
1860 - lincoln
1896 - mckinley
1932 - fdr
current third parties power
exist as protest movements to promote specific issues
absorption as a means of policy impact
represent social/economic interests not given voice by two major parties
ranked choice voting
electoral system where voters rank candidates in order of preference, allowing for more nuanced choices rather than a single vote
benefits of ranked choice voting
more civility in political campaigns
fewer negative tactics
more cooperation among candidates who seek to be voter’s second choice
frequency of congressional elections
every 2 years
midterm elections
congressional elections that don’t coincide with presidential election
state, county, and city election boards
establish and staff polling locations
process mail-in ballots
verify eligibility of oters
state laws on elections
photo id requirements
early voting periods
voter registration deadlines
mail-in eligibility
ideological extremes in caucuses
caucus attendees often hold more polarized views, typically leaning toward far-left or far-right ideologies, relative to broader electorate
2000 presidential election
controversy with punch card system led to voting/counting errors
2003 help americans vote act (hava)
require states to introduce computerized voting systems
geographic legislative districts
house of representatives, state legislatures, city council members (for big cities) elected not by the full body of voters
redistricting
process of redrawing election districts every 10 years by states to reflect population changes (determined by US census)
one person, one vote
principle that requires districts to include roughly equal populations
gerrymandering
apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party
cracking
redistricting strategy that dilutes voting power by spreading a group across multiple districts
packing
redistricting strategy that concentrates a particular group of voters into a single district to minimize influence on other districts
baker v carr (1961)
ap scotus case that the equal protection clause requires legislative district boundaries to be draw to have roughly the same number of constituents under the principle of “one man, one vote”
14th amendment equal protection clause
ap scotus case that
Presidential Race
A competitive process where candidates vie for the office of President of the United States, involving a series of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
Invisible Primary
The period before the official start of the primary elections where potential candidates build support and name recognition through fundraising, media appearances, and grassroots efforts.
Campaign Tour
A series of public appearances by candidates across the country to connect with voters, share their platforms, and build momentum.
Presidential elections special rules
Electoral college instead of popular vote
Party conventions for Republicans and Democrats
Conventions = Celebration for nominees
front-loading
moving up of presidential primaries and caucuses by states thereby increasing their influence in the selection of party’s candidate. as a result, presidential nominees are often determined early in the election year.
citizens united v federal election commission
ap scotus case that struck down the brca, partially overturns it by allowing unregulated political independent expenditures by a non-profit organization.
superdelegates
Party elites who have the freedom to vote for any candidate at the convention, regardless of primary results; their influence has been reduced in recent years to increase the weight of the popular vote.
process of electoral college
# of electors are allocated to each state based on size of state’s congressional delegation (senators + HOR members)
large population states therefore get more votes in electoral college
permanent apportionment act of 1929
method for apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states based on the decennial census. It fixed the total number of representatives at 435 and introduced a formula to allocate these seats, ensuring that each state received at least one representative. This act aimed to provide a more stable and predictable system for congressional representation.
winner of electoral college
by majority, not plurality
candidate who wins at least 270/538 electoral votes, but allocation of electors by each state is a winner-take-all system.
each state awards all of its electors to the candidate who receives the most votes in the state.
benefits of winner-take-all system
encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations
winner of electoral college did not win popular vote
hayes (1874), cleveland (1888), w. bush (2000), trump (2016)
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