Unit 3 - Linkage Institutions

Political Parties

A group who organizes to win elections, hold public offices, operate the government, and determine public policy

Organizations that nominate candidates, contest elections, and seek to gain control over the government.

Party Eras

Historical periods dominated by one party, often triggered by critical elections that displace the majority party and usher in a new era.

Two-party system

A political system where two major parties compete for control of public offices, with minor parties having limited success.

Divided Government

When one party controls the White House and the other controls Congress, leading to challenges in compromise and legislative gridlock.

Minor Parties

Parties that are not one of the two major parties, often organized around charismatic leaders, single issues, or ideologies.

Minor Parties roles

Express strong views on controversial issues, push major parties to adopt their ideas, and can play a "spoiler" role in affecting the outcome of elections.

Administrations of Elections

Elections are primarily regulated by state laws, with some federal regulations. Congress sets the time, place, and manner of congressional and presidential elections.

History of the Ballot

Voting methods have evolved from oral voting to paper ballots, with reforms in the late 1800s to address fraud and ensure secret voting.

Election Process

Consists of nominations, where the field of candidates narrows down, and general elections, where voters make the final decision.

Presidential Primaries

Elections held by political parties to determine their presidential and vice presidential candidates, with closed and open primary systems.

Party Conventions

Formal events where parties name their presidential and vice presidential candidates, adopt party platforms, and generate positive publicity.

Presidential vs Congressional Campaigns

Presidential campaigns are more competitive, rely on mass media, and incumbents are often held responsible for issues. Congressional campaigns are less competitive, have smaller voter turnout, and incumbents have an advantage.

Congressional Elections

Incumbency advantage is significant, with over 90% of House incumbents and over 75% of Senate incumbents seeking reelection winning. Factors such as money, visibility, constituent service, and gerrymandering contribute to incumbents' success.

Campaign Spending and Reform

Various acts and court cases have shaped campaign finance laws, including limitations on individual contributions, elimination of soft money, and regulations on 527 groups.

Electoral College

Established as a safeguard from direct popular vote, with each state having electoral votes based on its total representatives and senators. Electors, originally intended to be independent, are now expected to vote for their party's candidates.

Electoral College

The system in which the president is elected based on electoral votes, with 270 votes needed to win the presidency.

Winner take all

In most states, the candidate who receives the majority of votes in the state wins all of the state's electoral votes.

Swing states

States that are closely contested and can go either way in an election, causing candidates to focus their efforts and resources on these states.

Third-party candidates

Candidates who are not affiliated with the two major political parties and are severely limited in their chances of winning due to the winner take all system.

Popular vote vs electoral

Sometimes, a candidate may win the popular vote (the total number of votes from all citizens) but not win the electoral vote, leading to a discrepancy in election results.

Abolishing the electoral college

It would require a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college, and there is no consensus on how to reform it.

Interest groups

Organizations that share specific policy views and attempt to influence public policy.

Lobbying

The process by which interest groups attempt to influence policy makers through various means such as lobbying courts, congress, and the executive branch.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

Groups formed by interest groups to raise money and make contributions to political campaigns, with a limit of $5000 per candidate per election.

Mass media

Various forms of communication that play a role in politics, including entertainment, news reports, and political forums.

Gatekeeper

The role of the media in filtering through stories and deciding which ones to report

Scorekeeper

The role of the media in reporting on polling results and treating politics as a horse race.

Watchdog

The role of the media in monitoring the government and reporting on any wrongdoings or issues.

Candidate-centered campaigns

Political campaigns that focus more on the candidate themselves rather than the party, often utilizing the internet for campaigning purposes.

Sound bites

Short snippets of speeches or dialogues that are used in media coverage, often replacing longer speeches.

Internet and politics

The internet has allowed for various advancements in political campaigns, such as fundraising, organizing events, and instant criticism of opponents.

Media bias

The tendency of the media to report certain political issues in a certain way, which can affect what citizens believe.

Government and news

The media covers the government at different scales, giving more airtime to the president and congressional coverage, and facing constraints from the government on certain information.