Linkage Institutions: Political Parties

What are Linkage Institutions?

  • Channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policy-makers.

    • parties, interest groups, media, elections

What is a Political Party?

  • A political party is a group of people who seek to control the government through winning elections

A Political Party Functions at 3 Different Levels

The Party Organization

The People who run the party offices at the national, state, and local level

The Party in Government

The members of the party that have won elections at the national, state, and local level

The Party in the Electorate

The millions of partisans who identify with the [arty, vote for its candidates, and donate time and money to it

Types of Party Systems

Single Party Systems

only 1 party is able to hold government by law

  • common in dictatorships

  • can occur regionally in representative democracy because of lack of competition for voters

Two Party Systems

2 major parties hold a duopoly on electoral success. Alternating terms of majority and minority status from election to election

  • Parties tend to be “Big Tents”

  • Factions exist within the party

  • Interparty fighting drives party shifts

Multi-Party Systems

multiple parties hold proportional shares of power in the government based on election outcomes. Power sharing becomes common between allied parties.

  • Seats are awarded based on the percentage of the vote won

  • Governments formed by the majority

  • Minority parties have little power

Why are there only 2 parties in the US?

  • First Past the Post a.k.a Winner-Take-All elections

    • the candidate with the largest vote share can win without majorities

  • Single Member Congressional Districts

    • only one candidate can win each seat

  • The Spoiler Effect of Third Parties

    • minor parties take votes away from the major party they are most similar to

What role do political parties play in the political process?

  • Recruit candidates to run for office

  • Fundraise for and coordinate campaigns with candidates

  • Mobilize and educate groups of voters

  • Create political platforms for voters to associate with

  • Provide a structure for committees and leadership within legislative bodies