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Gov Ch. 14
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Political party | an organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voters who work together to elect candidates to political office |
| Linkage institution | structure that connects the public to the government (ex: political parties) |
| Party polarization | growing ideological divide where parties move away from the center toward more extreme positions |
| Partisanship | strong support for one political party and its policies |
| Party identification | the degree to which a voter is connected to or influenced by a political party |
| Straight-ticket voting | voting for all candidates from one party on the ballot |
| Split-ticket voting | voting for candidates from different parties in the same election |
| Gridlock | inability of government to act due to partisan conflict |
| Party coalition | groups of voters who support a political party over time |
| Party era | a period when one party dominates national elections |
| Divided government | when different parties control the presidency and Congress |
| Party functions (organization) | recruit, nominate, and support candidates; raise money; create media strategy; develop policy platforms |
| Policy platform | a party’s official positions on issues |
| Party leadership | individuals who guide party strategy and represent party interests |
| Elitist theory | idea that political power is concentrated among a small group of elites |
| Citizens United v. FEC (2010) | Supreme Court case allowing unlimited independent political spending by corporations and groups |
| Impact of Citizens United | weakened party control by increasing influence of outside groups and Super PACs |
| Political socialization | process by which individuals develop political beliefs |
| Ideology and party link | conservatives tend to align with Republicans; liberals with Democrats |
| Trend in voting | increase in straight-ticket voting due to polarization |
| Decline in party ID vs increase in partisanship | fewer people formally identify with parties, but those who do are more ideologically extreme |
| Party platform in government | guides policy decisions and legislative priorities |
| Party recruitment | parties select candidates who reflect their ideology and appeal to voters |
| Divided government trend (since 1969) | frequent split control between presidency and Congress |
| Realignment | shift in party support among groups or regions |
| Example: Republican shift | from Northeast to South and West |
| Reagan (1980) | conservative shift: lower taxes, smaller gov, strong military |
| Clinton (1992) | moved Democrats toward center |
| Tea Party movement | conservative response to Obama-era economic policies |
| Polarization impact | makes compromise harder and weakens traditional party strategies |
| Nomination | process by which parties select candidates for office |
| Delegate | a representative who votes for a candidate at a party convention |
| Invisible primary | early stage (2+ years) where candidates build support, raise money, and gain endorsements |
| Primary election | state-run election where voters choose delegates or nominees |
| Caucus | party-run meeting where voters discuss and select delegates |
| Open primary | voters can vote regardless of party affiliation |
| Closed primary | only registered party members can vote |
| Semi-open primary | allows limited participation from non-party members |
| Front-loading | states move primaries earlier to increase influence |
| Super Tuesday | day when many states hold primaries at once |
| National convention | meeting where delegates officially select party nominee and adopt platform |
| Republican delegate requirement | 1,215 out of 2,429 needed to win nomination |
| Democratic delegate requirement | 1,968 out of 3,979 needed to win nomination |
| Superdelegate | Democratic party leader who can vote freely at convention |
| Candidate-centered campaign | candidates raise money and campaign independently of party leadership |
| Primary election | state-funded, uses secret ballots, broader participation |
| Caucus | party-run, involves meetings and discussion, lower participation |
| Primary control | regulated by state governments |
| Caucus control | controlled more by party elites |
| Primary turnout | higher due to convenience |
| Caucus turnout | lower due to time and effort required |
| Primary accessibility | more inclusive of general voters |
| Caucus accessibility | favors highly motivated and politically active voters |
| Primary strategy | appeal to broad electorate |
| Caucus strategy | mobilize dedicated supporters |
| Primary advantage | more democratic and representative |
| Caucus advantage | more deliberation and party engagement |
| Primary disadvantage | less informed participation |
| Caucus disadvantage | excludes those unable to attend |
| Two-party system | system where two major parties dominate elections |
| Single-member plurality system | candidate with most votes wins, even without majority |
| Winner-take-all system | candidate who wins gets all representation or electoral votes |
| Proportional representation | parties gain seats based on percentage of votes |
| Third party | minor party competing with major parties |
| Barriers to third parties | winner-take-all system, narrow focus, lack of media coverage |
| Ranked choice voting | voters rank candidates; can reduce impact of vote splitting |
| How can party identification decline while partisanship increases? | Fewer people formally identify with parties, but those who do hold stronger, more polarized views |
| Why has party identification declined? | dissatisfaction with government, distrust, and rise of independents |
| How does Citizens United weaken party organizations? | shifts power to outside groups and reduces party control over funding and candidates |
| How does political socialization lead to straight-ticket voting? | individuals adopt party-aligned ideologies early, leading to consistent party voting |
| Why has straight-ticket voting increased? | growing polarization and stronger ideological alignment with parties |
| Explain how the nomination process reflects both party organization and electorate | parties organize process, but voters choose delegates through primaries/caucuses |
| Why are early primaries and caucuses important? | create momentum, media attention, and influence candidate viability |
| How does front-loading affect elections? | accelerates process and benefits well-funded candidates |
| Why do caucuses favor certain candidates? | require strong organization and motivated supporters |
| Explain differences in state vs party control in nominations | states control primaries; parties control caucuses |
| Why are parties less powerful in nominations today? | rise of candidate-centered campaigns and independent fundraising |
| Why is the U.S. a two-party system? | single-member plurality discourages third-party success |
| Why do third parties struggle to win? | structural barriers and lack of broad support |
| How has polarization changed party strategies? | parties focus more on energizing base than appealing to moderates |
| Why is 1969–2016 considered an era of divided government? | frequent split party control between Congress and presidency |
| How do party coalitions change over time? | shifting voter priorities and realignment of regions/groups |
Created by:
katdolan