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Chapter 8 - Political Parties
Textbook - Government In America: People, Politics, And Policy
49
Political Studies
10th Grade
10/28/2012

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Term
Party Competition
Definition
The battle of the parties or control of public offices ups and downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American politics
Term
Political Party
Definition
Defined by Anthony Downs as a "team of men (and women) seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election
Term
Linkage Institutions
Definition
The channels through which people's concerns become politial issues on the governments plicy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media
Term
Rational-Choice Theory
Definition
A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicans. It assumes that individal act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the cost and benefits of possible alternatives
Term
Party Image
Definition
The coters perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for such as conservatism or liberaltism
Term
Party Identification
Definition
A citizens self proclaimed preference or another
Term
Ticket Splitting
Definition
Voting with one party for one office and with another office party for other offices. It has been the norm in American voting behavior
Term
Party Machines/Political Machines
Definition
A type of political pary organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such a patronage, to win votes and to govern
Term
Patronage
Definition
One of the key inducements used by party machines. A patonage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rathe than for merit or competence alone
Term
Closed Primaries
Definition
Elections to select party nominees to which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty
Term
Open Primaries
Definition
Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on election Day whether they want to participate in the Democrat or Republican contests
Term
National Convention
Definition
The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform
Term
National Committee
Definition
One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions, compressed f representatives from the states and territories
Term
National Chairperson
Definition
Responsible for the day-to-day activites of the party and is usually handpicked by the presidential nominee
Term
Coalition
Definition
A group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends
Term
Party Eras
Definition
Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority at the elections
Term
Critical Elections
Definition
An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones and the majority party is often displave by th minority parties
Term
Party Realignment
Definition
The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period
Term
New Deal Coalition
Definition
A coalition forged by Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1920s to the 1960s. Its basically elements were the urban working class, ethnic gorups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, southerners, African Americans, and the intellectuals
Term
Party Dealignment
Definition
The gradual disengagement of people from their parties as seen in part by skrinking party identifaction
Term
Third Parties
Definition
Electoral Contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unheard of, but they rerely win elections
Term
Winner-take-all system
Definition
An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in their constituencies
Term
Proportional Representation
Definition
An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the numbers of votes won in on election day
Term
Colition Government
Definition
When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature. This form of government is quite common in the multiparty system of Europe
Term
Responsible Party Model
Definition
A view about how parties should work, held by some political scientist. According to the model parties should offer clear choices to voters, who can use those choices as cues to their own preferences of canidates once n office, parties would carry out then campaign promise
Term
Blue Dog Democrats
Definition
Fiscally conservative Democrats who are mostly from the South and/or from rural parts of the United States
Term
Anti-Masonic Party
Definition
The first 3rd party in the United States that strongly opposed Masonary and was founded by a single issue party aspiring to be a majority party
Term
Caucus
Definition
A meeting of the members of a legislative body who are member of a particular political party, to select candidates and to decide policy
Term
Congressional Campaign Committee
Definition
A party of committe in Congress that provides funds to members and would-be members
Term
Congressional Committee
Definition
A legislative sub-organization in Congress that handles a specific duty
Term
Democrat-Republicans
Definition
A major political party of the 19th Century favoring a strict interpretation of the Constitution to restrict the powers of the federal government and emphasize states' rights
Term
Hatch Act
Definition
A law whose main provision is to prohibit employees in the executive branch, especially the president, the vice president, and certain high level officals in the executive branch from engaging in partisan political activity
Term
Ideological Party
Definition
A party that values pricipaled standards on issues above all else
Term
Mugwumps
Definition
Republican party factions of the 1880s to the 1910s composed of reformers who opposed patronage
Term
Democrat-Republicans
Definition
A major political party of the 19th Century favoring a strict interpretation of the Constitution to restrict the powers of the federal government and emphasize states' rights
Term
Hatch Act
Definition
A law whose main provision is to prohibit employees in the executive branch, especially the president, the vice president, and certain high level officals in the executive branch from engaging in partisan political activity
Term
Ideological Party
Definition
A party that values pricipaled standards on issues above all else
Term
Mugwumps
Definition
Republican party factions of the 1880s to the 1910s composed of reformers who opposed patronage
Term
Office Bloc Ballot
Definition
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office. Also called a "Massachusetts" ballot
Term
Organization Party
Definition
The workers and activist who's staff the party's formal organization
Term
Party Column Ballot
Definition
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that party. Also called the "Indiana" ballot
Term
Plurality System
Definition
An electoral system in which the winner is the person who get the msot votes, even if he or she does not recieve a majority. Used in almost all American elections
Term
Republican
Definition
One of the major political parties evolving in the United States in the mid-19th Century that is usually primarly associated with business, fiancia, nd some agricultural interest and is held to favor a restricted governmental role in economic life
Term
Solidary Groups
Definition
Parties organized around sociablilty, rather than tangible rewards or ideology
Term
Solidary Incentives
Definition
The social rewards (sense of pleaseure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organization
Term
Split Ticket Voting
Definition
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same elections
Term
Stalwarts
Definition
A name for party progessionals, as opposed to volunteers
Term
Superdelegates
Definition
Part leaders and elected officals who become delegates to thenational convention without having to run for promaries or caucuses
Term
Tammany Hall
Definition
the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise up in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s
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