CPS Vocab: Chapter 8

Team of men and women seeking to control the government by gaining office in a duly constituted election. (According to Anthony Downs)

Type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern

• Largest component of a political party • No dues or membership cards • Not legally binding/can easily be changed • i.e. If you say you’re a Republican, you are one

• National office with full-time staff, rules, and bylaws • State and local headquarters alongside national • Including individuals that manage party operations & strats between elections precinct leaders, county chairpersons, state chairpersons, state delegates to the national committee, and officials in the party’s Washington office

Channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda - elections, political parties, interest groups, media, etc.

• Consists of several elected officials who call themselves members of a party

Voter’s perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism or liberalism

One of the key inducements used by party machines - Jobs, promotions, or contracts that are given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone

Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty

Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests

Meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a president & VP and write the party’s platform

One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions - Composed of representatives from states & territories

Person responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party - Hires staff, raises money, pays bills, attends to daily duties of the party

Group of individuals with a common interest - Every political party depends on this

Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the election

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. - Sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new era

The displacement of the majority party by a minority party, usually during a critical election period

A coalition forged by the Democrats (dominated American politics from 1930s - 1960s) - Basic elements: urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals

Gradual disengagement of people from the parties as seen in part by shrinking party identification

Popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

A citizen’s self proclaimed preference for one party or the other

Voting with one party for office and with another party for other offices»_space; has become the norm in American voting behaviour

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties. These are not unusual in America, but they rarely win elections.

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies