party in the electorate
largest component of political parties; refers to role of electing officials; anyone can register with party of their choosing (no active involvement required)
party as organization
national, state, and local offices with full time staff, rules and regulations, and budgets; keeps party running in between elections; includes chairpersons (local, state, national), delegates, and office workers
party in government
elected officials who identify as members of a party; not all of them agree on every issue, especially in Congress; not uncommon for elected officials to put personal gain above party allegiance
examples of linkage institutions
elections, political parties, interest groups, media
nomination
party's official endorsement of a candidate or elected official
party machines
type of political party that relies on monetary incentives and patronage to win elections
third parties that promote certain causes
advocate for a single issue (prohibition of alcohol) or take extreme stances (socialism, libertarianism)
third party variety: splinter parties
those who do not think they got a fair hearing from Republicans/Democrats (e.g. Teddy Roosevelt's Progressives in 1912)
third parties that are merely an extension of a popular individual with presidential aspirations
dissatisfied with Republican/Democratic nominees; John Anderson (1980) and Ross Perot (1992 and 1996)
coalition government
two or more parties joining together to form a majority; common in europe
nomination campaigns
campaigns between members of a party
election campaigns
campaigns between two candidates for the presidency (one from each party)
roles of national party convention
determine presidential and vice-presidential nominees; write party platform
Chicago 1968
Democratic National Convention was run by the elite; minorities, women, and youth felt discriminated against and rioted in the streets; committee of review was launched (later known as the McGovern-Fraser Committee)
mcGovern-Fraser Committee outcomes
Made Democratic party conventions more open to the voice of the people and more representative of the people's demographics; more open process of delegate selection (state-run primaries or open meeting to decide delegates)
caucus
open meeting in which voters decide which candidate to have their delegates endorse
why the Iowa Caucus is important
first major test of presidential candidates' vote-getting abilities; can boost or destroy campaigns based on how much support there are for candidates
frontloading
states' tendency to hold primaries/caucuses earlier in order to get more media attention
mo
momentum in a nomination campaign; who has been thus far successful and is projected to continue to be successful; must win bigger portion of support than the media expects them to in order to get "mo
presidential primaries
voters go to polls in their states; much more participation than in caucuses
importance of New Hampshire Primary
typically the first primary; shows candidates' vote-getting abilities
criticisms of primaries and caucuses
1. too much emphasis placed on early primaries and caucuses
2. not enough people vote in primaries and caucuses
3. media is too large of a driving force
4. politicians can't find enough time off to run
5. money plays too big of a role (whoever gets the mo
political spectrum
way that political ideologies are divided; right = conservative and left = liberal; most voters fall in the middle
conservative
believe in personal responsibility, limited federal government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values, and a strong national military
liberal
believe in expanded federal government, government's positive influence on the market, government-funded social services, and equal opportunity and equality for all
political culture
set of beliefs, attitudes, and sentiments that define the basis of politics in a country