Chapter 5 Political Parties

Bipartisan Campaign Reform

Act of 2002: Also known as BCRA, this act not only banned federal political parties from using soft money for federal election activity but also restricted some activities of state and local parties.

Caucus

Used by parties to nominate candidates, with party members informally meeting, deliberating, and casting a vote for their preferred candidate.

Closed Primary

A primary nomination election in which voters registered with a political party are permitted to vote only for candidates of the party with whom they are registered

Direct primary

An election in which voters select one candidate affiliated with a political party for each elected office; the party nominees later face one another in a general elections.

Functional party model

A theory that parties par pragmatic, self-interested organizations, striving to maximize votes in order to win elections and control political office.

Office-block ballot

Groups together all candidates running for a single political office by the political office rather than by their party.

Open primary

A primary nomination election. Any registered voter, including independents, can participate. Voters must decide which party's primary they will participate in, and can choose only among that party's candidates.

Partisan dealignment

The weakening of the attachment that voters have to a political party.

Party boss

The head of an urban or state party machine who controls elections and the disbursement of patronage.

Party-column ballot

Groups together all candidates running for different political offices by their party affiliation, making straight-ticket voting possible.

Party fusion

Permits two or more parties to nominate the same candidate for office.

Party identification

Also know as PID, it is the strength of an individual's attachment to a political party.

Patronage appointments

The rewarding of government offices to loyal supporters in exchanged for their political support.

Political action committee

A legal entity that allows like-minded individuals who belong to a corporation, labor union, or virtually any other organization to bundle their contributions and give them to candidates or political parties.

Responsible party model

A theory advanced by 18th century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke that parties should be ideologically consistent, presenting voters with a clear platform and set of policies that are principled and distinctive. Elected officials are expected to be held re

Semi-closed primary

Voting in a party's primary is permitted for voters who are registered with the party or as independents.

Semi-open Primary

Registered voters may vote in any party's primary, but they must publicly declare for which party's primary they choose to vote.

Soft money

Campaign funds not regulated by federal election laws, originally intended to be used for party building and for state and local general electioneering activities.

Spoils system

An informal system in which political appointments are rewarded on the basis of political considerations, rather than fitness of office.

Top-two-primary blanket

Allows eligible voters, irrespective of their party affiliation, to vote in a primary for any candidate running on any party ticket, whit the top candidates from each political party squaring off in the general election.