Political Parties

parties & interest groups that function as intermediaries btwn indvs and govt

organizations that seek to achieve power by winning public office

election won by more than 50% of votes

election by at least one more vote than the other candidate

1 of main parties in Am. politics - traces back to Dem-Rep - acquiring name under Jackson 1828

Oppose Jackson's party

1 of main parties in Am. politics - origins to anti-slavery - created under Lincoln

"Grand old party" popular label for Republican party

policies of Franklin D Roosevelt during Great Depression - helps form Democratic coalition of urban working-class

policies of Harry Truman extending the New Deal and maintaining Dem. party coalition

policies of president Lyndon B. Johnson that promised to solve nation's social & economic problems through govt. intervention

combination of social & economic conservatives, religious fundamentalist, anticommunist that rallied behind Reagan

sys. in which competitive parties adopt a platform of principle, recruiting candidates and directing campaigns based on that platform & holding elected officials responsible for enacting it

tendency of Democratic Party to take more liberal positions & for Republican party to take more conservative positions on key issues

political party's entry in general election race

political party's selection of candidates for public office

elections to choose party nominees for public office

tightly disciplined party organizations, headed by a boss that rely on material rewards

appointment to public office based on loyalty

one party controls presidency while the other controls both houses of Congress

elections in which candidates do not officially indicate party affiliation - used for city,county, school board, etc

nominating process in which party members or leaders meet to nominate candidates or select candidates to conventions

division in a city for electoral or administrative purposes or as units of organization for political parties

subdivisions of a city, county, or ward for election purposes

primary elections in which voters must declare their party affiliation & can cast a ballot only in their own party's primary election

primary elections in which voter may cast a ballot in either party's primary election

organized efforts by one party to get its members to cross over in a primary & defeat an attractive candidate in opposing party

additional primary held btwn the top 2 vote-getters in a primary where no candidate has received the majority vote

election to choose among candidates nominated by parties and/or independent candidates(who gained access to the ballot by petition)

voters who identify themselves w/ a party

persons who vote for candidates

public officials who are nominated by their party & who identify themselves in office w/ their party

national and state party officials, workers, committee members and others active in party

nominating process in which delegates from local party organizations select the party's nominees

primary elections in states in which voters in each party choose presidential candidate for party's nomination

accredited voting members of a party's national presidential nominating convention

delegates to Democratic national convention selected b/c of their position in govt or party & not pledged to any candidate

statement of principles adopted by a political party at its national convention - not binding on party candidate

self-described identification w/ a political party

declining attractiveness of the parties to voters - reluctance to identify strongly with a party

long term shift in social group support for various political parties that creates new coalitions in each party

exist to promote ideology rather than win election

third parties that arise in response to issues of popular concern not addressed by major parties

third parties formed around one particular issue

third parties formed by dissatisfied faction of a major party

political parties that challenge main parties in elections

electoral system that allocates seats in legislature based on proportion of votes each party receives in national election