AP Gov- Chapter 6 Political Party
What types of changes in political power occurred because of the progressive era?
voters won the right to choose their senators through popular vote (1913, 17th amendment); women won the right to vote (1920, 19th amendment)
What is split ticket voting?
voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election
How did the ideologies of the Republican party change over time?
until the 1970s, Republicans were mostly moderate and then their ideologies shifted to conservative after the early 1970s
What was the history of the Democratic Party?
began as the Anti-Federalist Party; then became the Democratic-Republican Party (1801-1825); after 1825 Republican got dropped and it became the Democratic Party
What has the "Solid South" shifted into?
the "Republican South"
What is the purpose of party registration?
to limit the participants in primary elections to members of that party and to make it easier for parties to contact people who vote for their party
Who votes at the lowest rates and why?
pure Independents; they have the lowest levels of interest and awareness of any of the categories of party identification
What does the party chair of the party that controls the White House do?
serves at the pleasure of the president and does the president's bidding
what are examples of an ideological minor party?
Communist, Prohibition, Libertarian, Right to Life, and Green parties
What did Franklin D. Roosevelt promise the people when he was swept into office during the Great Depression?
"a New Deal for America"
what are advantages of the two party system?
-each party acts as a check on the other -with fewer options, voters can more easily make an informed decision -a national government is generally more consistent when governed by a single political party and not a coalition -as each party represents roughly half the nation, it must create a coalition within its membership and with the other party
What do State Committees do?
-focus on electing party candidates to the state and national offices -receive help of national party when flipping a Congressional seat is possible
What do Local Committees do?
-manage "Get Out The Vote" campaigns and other direct appeals to constituents, particularly during the last month of an election -utilize a staff of mostly volunteers to reach out, whether with leaflets and mailers or with phone calls and home visits
what do County Committees do?
-organize efforts to support local candidates -monitor for voting irregularities in their areas
What does the National Party do?
-organize the national convention every four years to nominate a presidential candidate -polls Americans on their changing beliefs/gauges public opinion -manages issues-oriented advertising
what are disadvantages of the two party system?
-outside views are suppressed to create a unified party platform -gridlock is more common -voters may be unable to find a party that truly represent their beliefs -the expense of running a campaign and difficulty in reaching donors and voters drive many candidates to inconsistently represent their values, the needs of their party, and the will of their constituents
What are party functions?
-recruit/nominate candidates(organize the competition) -raise money and provide campaign funds -educate/mobilize voters -organize government activity -maintain checks + balances -unify the electorate -make policy -provide loyal opposition
What are the seven categories of partisan identification?
1)strong Democrats 2)weak Democrats 3)Independent-leaning Democrats 4) pure Independents 5)Independent-leaning Republicans 6)weak Republicans 7)strong Republicans
When did parties begin to form?
1787 as citizens debated ratifying the U.S. Constitution
When did the four realigning elections take place?
1824, 1860, 1896, and 1932
How long did the Republican coalition win the presidential race?
50 years after 1860 except for Grover Cleveland's victories in 1884 and 1892
What party are mostly Tea Party activists?
Republicans who are concerned about growing deficits, Obamacare, illegal immigration, gun rights, and big government
Who was Thomas Jefferson and how did he feel about Hamilton?
Secretary of State who despised Hamilton and his aristocratic ways and opposed the policies he favored
What are some shifts in party allegiance?
Southern whites - Republican African Americans - Democratic Hispanics- Democratic
Why do multiparty systems have fierce competition among many parties?
because winners are determined through proportional representation(the parties receive a proportion of the legislators corresponding to their share of the vote)
Who was Alexander Hamilton and what did he do?
Washington's Treasury secretary who built an informal Federalist party
Realigning elections
an election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties
Splinter parties
a group of people or small organization that broke away from a larger political party; usually formed by members of a larger party whose views differ from the majority of the larger party
Caucus
a meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform
What type of minor party persists over a longer period of time than one who is built around a particular leader?
a minor party that is organized around an ideology
What is the top official of a major party called?
a national chair or party chair
What is the national party convention?
a national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions held every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules
what is party identification?
a psychological attachment to a political party that most people acquire in childhood from their parents
When were political parties strengthened?
after the election of 1824 when Andrew Jackson(leader of the popular vote) failed to achieve the necessary majority of the electoral college and was defeated by John Adams in the runoff election in the House of Representatives
How do political parties bridge the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches?
by creating partisan incentives to cooperate
how does the multiparty system favor the existence of minor parties?
by giving them incentives to persevere and disproportionate power if they will help form a government
How are realigning elections characterized?
by intense voter involvement, disruptions of traditional voting patterns, changes in the relationships of power withing the broader political community, and the formation of new and durable electoral groupings
What do minor parties in a parliamentary system gain if they join a coalition?
concessions-positions in a cabinet or support of policies they want implemented
What did most of the agenda of the Progressives focus on?
corrupt political parties
How are state and local governments organized?
each state has a state committee headed by a state chair
What led to the changes in the Republican party in the late 1800s?
economic changes like industrialization, and hard times for farmers
What did the New Dealers do?
fundamentally altered the relationship between government and society by providing government jobs for the unemployed and using government expenditures to stimulate economic growth
Who participates more actively in politics and why?
strong Republicans and strong Democrats; they are generally better informed about political issues
How did the ideologies and philosophies of the Democratic Party change over time?
its ideology started to shift in 1932; they dealt with states' rights then shifted to believing that the federal government solving the problems
What does it mean when a party gets patronage?
its leaders can select party members as public officials or judges; provides an incentive for people to become engaged in politics and gives party leaders and elected politicians loyal partisans in key positions to help them achieve their policy objectives
Political Party
organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosphies become public policy
What type of government are multiparty sytsems found?
parliamentary government
What is the relationship between the Executive branch and political parties?
party commitment is expected of those who seek positions in the executive branch
What is the best predictor of how people will vote?
party identification
What is the difference between political parties and interest groups?
political parties- aim to win election, run candidates for office, focus on various issues and exists to gain power through elections Interest groups- do not participate in the electoral process, generally focused on 1 or 2 issues, groups of people that try to influence public officials
What is the winner-take-all system?
the candidate with the most votes in a district or state takes office
When was the Progressive Era and what did it produce?
the first two decades of the twentieth century; it produced a wave of political reform led by the Progressive wing of the Republican Party
What is the current system of party identification built on?
the foundation of the New Deal and the critical election of 1932
What is the Tea Party Movement?
the immediate backlash produced by the 2008 election among conservative voters
What explains the shift of the southern states rarely electing Republicans to now where Republican congressional leaders come from southern states?
the movement of large numbers of white people out of the Democratic Party
How does the 1896 realignment differ from the others?
the party in power did not change hands; it was a converting realignment because it reinforced Republican majority status
What is the honeymoon period?
the period at the beginning of a new president's term where the president receives generally positive relations with the press and Congress
What is the relationship between the Legislative branch and political parties?
the power and influence of members of Congress are determined by whether their party is in control of the House or Senate; also which party is in control of the white house
What is the most dividing line between Democrats and Republicans?
the role of government in the economy
What is realignment?
the shift or change of a party's beliefs, ideologies, policies, etc.
What made the Democratic Party more unified and liberal?
the shift to conservatism in the GOP and the diminished ranks to conservative southern Democrats
What is Duverger's Law?
the tendency to have two parties when a single-member district with the plurality deciding the winner in an election system
What happens to governments because of multiparty parliamentary systems?
they become unstable as coalitions form and collapse
What do Republicans believe about the government's role in society?
they believe in enlarging the scope of government and not intruding into the economy
What did Democrats believe about the government's role in society?
they believe that the government should be active in the economy
How can third parties have an affect on the outcome of an election?
they can take votes away from major party candidates
How did the founding fathers view political parties?
they did not feel too strongly about them; George Washington and other framers were firmly against the notion of political parties; Franklin worried about them
What happened to the Democrats after Van Buren(Democrat) followed Jackson in the White House in 1837?
they had become a large, nationwide movement with national and state leadership, a clear party doctrine, and a grass roots organization
How are parliamentary systems different from our two party system?
they have a head of state, often called the president, and a head of the government, called the prime minister or chancellor, the head of the government is the leader of one of the large parties in legislature
What role do political parties play in organizing elections?
they simplify choices for voters, and help elect people who will help their party's positions and philosophy become public policy
What is the relationship between the Judicial branch and political parties?
this branch is designed to operate in an expressly nonpartisan manner, however, today, party identification remains an important consideration when nominating federal judges
What does it mean when a party is moderate and accommodative?
thy are open to people with diverse outlooks
Why did George Washington fashion a coalition among factions?
to get Congress to pass the Constitution's measures
