St. Mary's government chapter 8

What type of events tend to create critical elections?

Highly contested issues like slavery during the election of 1860, the country was very divided. A sharp change in party loyalty occurred. (So people switched parties)

The twelfth Amendment , prevented a tie from occurring between President and Vice President (Jefferson and Burr tied in electoral college, they chose Jefferson). The 12th amendment required the electoral college to vote separately for president and vice president. Parties would nominate different candidates for office.

How did the 12th amendment to the Constitution affect how parties nominated presidential candidates?

national committee

One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories. Governs each party between conventions, composed of party officials representing the states and territories including the chairperson of their party organizations.

True

T/F A Country Needs two parties for a Democracy.

True

T/F The sponsoring of candidates as a representative of the party is what distinguishes them as a political party not an interest group.

nominating candidates, structuring the voting choice, proposing alternative government programs, and coordinating the activity of government officials.

What are Political parties four important functions?

structuring the voting choice

What is it call when political parties reduce the number of candidates on the ballot to those who have a realistic chance of winning. A. Nominating candidates B. Structuring the voting choice C. Proposing Alternative Government Programs: D. Coordinating actions of government officials

proposing alternative government programs

What is it called when a political party puts forth and advocating government policies to be perused.

nominating candidates, they recruit qualified candidates and find quality candidates (knowing their strengths and weakness

What one function most clearly sets parties apart from other groups in the political process?

political party

Which is an organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization's name, through a nominating process. A. Interest group B. Political party

propotional representation

Which system tends to promote multiple political parties A. Majoritarian representation (majority) B. proportional representation

Congressional party conferences

a meeting to select party leaders and decide committee assignments, held at the beginning of a session of Congress by Republicans or Democrats in each chamber

Median Voter Hypothesis

if a candidate/party wins the median vote and those on his/her side of the left-right continuum, he/she wins the election. Median voter is the voter right in the middle. The more you go towards the middle you will find a higher number of voters. A third party candidate splits up the vote with the party they are ideologically closest to. So the opposite party wins. Retrospective voting: How has the candidate voted in past elections To get nominated: need to appeal to the voters at the far end of the spectrum but to win the election, need to appeal to the median voter.

congressional campaign committee

organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections.

electoral realignment or political realignment, political realignment occurs when a particular group or class of voters changes or in other words realigns with a political party or candidate who they vote for in a particular election—known as a "critical election" or this realignment may be spread out over a number of elections. On the other hand, "dealignment" occurs when a voter becomes disenfranchised with his or her current political party and either chooses not to vote or becomes an independent

the change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election,

majority representation

the system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes

How have minor parties or third parties fared historically? As vote getters?

they have not performed well. "Bolter parties" (a fraction group that has split off from the majority party) have won 10-19% of the vote at times mostly voters tend not to support a third party at the polls.

What is true about Republicans? A. Republicans platforms stress freedom, but also emphasize the importance of restoring social order B. Republicans are against spending on social programs (like welfare) C. Are not against spending billions of dollars for the national defense or programs to restore order D. Are not against spending billions of dollars programs to restore public order (crime, marriage, abortion). E. Stress Equality over freedom

A, B, C, D

How did the second party system differ from the first? A. each party has alternated irregularly in power, B. each party enjoying a long period of dominance. C. Instead of selecting candidates in a closed caucus of party representatives in Congress, the parties devised the national convention at these gatherings , D. delegates from state parties across the nation choose candidates for president and vice president E. adopted a statement of policies called a party platform.

A,B,C,D,E

four principles of responsible party government

A. parties should present clear programs to voters B voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs. C. The winning party should carry out its program, D. voters should hold the party responsible for doing so.

Describe the ideal role of parties in majoritarian democracy and assess how American politics fits this ideal.

According to the majoritarian democracy, Political Parties are essential in responding to public opinion. Political parties should present clear programs to voters and voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs. The winning party should carry out its program, and voters should hold the party responsible for doing so.

critical election

An election when significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty.

proportional representation

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election. The proportional representation tends to promote multiple parties because each can win enough seats in the legislature to wield some power.

party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood. A voters sense of psychological attachment to a particular party (which is not the same as voting for a party in any given election) voting is a behavior and identification is a state of mind.

What is true about the views of the Democratic Party? A. Describe themselves as conservative B. Describe themselves as liberal C.Democratic's stress equality over freedom: D. Democratic's stress freedom over equality. E. Democrats more likely to support government spending to advance social welfare (promoting equality) than Republicans.

B, C, E

National Convention

Every four years, party primaries and caucuses choose thousands of delegates from states and US territories (like Puerto Rico and Guam) to meet and nominate a presidential candidate.

Minor parties have contributed ideas to the Democratic and Republican platforms but have not enjoyed much electoral success in America. Our two-party system is perpetuated by two principles of our electoral system: single member districts and plurality rule. The political socialization process causes most Americans to identify with either the Democratic or Republican Party. Over the last sixty years, voters have been leaving the Democratic Party and becoming independents. Still Democrats nationally outnumber Republicans and together they outnumber independents.

Explain why two parties dominate the history of American politics?

Two party system, each party has alternated irregularly in power, each party enjoying a long period of dominance. Instead of selecting candidates in a closed caucus of party representatives in Congress, the parties devised the national convention at these gatherings , delegates from state parties across the nation choose candidates for president and vice president and adopted a statement of policies called a party platform.

How did the second party system differ from the first?

How did the 12th amendment to the Constitution affect how parties nominated presidential candidates?

The twelfth Amendment , prevented a tie from occurring between President and Vice President (Jefferson and Burr tied in electoral college, they chose Jefferson). The 12th amendment required the electoral college to vote separately for president and vice president. Parties would nominate different candidates for office.

To what extent do the national committees of the Democratic and Republican parties control their parties presidential campaigns?

They are useless unless a President is running for reelection. The Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee do not direct or control the presidential campaigns. For example in 2016, both national committees were helpless as outside candidates (Trump) threatened inside candidates. However, when a President seeks reelection, the national party's role changes to prevent any serious challenge to the incumbent. So overall they seem useless during a presidential campaign unless the president is running for reelection.

Interest group

This group can support candidates but they don't nominate candidates to run for office. A. Interest group B. Political party

Coordinating the actions of government officials, Members of the same party (President, House, Senate) tend to share the same political principles and thus often cooperate in making policies.

This is needed due to separation of powers, parties must bridge gap in ideals in order to work together (office holder must be loyal to party and ideals if they want support) A. Proposing government programs B. Coordinating actions of government officials C. Structuring the voting choice

Parties not in the constitution, federalist paper 10- Constitution set up limit fractions, president Washington concerned about parties in farewell address. T/F

True

How have minor parties or third parties fared historically? As policy advocates?

at times they have had real effect on policies adopted by the major parties. (Women's sufferage, graduated income tax and direct election of senators all origninated with third parties.)

Explain why two parties dominate the history of American politics?

electoral system: single member per district and plurality rule