What are political parties? !

A political party is a group off people who organize to win elected in an effort to enact a common set of public policies. Essential to this effort is the party platform which lays out the partys core beliefs policy proposals. !Parties function in 3 key ways: 1. Party in the electorate is used to describe the general patters of voters party id& the behavior on election day. 2. Party in government describes the myriad ways that members of government who share 3. What do Parties do? Parties in the electorate gives voters something to identify with . Party identification attachment or allegiance to a political party. . Voter registration. . Become active in party organization. Parties in government organized members into cohesive groups, known as the party caucus that vote for policies of import for their party. Parties organization a multi-level organization organized to elect the partys nominees for major offices. . National committees are the top level of the national party; coordinates presidential campaigns . Raise money for incumbents. The party nomination process Primaries . Parties hold primary elections to determine the partys candidate to run in the general election. . Primaries can be of multiple varies(open , closed, semi-closed) .Political parties are interested in the picking the best candidate for the general election. .State laws govern party ballot access. .They can steer donors toward their preferred candidate . Candidates perceived as weak or less ideological may run into major roadblocks.

Nomination Voters vote for candidates but are re-choosing delegates. In a caucus the process is less form its for the same purpose. Each party allocates delegates differ Democratic Party allocates dele via proportional representation. Superdelegates.

The republican presidential nomination Republicans use the unit rule to award delegates &Some states award delegates by vote totals in districts, rather than the entire state. Use a winner-take-all nomination procedure. @ This simplifies & shortens the process --- usually. @ Gives an advantage in the general election The timing of primaries. States that hold primaries earlier in the season have greater influence. Momentum helps a candidate solicit donations Incentivizes candidates spending a disproportionate This has caused frontloading The effects of a two-party system Limited political choice. The median voter theorem(Downs, 1957) @ Moderates have the most influence. The structural limits *Single member plurality system, in which one seat( at any level of government) is assigned to the candidate that gets the most votes in a district. *To win, a candidate only need a plurality of the votes not a majority. *Because theyre effectively 2 parties, each represents its own coalition *Encourages as bifurcation in politics, by framing debates in either/or ways * Little effort to incorporate 3rd parties. The role of 3rd parties 3rd parties can mount effective challenges to the major parties @ They can compel them to act, if not beat them in elections @ Incorporate their policies/ideas into their platforms Present an alternative to the dominant parties or spoilers to the major candidates @ Example: The Green Party. The dominant parties try to discourage their entrance into the race @ Control state electoral laws to prevent their entrance on ballots @ Challenge their signatures to get them invalidated @ Don't have the Party alignment& Ideology *Partisan alignment & realignment happens at various times over history. *Rise of split-ticket voting made it difficult to sustain voter allegiance

*Responsible parties argues that if parties offer clear choices, voters can hold the party in charge responsible for policy outcomes 8 Party-line votes not as easy to come by What are interest groups? Interest groups are comprised of people who want to influence the decisions of government see the advantages of working with others like them and asking powerful friends to help them. @ Lobbying: appeals from citizens & groups that favor some policy Government see the positives of lobbying @ Helps them gain support @ Provides information both political & technical. What do interest groups do? They try to survive Develop an array of tactics to help them access the government @ Insider v. Outsider tactics Insiders : Provide information & cultivate access. Outsiders: 1. Tries to shape public opinion. 2. Doesn't rely on personal contact Lobbyists increase their credibility by: 1. Presenting neutral information. 2. Mobilizing a supportive constituency. 3. Make action cheap for politicians & public. Insider? Outsider? Or both? Insider and outsider tactics. @ Mutually exclusive, and groups may use either or both, depending on circumstances and opportunity Large, visible and contentious issues are more likely to spur outside tactics, relying on: Mobilizing members to send messages that repeat group demands. Try to put pressure on policymakers. 1. Example: Litigation. 2. Example: Tea Party.

Electoral politics & PACS Both outsiders and insiders use electoral politics to influence elected officials. @ Insiders offer electoral help. @ Outsiders commonly threaten electoral harm. @Their goal is to miximize the Why interest groups?

People organize in an effort to effect change: 18th Amendment and Child labor. Expansion of the electorate: Womens suffrage and other social movements Organized latent interests Increased affluence provides a growing clientele. Technological advances The government