Party Systems & Political Parties

Political Party

• Is a group organized to nominate candidates for political office

• Is a group organized to gain political power through the winning of elections

• Is a group organized to promote ideas about public policies

• Is a group organized to create a central role thanks to their existence

Other organizations also promote public policy. Sometimes they actually do it better than the political parties.

• True

• False

Political Parties, by definition, will always try to win Political Office

• True

• False

Refers to the role of parties as elected or appointed leaders of government. Is usually about organizing the party members of these chambers into collective action.

• Party activists

• Party in government

• Party as organization

• Party in the electorate

The official party organization. I.e. National Party Committees (DNC, RNC), Establish party rules, Handle money

• Party activists

• Party in the electorate

• Party in government

• Party as organization

The role that regular citizens play in political parties (Party identifiers, Primary campaign voters, Party activists).

• Party as organization

• Party in government

• Party in the electorate

• Party activists

People who spend their own time, effort, and money in supporting a political party or individual candidate

• Party activists

• Party in the electorate

• Party as organization

• Party in government

The first modern political parties

• Tories

• Democrat-Republicans

• Federalist

• Whigs

Second earliest political parties

• Tories

• Federalist

• Whigs

• Democrat-Republicans

Aldrich (1995), Why Parties?

• parties are coalitions of politicians.

• One of the most foundational books on political parties.

• Politicians have personal goals

• Parties are formed by politicians who are office seekers