Chapter 5:Political Parties Section 1 and 2 Words to Know 1. Bipartisan - describes the two major parties when they work together 2. Coalition - when parties share power to make a majority 3. Partisanship - influences appointments at all levels of government Words to Know 4. Incumbent - the current officeholder 5. Electorate - all of the people who are allowed to vote in an election 6.Spoils system- Political Parties 7. Political Parties : group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections. Framers initially did not want political parties The United States is a two party system dominated by two major parties: Democrats and Republicans. This is because much of American election law is written to discourage non-major party candidates. Why do you think the framers were against political parties? Democrat Republican Era of Divided Government Political Parties 8. Bonding Agent Function : political parties act as a bonding agent to ensure the good performance of their candidates and elected officeholders. a. they try to pick good candidates b. they try to make sure their candidate governs well Multi party system 9. Multiparty Systems : a system in which several major and many lesser parties exist - In this type of system, a coalition (temporary alliance of several parties) would be formed to get things done. Section 3: Minor Parties Words to Know 10. Ideological Parties - parties based on a particular set of beliefs. Democratic and Republican parties have different positions on major issues such as taxes, the role of government, entitlements (Social Security, Medicare), gun control, immigration, healthcare, aborting and gay rights. Splinter Parties 11. Splinter Parties - breakaway parties; parties that have split away from one of the major parties. Most splinter parties form around a strong personality and tend to fade when that leader steps aside. Single-Issue Parties 12.Single-issue parties focus on only one public policy matter. The Free Soil Party is an example of a single-issue party. Free Soil Party were primarily concerned about the spread of slavery. Single-issue parties usually fade into history because their issues loose relevance. 5.4: Party Organization 13. Precinct - the smallest unit where voters go to vote. 14. Ward - a unit into which cities are divided. National Party Machinery Purpose of major partys national convention is to select the partys presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The leader of each partys national committee is the nati onal chairperson. What determines the party structure at state and local levels? - state law National Committee Between presidential elections, the national committee of each party raises money and recruits new voters. Congressional campaign committees are responsible for re-electing party incumbents (occupants) and capture new seats.