Chapter7

the idea that the American political parties are collapsing, and may perhaps disappear

period during which the partisan ties of the public diminish and the party system breaks down

the idea that American political parties, following a period of decline from the 1960's to the early 80's, are now making a comeback, gaining in organizational, electoral, and governmental strength

a meeting of members of a political party or the members of a party in a legislature - also referred to as a party cacus - in some states used to select delegates to the national conventions, which nominate presidential candidates

a major change in teh patter of support for political parties and the important issues on which that patter of support is based. typically happens at 36 year intervals

period druing which the patter of support for political parties based on a particular set of important political issues remains reasonably stable

number one of the three components or sectors of a political party; the party as embodied in those of its members who have been elected or appointed to public office, the organizations they establish, and the leaders they choose to help them carry out their work

a subgroup of a party, based on common social, economic, and religious characteristics

the body responsible for guiding a state political party organization on an ongoing basis

political organization that recruits and controls its membership through the use of its governmental authority to give benefits (jobs, contracts, etc.) to its supporters and deny them to its opponents

the body responsible for guiding political party organization on an ongoing basis.

a broad statement of the philosophy and program under which a party's candidates run for election

the quadrennial meeting of an American political party that focuses on the upcoming presidential election

number two of the three components or sectors of a political party - the official structure of a political party, including people who officially belong to it, its elected and appointed officers, and committees

in the American political context, a minor party attracting only a small share of the electorate's vote - a party other than the two major parties that have dominated politics through most of American history

a system for allocating seats in a legislative body in which the number of seats a party gets of teh total is based on the percentage of votes that the party receives in an election

an election pitting the leading candidates of a previous election against each other when the previous election has not produced a clear cut winner

election in which a candidate wins by getting more than one-half of the votes cast

election in which a candidate wins simply by getting more votes than any other candidate, even if it is less than the majority of the votes

with reference to political parties, the ways in which parties, by seeking to win elections, help to organize the government, give coherence to public policy, and make government responsible to the people

with reference to political parties, the ways in which parties, by seeking to win elections, help to bring order to campaigns and elections

with reference to political parties, the ways in which parties, by seeking to win elections, help to socialize voters into politics and form public opinion

group the seeks to influence public policy by placing its own members in positions of governmental authority

the idea that the leader of interest groups may act in ways that promote their own interests rather than the interests of the broader membership of the group

the overlapping of interest group memberships from individual to individual with the result that the society rarely finds the same people line up on opposite sides on all issues and is thus protected against political polarization

a system in which the people rule and have their interests protected through the interaction of many difference social, political, and economic groups and in which the principal task of government is to manage group conflict and cooperation

conservative, religiously based groups that involve themselves in the political process

attempting to influence members of Congress by encouraging citizens in the home district or state to contact their legislators.

latin for "friend of the court" - persons, government agencies, or groups that are not parties to a case but nonetheless have an interest in its outcome can make their views known by filing an amicus curiae brief with the court.

legal action initiated on behalf of a large number of individuals without any other common interest other than their grievance against the person or institution being suded.

the combination of interest group representatives, legislative committees, and government administrators seen as extremely influential in determining the outcome of political decisions

attempting to influence legislation under consderation, particularly through personal contact by group representatives

political organization set up to channel campaign money from a group to political candidates sympathetic to the group's political values.

contacting citizens by mail, rather than through personal contact or the mass media

characterization of America as the coming together of a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and religious groups

an effort to attain an end through an organized set of actions and individuals