POLI 2051 Lecture : Lecture Ch9
Document Summary
Political parties: definition - an organization that sponsors candidates for public office under the organization"s name. The phrase actually has several different meanings - Nominate candidates for election to public office. (many ways to do this, but there are two main distinctions let the people choose (1972), or let the party officials choose. ) Structure the voting choice in elections. (not everyone sees this as a good thing it also limits choice. ) Propose alternative government programs (some question whether this is true these days. Congress on issues, party platforms, interest group support. ) Link people together and link people to the institutions of government. It doesn"t mean we don"t have third parties, and that their presence hasn"t affected the outcomes of certain elections in the us. Third party voting is quite common in the. Sometimes third parties do quite well, and other times they get next to nothing. Constraints on third parties - why we have a two party system.
