POL SCI 50 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Anthony Downs, Party System
Document Summary
What is a party system: social cleavages and the party system, how does the electoral system shape the party system, the issue positions parties take. Political party: a coalition of people seeking to occupy positions in the government to shape policies that further their interests. We have representatives that organize themselves into parties. Have interests or agendas and their goal is to get those into action. Social cleavages see party system as the underlying divisions of that country. Electoral rules create incentives for politicians to create certain cleavages. One of the basis of social cleavages is religion. Differences began to emerge between workers and rich property workers. Each group wanted different policies = gave rise to different organized political parties. Language or ethnicity also shapes party system. Region:for example in italy: strong separation between the north and the south. Parties represent interests, interests rise from the divisions from social cleavages.
