GOV 310L Chapter 7: WTP Parties, Participation, and Elections
Document Summary
We the people chapter 7: political parties, participation, and elections. 2016 - members of both parties wanted to nominate outsiders . Parties and elections have been vital to american politics and government. Political parties arose from the electoral process. Competition prompts factions to gather public support. Group of politicians outside gov organize popular support to win governmental power. Parties losing power to candidates appealing directly to media (trump) & Parties rarely support candidates unable to raise their own funding first. People reluctant to go through struggle of running (personal attacks etc. ) 20+% of house races uncontested, 50% for senate. Nomination = process by which party selects single candidate to run for each office. Party elite typically have disproportionate say in this not very democratic. Micro-targeting means tailoring campaign messages to individuals in small, homogenous groups. Power in congress organized along party lines. Committee system also product of party system. Majority party makes sure that it has majority in each committee.
