Chapter Study OutlineIntroduction Show Political parties are teams of politicians, activists, and voters whose goal is to win control of government. To do so, parties perform essential tasks of recruiting and nominating candidates, garnering the resources needed to run campaigns, and pursuing a policy agenda that can help them appeal to voters. Although Americans tend to be suspicious of “party rule,” the Democratic and Republican parties are essential to the daily operation of government and the conduct of American democracy in elections. This two-party system helps to structure voters’ electoral choice and provide coordination to America’s otherwise divided and separated governing institutions. 1. Why Do Political Parties Form? What fundamental problems do political parties help politicians and voters overcome?
2. What Functions Do Parties Perform? Once formed, what are the essential functions that political parties perform in American democracy and governance?
3. Parties and the Electorate How and how well do political parties organize the electorate? What groups tend to identify with Democrats and Republicans, respectively?
4. Parties as Institutions How are contemporary political parties organized? What functions do they serve and what services do they offer to candidates?
5. Party Systems What is a “party system”? What have been the major “party systems” throughout American political history? What is the place of third parties in the American party system?
Which party dominated Texas politics throughout most of the twentieth century?For about a hundred years, from after Reconstruction until the 1990s, the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics.
Why is Democratic election important?Elections provide an important opportunity to advance democratization and encourage political liberalization. For an election to be free and fair, certain civil liberties, such as the freedoms of speech, association and assembly, are required.
What is the overall purpose of caucuses and primary elections quizlet?What is the overall purpose of caucuses and primary elections? To provide each political party's member with the means by which the party will select its presidential candidate. If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, how is the presidential election decided?
What was the purpose of the white primary in Texas quizlet?A state primary election that restricts voting to whites only; outlawed by the Supreme Court in 1944. A device used by Southern states to disenfranchise African Americans. It restricted voting to those whose grandfathers had voted before 1867.
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