Chapter 11
Parties
Political Party
 A group of officials (or those who want to be leaders)
who are linked with a sizable group of citizens into an
organized group
 A primary goal of a party is to ensure that its officials
keep or attain power (this is what makes a party
different from an interest group)
 Versatile tool for communication and power
Origins of the Modern Party
 Developed for self-serving purposes
 Parties first developed in United States (Jefferson
and Hamilton)
 By 1820s parties in US were well-organized
 US has weak two party system
 Most other states have a multi-party system
Parties and Mobilization
 Parties can organize and mobilize people for special
purposes and to meet crises (example: an
assassination)
 Party can also mobilize against a totalitarian regime
Political Parties
 Main goal is to have power
 Seek people to run for office
 One party states are different
Party Identification
 Party identification: a political science term used to
describe a voter’s underlying allegiance to a specific
political party.
 Term first used in US in 1950s
 Term used less now because of party weakening,
realignment, changes in party allegiances among
peopel
Party Organization
 Provide support and control of officials or candidates
 Some states have formal organizations while others
are informally organized
 Party is a supporting structures
Party Finance
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
One of party’s primary jobs is to raise money
for elections
Money can come from:
Public Finance (states pay part)
Individuals
Bribes and kickbacks
Interest-group donations
Profits from business enterprises
Subsidies from foreign countries
Political Party Systems
 Party System: Set of all parties
 Political scientists distinguish party systems by the
number and size of the parties in a system
One-Party System
 Only a single party is allowed to be active
 Example: former Communist Russia
 Government enforces rule that no other party may
exist
 The one-party focuses on mobilization,
communication & control
Dominant-Party System
 Similar to one-party system b/c only one party holds
power all the time
 Differs in that other political parties are allowed to
function openly and with reasonable effectiveness
 Example: Mexican government
 Alternative parties provide basis for criticism so
tolerance thereof varies
Two-party System
 Offer more regular variety and choices of candidates
with two dominant political parties
 A single party usually wins the election
 Other parties can exist
 Example: United States has a weak two-party system
Multiparty System
 Consists of more than two major parties
 Most democratic systems; depends on electoral
system
 Most of time, multiparty systems require party
coalitions to make majority decisions