Linkage Institutions
Political Parties, Civil Society,
Interest Groups, Electoral Systems &
Elections
Almond’s Description
Types of Interest Groups
• Anomic: spontaneous
groups spurred by a specific
event. Often short lived,
and potentially violent.
• Nonassociational Groups:
rarely well organized. Differ
from anomic in that it is
often a cultural trait that
brings them together.
• Institutional Groups: formal
groups that have other social
or political function. Usually
highly organized and driven by
specific interests. Examples:
political parties and
corporations.
• Associational Groups: Groups
that are specifically formed to
represent one group. Trade
unions and manufacture
associations.
Linkage Institutions
• Linkage Institutions – groups that connect the
government to its citizens.
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Political Parties
Civil Society
Interest Groups
Electoral Systems & Elections
Political Parties
• Party System– the array of political parties
operating in a particular country and the nature
of the relationships among them.
Political Parties
• Party System– the array of political parties
operating in a particular country and the nature
of the relationships among them.
1.) One Party System
• many Communist nations have one-part systems; Mexico
during the 20th century
Communist
Party of China
(CPC)
Institutional
Revolutionary
Party (PRI)
Political Parties
• Party System– the array of political parties
operating in a particular country and the nature
of the relationships among them.
2.) Two Party System
• rare; 15 countries world wide, including the United States
Republican & Democratic Parties
in the United States
Political Parties
• Party System– the array of political parties
operating in a particular country and the nature
of the relationships among them.
3.) Multi-Party System
• most European countries; strong Parliamentary systems.
Political Parties in
British Parliament
** Style of Election System is a major determinate in the type of party
system that develops. Stay tuned…**
Civil Society vs. Interest Groups
• Civil Society– voluntary organizations outside of
the government that help people define &
advance their own interests.
– May represent social class, religious, or ethnic interests.
– May be apolitical
– Help to check the power of the state and prevent the
tyranny of the majority – the tendency to allow
majority rule to neglect the rights and liberties of
minorities.
American Red
– In a global society, civil society can be Cross
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
Civil Society
• A society in which people are involved in social and
political interactions free of state control or regulation.
– Community groups
– Voluntary associations
– Religious groups
• Interaction through media
• Internet a dominant force
• Importance of group involvement?
• Representations of interactions within societies
– Interest groups
– Political parties
Civil Society vs. Interest Groups
• Interest Groups – organizations of like-minded
people whose goal is to influence and shape
public policy.
Types of Interest Groups
• How much autonomy/independence from the
government?
– Transmission Belts – system where interest groups
convey the message of the party elites.
• Ex.) In China, only government-endorsed groups may exist
– Interest Group Pluralism – completely autonomous
interest groups, who select their own leaders & raise
their own funds. (US/Britain)
– Corporatism – system with one group representing
each interest sector, state approved and protected.
• State Corporatism – state determined
• Neocorporatism – interest groups dominate the state.
Political Parties vs. Interest Groups
Political Parties
Interest Groups
• Represent political points of
view of various people
• Support a broad range of
policies
• Influence government
through the election
process
• Parties run candidates for
public office
• Represent political points of
view of various people
• Support one or a few
related policies
• Support candidates, but do
not run their own
Electoral Systems & Elections
• Electoral System – the rules that decide how
votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats
in a legislature.
Electoral Systems
(1) Single-Member District Plurality Voting System (SMPD)
- candidates compete for a single representative’s seat;
winner is determined by who receives the most votes.
• Also called First-Past-the-Post or Winner-take-all System
• Ex.) United States and Britain
– Criticisms: Not necessarily ‘representative’ of the voters
– Duverger’s Law – a plurality rule election system tends to favor
a two-party system. Parties (also called
‘catch-all’) develop
Candidate A wins w/ 25 votes
‘umbrellas’ to embrace a wide variety of voters.
However 75 votes were cast for
other candidates – no
representation
Electoral Systems
(2) Multi-Member Proportional Representation Voting
System (a.k.a. Party-list Proportional Representation)
o
o
o
More than one legislative seat is contested in each district
Voters cast their ballots for a party rather than a candidate
The percentage of the votes a party receives determines how
many seats they gain in the legislature.
• Ex.) Italy and South Africa
Electoral Systems
(3) Mixed Systems –
combines plurality
and proportional
representations.
o
Ex.) Mexico – Chamber
of Deputies (Lower
House)
o
o
300 of 500 seats are
elected through
winner-take-all system
from single member
districts
200 of 500 seats are
selected by
proportional
representation
Types of Elections
1.) Election of Public Officials
o
o
Ex.) Presidential System – President is directly elected by the
people to this position
Ex.) Parliamentary System – Prime Minister becomes head of
government because he is the leader of the party with the
most representatives in Parliament.
Types of Elections
2.) Referendum – a national ballot, called by the
government on a policy issues which allows the public to
make direct decisions about the policy itself.
o
o
Ex.) The Russian Constitution was put up for a referendum vote
in 1993.
Ex.) In the U.S. we don’t have referendum votes on a national
level, however it is done at a state/local level.
Types of Elections
3.) Initiative – a vote on a policy
that is initiated by the
people.
o
Ex.) Switzerland – allowed
according to their constitution