1. Political Parties “Linkage Institution”

3. Goal of a Political Party? WIN ELECTIONS

4. Function of Parties Connecting citizens to government (linkage institution) -Political Efficacy – citizen participation level and awareness of government decisions Run candidates for political office Inform the public – help voters decide who to vote for in elections Organizing government – coordinate government policy-making

5. Why 2 parties? Winner-take-all system Winner receives a seat while loser receives nothing 3rd party usually joins one of other parties Opposite – Proportional Representation – % of votes is directly applied as the % of representatives

6. “Grass Roots” “Grass Roots” – parties can also reach the voters personally and “get-out-the-vote” on a local level

7. Minor Parties Third Parties have played a role in politics Types Individual personality – those dominated by one figure head (Ex. – 1912 Theodore Roosevelt – Bull-Moose, 1968 George Wallace – American Independent Party) Long-lasting goal or ideology – (Ex. – Abolitionists, Prohibitionists, Socialists)

8. Party Identification Dealignment – weak membership, more “independents” or moderates – popular trend in the last 50 years Strait ticket voting – strong party membership, support all candidates for one party Ticket splitting – voting for candidates from multiple parties

9. Realignment? “Gridlock” – Congress and Presidency controlled by different parties 2004 - Republican sweep of Congress and Presidency - party loyalty stronger? 2006 - split the Presidency and Congress again 2008 - might bring a Democratic sweep