Political Parties and Elections Free Online FlashCards

What is a political party?

A political party is an organized group seeking to influence government by winning elections, controlling public offices, or shaping policy.

What is political recruitment?

Political recruitment identifies, trains, and nominates candidates for public office.

What defines a one-party system?

A one-party system is one in which a single party monopolizes political power; other parties may be illegal, excluded, or subordinate.

What is a dominant-party system?

A dominant-party system permits multiple parties, but one party repeatedly wins elections and controls government for long periods.

How does a plurality system determine the winner?

In a plurality system, the candidate with the most votes wins even without receiving a majority.

What does a majority electoral system require?

A majority system requires a candidate to win more than half the vote, using a runoff or ranked/preferential voting if necessary.

What is proportional representation?

Proportional representation allocates legislative seats to parties in approximate proportion to their vote shares.

What is an electoral threshold?

An electoral threshold is a minimum vote percentage a party must reach to win legislative seats.

What characterizes a mixed electoral system?

A mixed electoral system combines district-based representatives with proportional party-list seats.

What is descriptive representation?

Descriptive representation concerns whether officials resemble the population in characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, region, religion, or class.

What is substantive representation?

Substantive representation concerns whether officials advance the policy interests of the people they represent.

What is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is the deliberate design of electoral boundaries to advantage a party or group.