Political parties organize people who share political ideas and seek to influence government by electing their members to public office. This lesson introduces what parties are, how they differ from interest groups, and how they help people act collectively.
A political party is an organized group that shares a political outlook and seeks primarily to elect its members to positions in government. Parties may support a broad set of policies or place particular emphasis on a central cause.
All flashcards
Political party
An organized group sharing political ideas that primarily seeks to elect its members to government office.
Political party vs. interest group
A party seeks office for its members; an interest group primarily advocates policy goals.
Collective action by political parties
Coordinating people over time to pursue shared political goals they may not achieve individually.
Majority coalition
A group with enough political support to guide decisions and advance policy.
Dominant-party system
A competitive system in which one party repeatedly holds a leading position or wins elections.
Quiz questions
A policy organization works with elected officials from several parties to advance its proposals. Which kind of organization does this most closely describe?Answer: An interest group that advocates for policy goals.
Why does recruiting and assessing candidates matter to a political party?Answer: It affects the candidates available to voters and the party's ability to compete.
Which feature distinguishes a dominant-party system from a single-party system?Answer: A dominant-party system allows competition, though one party repeatedly leads.
What can happen when several parties in a multiparty system win representation?Answer: They may negotiate and share governing power through coalitions.
What is one way political parties can counterbalance narrow interest-group influence?Answer: They can organize broader electoral coalitions around shared political goals.
Based on Introduction to Political Science by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.