national chairperson		A group of individuals with a common intrest upon which every political party depends.
open primaries		The voter's perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism or liberalism.
party neutrality		A job, promotion, or contract is one that is given on political reasons rather that for merit or competance.
responsible party model		Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices.
proportional representation		A citizan's self-proclaimed preferance for one party of the other.
closed primaries		A team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.
blanket primaries		Elections to selectoarty nominees in which voterscan decide on election day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests.
third parties		Elections to select nominees in which voters are presented with a list if candidates from all the parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and Republicans if they like.
Party competition		A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote.
winner-take-all system		One fo the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. responsible for the day-to-day activities of the aprty and is usually selected by the presidential nominee.
party eras		A method of voting by which political parties are given legislative representation in proportion to their popular vote.
Political Party		forged by the Democrates, who dominated Americaan politics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethic groups,Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans and intellectuals.
Ticket-Splitting		An electoral system in which legislative seatsare awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In American presidential elections, systems in which the winner of the popular vote in a state recieves all the electoral votes of that state.
critical election		The channels through which people's cncerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. Including: elections, political parties, intrest groups and the media.
party realignment		Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a mojority of the elections.
Party Machines		A type pf political party organization that relies heavily on material inducments, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern.
Linkage institutions		The displacement of the majorityt party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.
Party indentification		Electoral contenders other than the two major parties. Rarely win elections.
New Deal Coalition		One of the insitittions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The national commitee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.
national commitee		A term used to describethe fact that many Americans are indifferent toward the two major political parties.
coalition		the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.
Party deallignment		A popular theory in political science to explainthe actions of voters as well as polititions. it assumes that individualsact in their own best intrest, carefully weighing the costs and benifits of possible alternatives
Rational-choice theory		An election "earthquake" whereby new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones. Sometimes marked by a natinoal crisis and may require more than one election to bring about an new party era.
national convention		The gradual disengagement of people and polititions from the parties, as seen ini part by shrinking party identification.
Patronage		The battle of the parties for control of public offices. Ups and downs the two majors parties are one of the most important elements in American politics.
Party image		A view favored by some political scientists about how parties should work. According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use those choices as cuse to their own preferences of candidates. Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises.