Parties
Why do parties exist?
They help elect particular candidates to office.
What are the two types of primaries?
open and closed
What is the purpose of national conventions?
to nominate presidential candidates
Why do we only have two parties?
The PLURALITY nature of our system- winner only needs to get the most votes
How tall is Chris Christie (plus and minus an inch)?
5' 11''
How do parties help elect candidates?
They recruit candidates, nominate candidates, and work to get them elected by appealing to voters
What is an open primary?
Voters do not need to declare their party affiliation before voting
Who votes in a national convention?
delegates
List the 5 type of parties.
The Machine, Idealogical Parties, Solidarity Parties, Sponsored Party, Personal Following
Candidates are now chosen for the general election through primaries, but historically how were they chosen?
Through caucuses and party conventions
What is a closed primary?
Voters need to be registered members of a political party to vote
What is a pledged delegate?
Delegates who are awarded through primaries and caucuses that support a particular candidate at the convention
List the four types of third parties.
Ideological, One-issue, Economic Protest, Factional
List three ways that parties help candidates win elections.
Give them a label (Voters almost always vote for their party’s candidate)
Engage in campaigns to gain voter support
Provide services such as lists of supporters from closed primaries, polling and public opinion data, and campaign staffers, along with other services
What is an invisible primary?
Process by which candidates try to attract the support of key party leaders before an election begins
What is a super-delegate?
Party leaders and elected officials who are not bound to vote for retain candidates, and can vote for whoever they choose
Give an example of a factional party.
Kanye West's Birthday Party