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| a term used to describe government when one political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls one or both houses of the legislature |
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| an election held before the general election in which voters decide which of a party's nominee for the general election |
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| a ballot prepared and distributed by government officals that place the names of all candidates on a single list and is filled out by voters in private. first adopted in the u.s in 1888, this ballot replaced oral voting and party supplied ballots |
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| a period of american history extending roughly from 1880-1920 and associated with the reform of government and electoral institutions in an attempt to reduce corruption and weaken parties |
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| a political system in which only two major parties compete for all of the elective offices. 3rd party candidates usually have few, if any, chances of winning elective office |
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| applies only within a given electoral unit (a single state or congressional district). it does not require that the same two parties face wach other in every electoral unit. but for purposes of electing a president, the entire u.s works as a single electoral unit. the contest for presidency became so central to electoral politics that it shaped party competition for lesser offices as well, creating a two party system |
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| an electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded to candidates or parties in proportion to the percentage of voters received |
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| the practice of awarding jobs grants licenses, or other special favors in exchange for political support |
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| state or local party organizations based on patronage. they work to elect candidates to public offices that control government jobs and contracts, which in turn are used by party leaders (bosses) to reward the subleaders and activists who mobilize voters for the party on election day |
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| a system in which newly elected office-holders award government jobs to political supporters and members of the same political party. the term orginated in the saying "to the victor go the spoils" |
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| incentives for party building |
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| in any system where collective choices are made by voting, organization pays. when action requires winning majorities on a continuning basis in multiple settings, organization is absolutely essential. the constitution's provisions for enacting laws and electing leaders therefore put a huge premuim on building majority alliances across institutions and electoral units. parties grew out of the efforts of political entrepreneurs to build such allaiances and to coordinate the collective activity nessecary to gain control of and use the machinery of government |
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