Abstract The rational choice tradition has generated three models of competitive political party behavior: the vote-seeking party, the office-seeking party, and the policy-seeking party. Despite their usefulness in the analysis of interparty electoral competition and coalitional behavior, these models suffer from various theoretical and empirical limitations, and the conditions under which each model applies are not well specified. This article discusses the relationships between vote-seeking, office-seeking, and policy-seeking party behavior and develops a unified theory of the organizational and institutional factors that constrain party behavior in parliamentary democracies. Vote-seeking, office-seeking, and policy-seeking parties emerge as special cases of competitive party behavior under specific organizational and institutional conditions. Show
Journal Information The American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), published four times each year, is one of the most widely-read political science journals in the United States. AJPS is a general journal of political science open to all members of the profession and to all areas of the discipline of political science. JSTOR provides a digital archive of the print version of American Journal of Political Science. The electronic version of American Journal of Political Science is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/servlet/useragent?func=showIssues&code;=ajps. Authorized users may be able to access the full text articles at this site. Publisher Information The Midwest Political Science Association, founded in 1939, is a national organization of more than 2,800 political science professors, researchers, students, and public administrators from throughout the United States and over 50 foreign countries. The association is dedicated to the advancement of scholarly communication in all areas of political science. Each year the association sponsors a three-day conference of political scientists in Chicago for the purpose of presenting and discussing the latest research in political science. More than 2,000 individuals participate in this conference, which features 300 panels and programs on politics. The MPSA is headquartered at Indiana University. For further information, contact William D. Morgan, Executive Director, email: . Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Chapter Study OutlineIntroduction Political parties are teams of politicians, activists, and voters whose goal is to win control of government. To do so, parties perform essential tasks of recruiting and nominating candidates, garnering the resources needed to run campaigns, and pursuing a policy agenda that can help them appeal to voters. Although Americans tend to be suspicious of “party rule,” the Democratic and Republican parties are essential to the daily operation of government and the conduct of American democracy in elections. This two-party system helps to structure voters’ electoral choice and provide coordination to America’s otherwise divided and separated governing institutions. 1. Why Do Political Parties Form? What fundamental problems do political parties help politicians and voters overcome?
2. What Functions Do Parties Perform? Once formed, what are the essential functions that political parties perform in American democracy and governance?
3. Parties and the Electorate How and how well do political parties organize the electorate? What groups tend to identify with Democrats and Republicans, respectively?
4. Parties as Institutions How are contemporary political parties organized? What functions do they serve and what services do they offer to candidates?
5. Party Systems What is a “party system”? What have been the major “party systems” throughout American political history? What is the place of third parties in the American party system?
Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the United States quizlet?Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the US? Two interest groups are competing for influence in Congress. One group represents banking institutions, while the other advocates for consumer protections.
Which of the following is the most accurate comparison of the processes that generally facilitate?Which of the following is the most accurate comparison of the processes that generally facilitate gridlock and those that facilitate governmental action? Checks and balances limit the ability of one branch of government to carry out its responsibilities and thus facilitate gridlock.
What is the relationship between electoral systems and party systems quizlet?It states that there is a systematic relationship between electoral systems and party systems, so that plurality single-member district election systems tend to create two-party systems in the legislature, while proportional representation electoral systems generate multiparty systems.
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