Political Parties: Party Organization And Social Groups

Party Organization Describe what a party organization is.
A party organization are committees that are constructed of members from active parties. Party organizations are found at every level of government. Party organizations are organized by state law and party rules. Members are elected at local party meetings also known as a caucus or during primary elections. Two national level party organizations are the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

National Convention Describe what the national convention is.
The national convention is a political party’s most important event that is held every four years. Delegates from every state attend the national convention. Delegates nominate a president and vice

A person’s political ideology and party identification are closely related. For instance, someone who categorizes themselves as a conservative associates themselves with the Republican Party. A person who is more liberal associates themselves with the Democratic Party. Before the 1970s, it was not rare to see Republican liberals and conservative Democrats. However, today these combinations are very rare as these parties have acquired different views on social and economic issues.

Describe the role that a person’s social class plays when it comes to group affiliation.
A person’s social class is a large factor when identifying with a political party. People with higher incomes often associate themselves with the Republican Party. People with lower incomes are more likely to associate themselves with the Democratic Party. Republicans often want taxes to be cut as well as social spending, and interests that benefit the wealthy. Democrats want an increase in social spending and disagree on interests that benefit only the wealthy.

Recruiting Candidates Explain how candidates are

The nominating process occurs before the election by several months. Several candidates who are running are eliminated and there is only one person left in each party. Before candidates are eliminated, they take part in a series of debates. The only person that is left will be the party’s nominee.

Getting Out The Vote
Describe the first step in the electoral process.
The first step in the electoral process is voter registration. Voter registration takes place all year round so that everyone has time to register. People who register to vote are given the opportunity to choose on Election Day whether to vote. If someone wants to vote, they have to go to a polling place and pick a candidate. If no one registered to vote, then no one would be allowed to vote.

Facilitating Voter Choice Describe what a referendum is and what the 1978 California ballot was.
A referendum is a process that permits citizens to vote on proposed laws or governmental actions directly. In 1996, the people of California agreed to a referendum that put an end to affirmative action programs. The 1978 California ballot lowered local property taxes. Many taxpayers started to revolt against this. A normal referendum question is one in which the voters have an understandable position on