Politics and Parties Politics and Parties and Interest

Politics and Parties

Politics and Parties and Interest Groups

What is a political party? • “A party is a body of men united, for promoting by their joint endeavors the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed. ” Edmund Burke, 1770

What is a political party? • “A coalition of men seeking to control the governing apparatus by legal means. ” Anthony Downs, 1957

What is a political party? • “A coalition of elites to capture and use political office…but…more than a coalition…an institutionalized coalition, one that has adopted rules, norms, and procedures. ” John Aldrich, 1995

What is a political party? • “A durable social formation which seeks offices or power in government, exhibits a structure…which links leaders at the centers of government to a significant popular following in the political arena and its local enclaves, and generates in-group perspectives or at least symbols of identification or loyalty. ” William Nisbet Chambers (1967)

What is a political party? • It aims to promote certain policies • It inspires loyalty among voters who agree with those policies • It works to gain power in government – By nominating and fighting for the election of candidates • It is an organization with rules • It also organizes coalitions within government, simplifying policymaking

3 ways to think about party • Party as organization • Party in the electorate (and in elections) • Party in government

What is an interest group? • • A group in society That tries to influence government That is not a part of the government That may or may not have a membership base • That does NOT run candidates for office