Political Parties II

Lecture 7-2

A two-party system encouraged by

• SMD – Plurality Election

• An absence of proportional representation

• “Rectangle Land”

• But third parties do from occasionally, and they have played an important role at times in party history and realignment.

• Third parties play a “safety valve” function

Characteristics of party systems: a comparative perspective

• Single Member District vs Proportional Rep

Parties and the levels of government

• Party organization parallels political power and organization

• As the federal government and the national media have grown stronger, national party organizations have become more important