Political Parties part 2

Question 1

What are the functions of political parties?

Answer 1

1. Nominating Candidates
2. Raise Money
   - -> Soft money
3. Mobilization: get their voters to go to the polls
4. Informations Cues: Providing understanding on issue to members to provide a shortcut in doing the research

Question 2

What are trends of political parties?

Answer 2

1. Increased influence
   amount of people having a say in who’s in charge of the political party
2. Candidate Centered Election
   —> Gun owner ship, gay marriage, immigration
3. Assorted ourselves in Cultural choices
4. Polarization of parties

Question 3

What are Candidate Centered Election?

Answer 3

• paradigm shift from voting on view points of issues to candidates personality and message
• Individual campaign rather than party campaign

Question 4

What is polarization in reference to trends of political parties?

Answer 4

• Less in less people are in the middle

- Politician have been played to extremes not to the middle