Linkage Institutions

Linkage Institutions Political Parties, Civil Society, Interest Groups, Electoral Systems & Elections

Almond’s Description Types of Interest Groups Institutional Groups: formal groups that have other social or political function. Usually highly organized and driven by specific interests. Examples: political parties and corporations. Associational Groups: Groups that are specifically formed to represent one group. Trade unions and manufacture associations. • Anomic: spontaneous groups spurred by a specific event. Often short lived, and potentially violent. • Nonassociational Groups: rarely well organized. Differ from anomic in that it is often a cultural trait that brings them together.

Linkage Institutions • Linkage Institutions– groups that connect the government to its citizens. • Political Parties • Civil Society • Interest Groups • Electoral Systems & Elections

Political Parties • Party System– the array of political parties operating in a particular country and the nature of the relationships among them.

Political Parties • Party System– the array of political parties operating in a particular country and the nature of the relationships among them. 1.) One Party System • many Communist nations have one-part systems; Mexico during the 20th century Communist Party of China (CPC) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

Political Parties • Party System– the array of political parties operating in a particular country and the nature of the relationships among them. 2.) Two Party System • rare; 15 countries world wide, including the United States Republican & Democratic Parties in the United States

Political Parties • Party System– the array of political parties operating in a particular country and the nature of the relationships among them. 3.) Multi-Party System • most European countries; strong Parliamentary systems. ** Style of Election System is a major determinate in the type of party system that develops. Stay tuned…** Political Parties in British Parliament

Civil Society vs. Interest Groups • Civil Society– voluntary organizations outside of the government that help people define & advance their own interests. • May represent social class, religious, or ethnic interests. • May be apolitical • Help to check the power of the state and prevent the tyranny of the majority – the tendency to allow majority rule to neglect the rights and liberties of minorities. • In a global society, civil society can be nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) American Red Cross

Civil Society • A society in which people are involved in social and political interactions free of state control or regulation. • Community groups • Voluntary associations • Religious groups • Interaction through media • Internet a dominant force • Importance of group involvement? • Representations of interactions within societies • Interest groups • Political parties

Civil Society vs. Interest Groups • Interest Groups– organizations of like-minded people whose goal is to influence and shape public policy.

Types of Interest Groups • How much autonomy/independence from the government? • Transmission Belts– system where interest groups convey the message of the party elites. • Ex.) In China, only government-endorsed groups may exist • Interest Group Pluralism– completely autonomous interest groups, who select their own leaders & raise their own funds. (US/Britain) • Corporatism– system with one group representing each interest sector, state approved and protected. • State Corporatism– state determined • Neocorporatism– interest groups dominate the state.

Political Parties vs. Interest Groups Political Parties Interest Groups Represent political points of view of various people Support one or a few related policies Support candidates, but do not run their own • Represent political points of view of various people • Support a broad range of policies • Influence government through the election process • Parties run candidates for public office

Electoral Systems & Elections • Electoral System – the rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature.

Electoral Systems (1) Single-Member District Plurality Voting System (SMPD) -candidates compete for a single representative’s seat; winner is determined by who receives the most votes. • Also called First-Past-the-Post or Winner-take-all System • Ex.) United States and Britain • Criticisms: Not necessarily ‘representative’ of the voters • Duverger’s Law– a plurality rule election system tends to favor a two-party system. Parties (also called ‘catch-all’) develop ‘umbrellas’ to embrace a wide variety of voters. Candidate A wins w/ 25 votes However 75 votes were cast for other candidates – no representation

Electoral Systems (2) Multi-Member Proportional Representation Voting System(a.k.a. Party-list Proportional Representation) • More than one legislative seat is contested in each district • Voters cast their ballots for a party rather than a candidate • The percentage of the votes a party receives determines how many seats they gain in the legislature. • Ex.) Italy and South Africa

Electoral Systems (3) Mixed Systems – combines plurality and proportional representations. • Ex.) Mexico – Chamber of Deputies (Lower House) • 300 of 500 seats are elected through winner-take-all system from single member districts • 200 of 500 seats are selected by proportional representation

Types of Elections 1.) Election of Public Officials • Ex.) Presidential System – President is directly elected by the people to this position • Ex.) Parliamentary System – Prime Minister becomes head of government because he is the leader of the party with the most representatives in Parliament.

Types of Elections 2.) Referendum– a national ballot, called by the government on a policy issues which allows the public to make direct decisions about the policy itself. • Ex.) The Russian Constitution was put up for a referendum vote in 1993. • Ex.) In the U.S. we don’t have referendum votes on a national level, however it is done at a state/local level.

Types of Elections 3.) Initiative– a vote on a policy that is initiated by the people. • Ex.) Switzerland – allowed according to their constitution

Linkage Institutions