Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

CPW4UI Term 2 (Lecture #10: Parties and Interest Groups (05.08)…

- - - - an organization designed to obtain the power of the state and perhaps form a government
    - - the relationships among parties in a political system
    - - a system that allows parties to compete for, and have access to, legislative power
    - - maintains that the two oldest parties in Canada have few coherent ideological interests, but rather act as brokers of ideas, selecting those that have the widest appeal and the best likelihood of attracting electoral support
    - - a geographical area that elects one MP and is the locus of the local organization of political parties; also known as a riding
    - - the individual chosen by party members to fill the pre-eminent role of decision maker, figurehead, and spokesperson in both the parliamentary and the extra-parliamentary branches of the party
    - - the leader of the party with the second-largest number of seats in the House of Commons
    - - an organization that engages in activity related to governmental decisions
    - - theory of interest group activity that holds that there are many centres of power in society, and a state’s public policy reflects the conflict, cooperation, and compromise of independent interest groups with the government
    - - an informal network of groups and individuals that works for social change. It is usually founded on an altruistic idea and tends to have only loose organizational form
    - - activity aimed at securing favourable policy decisions or the appointment of specific government personnel
    - - individuals or organizations who are paid by interest groups to influence government legislation
  - - - Members may seek candidates to run, but sometimes individuals who want to be candidates recruit members to vote for them. This circumstance tends to create “instant members” who join solely to help a specific candidate win the nomination
      - They typical local association of a major party has only moderate numbers of members on the books in an average non-election year, but this mushrooms before an election when members are mobilized to help finance the party, find a candidate and help in the ensuing campaign
    - - The individual in the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition spearheads the offensive against the party in power. The functions of the position are not governed by statute, but the role is officially recognized in the procedures of the House of Commons. The party leader has special status at official functions, in parliamentary ceremonies, and even with foreign governments.
      - Leaders are used as a figure head for the party
      - Within the parliamentary party, the Opposition leader appoints a shadow Cabinet, which is a government-in-waiting, and assumes a position inferior to that of the PM, who heads the government and public service as well as a political party.
    - - Party caucuses receive money from the government for the first of these purposes, based on a House of Commons formula. To get such funds, parties must have a minimum of 12 elected members in Parliament. It is difficult for parties to operate effectively without this funding
  - - - They have a formal structure of organization
      - They articulate and aggregate interests
      - They act within the political system to influence policy outputs
      - They seek to influence power rather than exercise the responsibility of government themselves--that is, they do not put candidates forward in elections
    - - They are a major source of communication and mediation between society and government
      - They are a means of articulating opinions
      - They provide a mechanism for political representation that supplements parties and the electoral process
      - They educate governments and keep them in touch with citizens, providing a valuable link between citizens and public policy
      - They keep the government in touch with shifts of opinion in society
      - They disseminate information by passing on explanations of government policy to their members and to government officials.
- - - - Most sports require a referee
      - The institutions of law and order allow the government to exercise authority in disputes between and among individuals and institutions
      - Constitution provides the general rules, governments determine
        supplementary rules
      - Judges and juries are committed to act as referees to settle
        disputes...impartially.
      - National governments maintain a military organization and/or
        powerful police force -- for external security, for suppressing
        internal disorder, and for managing large-scale natural disasters
        and other crises
  - - - Detecting crime
      - Protecting life and property
      - Imposing parking fines
      - Directing traffic
      - Emergency health care, etc