U.S. and Texas Government - Essay Example

U.S and Texas Government What do Fiorina and Peterson say about the importance of political parties? Political parties are a means through which voters achieve their rights. In America political parties play major roles such as operating and organizing the government. Government is divided into different levels and political parties are a means to obtaining the required results. They are means through which public is enlightened and has enabled and above all they make the government accountable. 2. Of the six contributions parties make to democratic political life, which do you think they perform least well?

Who else might do it better? Developing issues and educating the public. This would be done better by non-partisan individuals in a government. 3. What is the SMSP (single member, single plurality) electoral rule? What is a common alternative to the SP (single plurality) part? Which rule sometimes requires a runoff? SMSP is the process of voting whereby the person who gets most votes wins. An alternative to it is the Multiple-winner and the rule that requires a run off is the SMSP. 4. What is a PR (proportional representation) electoral rule?

Why would an SMPR (single member, proportional representation) electoral rule be a logical impossibility? It’s a voting method that uses quota system to ensure that each part wins with a given number of votes. It can’t represent all the voters. 5. It is important to understand why an SMSP electoral rule favors a two-party system. Why does this rule give incentive to third parties to join up with a major party? When a third party joins one of the two parties, it has more advantages than being solo.

Most voters tend to associate themselves with the ruling party when making decisions to vote. 6. In any period of the American republic, has there been a stable multi-party system? No, there hasn’t been a stable multi-party system. 7. Under which special circumstance can a third party elect representatives under an SMSP rule? If both the results of the ruling parties are nullified and are termed as incredible. 8. a) Civil service reform has led to decline of parties because one cannot work at a government institution and be in politics. b) Direct primaries ensure that one representative is elected to represent them thus formation of political parties has declined. c) Effect of communications technologies on both voters and candidates; voters are able to understand an individual’s agenda and a choice is made even before elections are held.

Technology platforms have provided such information. d) Reapportionment increased demands on the government to provide electoral posts for the underprivileged people and thus more parties lost due to lack of it. 9. Note the paradox of national party organizations reviving but at the same time having less control over those they elect. Why is this? Voters vote widely and choose whoever they wish to. Those that they help elect can move to another party if he or she wishes thus they cannot control them fully. 10. Why do the authors of Essentials of Texas Politics describe Texas until the 1970s as a one-party state with no party politics?

What caused this nearly century-long curiosity? What has happened in recent decades as the national Democratic Party became more closely identified with "liberal" values? They describe it because there was only one party ruling during the period. Few people participated in elections making them to be unable to overturn the ruling party. Liberal values are those that are different from the norm. 11. Texas politics is shifting from democratic to republican as per the chart. There are no strong democrats as compared to the republicans.