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POL 310 |
Political Parties Parties and Parties Systems in |
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In order to set up what might seem like a complicated set of notions next week, we'll look today at some of the factors to keep in mind when examining American party system development in comparative perspective Remember that
political scientists have suggested that differences in party systems can be
explained via: sociological, institutional, and competitive factors We'll try to do all of these things in order to see whether we can begin to understand the role that: 1) cleavage (sociological) ; 2) governmental structure (institutional); and 3) electoral system (competitive) characteristics play in the development of different party systems.
What is cleavage? Lipset and Rokkan suggest that there are three specific connotations to the term cleavage. First, a cleavage involves a social division that separates people along at least one key social characteristic such as occupation, status, religion or ethnicity. Second, groups involved in a cleavage must be conscious of their collective identity and be willing to act on that basis. Third, a cleavage must have an organizational component that gives formal institutional expression to the interests of those on one side of the division.
What types of cleavage are there is societies? |