American Political sience

Political parties & elections n  Primary election vs. general election n  Open primary vs. closed primary n  Party identification: What variables matter? n  Two-party system, third parties n  History of America’s two-party system

n  Federalist Party n  Jeffersonian Republican Party/Democratic

Republican Party n  Democratic Party n  Republican Party 1

n  Forms of direct democracy n  Majority system vs. plurality system n  Single-member district system vs.

multiple-member district system n  Proportional representation system n  Redistricting, gerrymandering n  Presidential election

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Interest groups n  Types of interest groups: which types are

traditional? Which are relatively new? n  New politics movement n  How do interest groups overcome the

collective action problem? n  Explain different types of selective benefits. n  How do interest groups attempt to influence

public policy? What do they do? What is the iron triangle?

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