Condorcet Cycling
No matter the winner of the vote, there is always a majority that prefers someone else. (A > B > C | C> A > B | B > C > A )
Interest Groups
txt-book: "organized groups of people seeking to influence public policy"
Agenda setting
determining the alternatives
- whoever sets agenda -> influences outcomes
Political Party
A long term coalition of groups seeking to influence elections and public policy
- parties form coalitions share interests or differences
Partisanship
A citizen's feeling of personal attachment to a political party
happens thru 1. cog. bias 2. social identity 3. rational self-interest
Party Cues
Signals that party leaders send to voters, which voters can use as "shortcuts" in taking a position (exmpl. calling something woke or liberal? for maga?)
Party Ideology
The collection of issue positions and political principles advocated by party leaders
- different groups w/i a party coalition affect the party ideology
- not all parties have a coherent or single ideology
Median voter theorem
in a unidimensional policy space, electoral candidates choose policy platforms at the preference of the median voter
Electoral blindspot
median voter is uncertain about positioning and ideology of parties OR vote based on other factors