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