voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices; it has become the norm in american voting behaviior a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern one of the key inducements used by political machines; a patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather for merit or competence alone elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on election day whether they want to participate in the democratic or republican contests elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties; voters can then select some democrats and some republicans if they like; ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court in 2000 the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions; this group is composed of representatives from the states and territories one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions; this individual is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party and is usually hand-picked by the presidential nominee a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends; an alliance, especially a temporary one, of people, factions, parties, or nations

1. ticket-splitting

voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices; it has become the norm in american voting behaviior

2. party machines

a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern

3. patronage

one of the key inducements used by political machines; a patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather for merit or competence alone

4. closed primaries

elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty

5. open primaries

elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on election day whether they want to participate in the democratic or republican contests

6. blanket primaries

elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties; voters can then select some democrats and some republicans if they like; ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court in 2000

7. national convention

the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform

8. national committee

one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions; this group is composed of representatives from the states and territories

9. national chairperson

one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions; this individual is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party and is usually hand-picked by the presidential nominee

10. coalition

a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends; an alliance, especially a temporary one, of people, factions, parties, or nations