American Democracy Now, 2nd Edition (Harrison)

Chapter 8: Political Parties

Chapter Summary

The role of political parties in the United States political system is outlined in this chapter. Discussing the role of political parties and their future contributions to the electoral process involves analysis of the following:

• Political parties today and their functions
• The party in the electorate, the party organization, and the party in government
• The role of political parties in U.S. history
• The persistence of the two-party system in U.S. politics
• The current state of health of U.S. political parties
• The role of third parties in the United States
• The future of U.S. political parties, especially given the impact of new ideologies and technologies