political parties
Competing electoral coalitions
Political parties are organizations that seek to gain and exercise governmental power by fielding candidates for election.
Members typically share broad ideological commitments—conservative, liberal, socialist, nationalist—though parties often contain internal factions.
In democratic systems, parties structure political competition: The two major political parties have dominated American politics for over a century.
Parties develop platforms, raise funds, mobilize voters, and when successful, control legislatures and executive offices.
National legislative assembly
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- policyAdopted principle of action
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
senate · regulation · democracy · executive · legislative · judiciary · statecraft · diplomacy
Agreed standard of behavior
- headquartersCentral command location
- platformRaised flat structure
- caucusParty selection meeting
- delegateEntrust authority to another
nomination · primary · conference · charter · bylaws · secretariat · chairperson · committee
Formal union of parties
- blocAllied group sharing interests
- mergerCorporate combination
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- confederationAutonomous entities united loosely
pact · accord · agreement · federation · alignment · kingmaker · junior partner · power-sharing
Gathering for a cause
- candidatePerson seeking selection
- electionOrganized public voting
- debateFormal argument on issues
- endorsementFormal expression of support
canvassing · stump speech · polling · voter turnout · leaflet · nominee · slogan · fundraising
Preference for existing institutions
- liberalismPhilosophy valuing reform, tolerance
- socialismCommunal economic control
- communismCollective ownership system
- fascismUltranationalist dictatorial political system
libertarianism · progressivism · nationalism · populism · anarchism · capitalism · environmentalism · centrism
parliament
National legislative assembly
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- policyAdopted principle of action
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
cabinet · senate · regulation · democracy · executive · legislative · judiciary · statecraft · diplomacy · ministry
convention
Agreed standard of behavior
- headquartersCentral command location
- platformRaised flat structure
- caucusParty selection meeting
delegate · nomination · primary · conference · charter · bylaws · secretariat · chairperson · committee · membership
alliance
Formal union of parties
- blocAllied group sharing interests
- mergerCorporate combination
- partnershipShared business arrangement
confederation · pact · accord · agreement · federation · alignment · kingmaker · junior partner · power-sharing · grand coalition
rally
Gathering for a cause
endorsement · canvassing · stump speech · polling · voter turnout · leaflet · nominee · slogan · fundraising · swing voter
conservatism
Preference for existing institutions
- liberalismPhilosophy valuing reform, tolerance
- socialismCommunal economic control
- communismCollective ownership system
fascism · libertarianism · progressivism · nationalism · populism · anarchism · capitalism · environmentalism · centrism · authoritarianism
- competitive organizationssports teams, corporations, sports leagues, tech companies, airlines
- democratizationdemocratic reform, free elections, liberalization, democratic norms, electoral reform
- EU ElectionsEuropean Parliament, MEP, MEPs, ballot, ballots
- liberal democracyliberal democracy, civil liberties, individual rights, rule of law, separation of powers
- Turkish RepublicAnkara, Treaty of Lausanne, Latin alphabet, secularism, secular state
- GhanaAccra, Ashanti, Gold Coast, Western, Central
political partiesindependent candidates
Office seekers without party membership
political partiespolitical apathy
Indifference to governance
grassroots movements · protest movements · civil disobedience · think tanks · disenfranchisement
political partiescivic associations
Local groups for public benefit
charitable organizations · social clubs · professional associations · religious congregations · labor unions
politics, partisan, political, politician, parties, politically, politicians, partisanship, politicize