Glossary: Political Parties in Texas
Occupy movement: aimed at limiting the influence of Wall Street and big corporations in American politics.
partisan polarization: the degree to which Republicans have become more conservative and Democrats have become more liberal
party-in-government: party identifiers who have been elected or appointed to hold public office
party organization: the formal structure of a political party that facilitates the coordination of party behavior and support for party candidates.
party platform: a statement of principles and purpose issued by a political party
political ideology: a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order
political party: a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power through representation in government
political socialization: the process by which we are trained to understand and join a country’s political world
public opinion: a collection of popular views about something; for example, a person, a local or national event, or a new idea
Shivercrat movement: a movement led by the Texas governor Allan Shivers during the 1950s in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency because many of those conservative Democrats believed that the national Democratic party had become too liberal
straight-ticket voting: the practice of voting for every candidate that a political party has on a general election ballot
The Tea Party movement: an American fiscally-conservative political movement within the Republican Party that has called for lower taxes, and for a reduction of the national debt of the United States and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending
third parties (minor parties): political parties that are formed as alternatives to the Republican and Democratic parties
trifecta: when one party controls the three vital centers of state political power—the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate
two-party system: a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, nearly all elected officials are members of one of the two major parties
white primary: primary election in which only white voters are eligible to participate