Critical Elections and Party Decay
{"Image DocumentName": "Critical Elections and Party Decay", "Image ImageDescription": "Two-party systems limit voter choices and encourage broad coalitions of diverse and sometimes conflicting groups. American parties tend to contain conflicts by being evasive on issues. They blur issues, ignore new demands, fail to adapt to new conditions. Result = demands build up, pressure increases, and dissatisfaction with lack of alternatives grows. Citizens seek answers outside existing party system through protests and social movements. Eventually, one party (usually the minority party) capitalizes on dissatisfaction by seeking to recruit those whose concerns are not adequately represented and champion issues they favor. Minority party may be rewarded by winning. The tidal shift is often referred to as a critical or realigning election. Critical or realigning elections are rare. Characterized by unusually high turnout and more intense ideological conflict. Winning party reshapes ideological agenda; party conflict reorganized around new set of issues. Voters are realigned and party coalitions shift.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}