This is acually yesterdays blog Oct.15.2008
Chapter 8

a] Party identification refers to the voters sence of psychological attechment to a party
1] voting is a behavior
2] identification is a state of mind
b] 3 significant points
1] number of republicans and democartics comind exceeds the nimber of indepents in every year
2] number of Democatics consistrnly exceed that of Republicans
3] number of Democrats has shurnk over time, to the benefit of both Republicans and Ind.
Parties Classity
a] Republicans identifiers are more likely to be conservatives than democratics identifere
b] Republicans and democrates activites divided even more clearly along liberal and conservative lines
National level each major party has 4 main organizational componantes
a] national convention convenes every 4 years to nonminate a presidential candidate and set party policy and rules
b] national committiee compored of leaders from state parties hase a steering role
c] congressional party confereno try to guid each party legistative activitcsn within each chamber
d] congressional campaign org are separate bodies in each house for each party.
2] national organization is not hierarerchical and has little controll our state party organization
a] state party organization vary in strength and resources
b] national organization generally do not interfere in the state
a] neither party national commitee ever been more active in grass-roots campaign
b] more voters in congress are being cast along party lines
c] still americans are more likly to call them selves Independent.


period 7