Voter Behavior
As with the preceding Second Party System era, the Third was characterized by intense voter interest, routinely high voter turnout, unflinching party loyalty, dependence on nominating conventions, hierarchical party organizations, and the systematic use of government jobs as patronage for party workers, known as the spoils system. Cities of 50,000 or more developed ward and citywide "bosses" who could depend on the votes of clients, especially recent immigrants. Newspapers continued to be the primary communication system, with the great majority closely linked to one party or the other.
Read more about this topic: Third Party System
Famous quotes containing the word behavior:
“Temperament is the natural, inborn style of behavior of each individual. Its the how of behavior, not the why.... The question is not, Why does he behave a certain way if he doesnt get a cookie? but rather, When he doesnt get a cookie, how does he express his displeasure...? The environmentand your behavior as a parentcan influence temperament and interplay with it, but it is not the cause of temperamental characteristics.”
—Stanley Turecki (20th century)