Political Party
An organized group of people with similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office.
An organized group of people with similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office.
Example: The Democratic and Republican parties are the two major political parties in the United States, dominating elections at the federal, state, and local levels through their extensive fundraising and voter mobilization networks.
Common misconception: Political parties are mentioned and regulated by the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution makes no mention of political parties; they are extra-constitutional organizations that developed organically as a practical mechanism for organizing elections and governing.
Sources: https://constitution.congress.gov/ — the Constitution's text contains no mention of political parties (absence verifiable by search of the annotated text); https://www.fec.gov/ — FEC party registration and regulation: parties are creatures of statute and practice, not the Constitution