The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (34 page)
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catastrophe theory
Catastrophe theory provides a systematic classification of sudden changes from one stable condition to another, applicable to phenomena as disparate as the freezing of a liquid and the collapse of an empire or the buckling of metal and a prison riot. Developed by 1965, the theory began to be tentatively applied to the social sciences by Christopher Zeeman and others during the following decade, and became an object of popular controversy after 1975. Its appeal to non-mathematicians was twofold. First, the mathematics of surfaces, topology, is more a qualitative than a quantitative field, yielding ideas of great generality which non-mathematicians are able to grasp through spatial intuition. Secondly, catastrophe theory offered an explanation of just those kinds of discontinuous change and radical divergence from nearly identical initial conditions that had seemed most resistant to scientific explanation in the Newtonian tradition and were thought peculiarly characteristic of social and political phenomena. Like
chaos theory
a decade later, catastrophe theory has intrigued students of politics without achieving an assured place in the literature or the text books, having had more success as a heuristic device than in detailed applications to politics. Its impact has accordingly been less than that of
game theory
.
CJ
chaos theory
a decade later, catastrophe theory has intrigued students of politics without achieving an assured place in the literature or the text books, having had more success as a heuristic device than in detailed applications to politics. Its impact has accordingly been less than that of
game theory
.
CJ
catholic parties
Parties which seek to advance the programme or policies of the Roman Catholic Church. Examples exist in most countries where the Catholic Church has been strong, although the United States is a notable exception because of the separation of Church and State there ( see
First Amendment
). Given that the Catholic Church often has its strongest following among the poor and devout, the programme of Catholic parties is typically conservative on matters covered by Catholic social teaching, but in favour of redistribution, and generally mildly leftist on economic matters.
First Amendment
). Given that the Catholic Church often has its strongest following among the poor and devout, the programme of Catholic parties is typically conservative on matters covered by Catholic social teaching, but in favour of redistribution, and generally mildly leftist on economic matters.
caucus
An exclusive meeting of the members of a party, or faction for organizational and/or strategic purposes. In the United States there are nominating caucuses and congressional caucuses. In sixteen states caucuses of local party members are held as the first step in a multistage process to determine the membership of the state party's delegation to the National Convention where presidential candidates are selected. The best-known caucuses of this type take place in Iowa. These caucuses select delegates to country conventions in accordance with the presidential preferences of those who attend.
Primary elections
provide an alternative means whereby rank-and-file party members may participate in the process of selecting presidential candidates.
The word caucus is also used in the United States in reference to party organizational structures in Congress. The parties in each house periodically hold private meetings to elect officers, to make nominations, and where substantive policy issues may also be considered. Among Democrats such gatherings are known as caucus meetings whereas Republicans in modern times come together in a ‘conference’. The significance of the congressional caucus or conference has varied over time. They have also usually been more important in the House than in the Senate and Democrats have tended to take them more seriously than Republicans.
In the early years of the republic congressional caucuses took upon themselves the responsibility for selecting candidates for President and Vice-President. Congressional party leaders have periodically sought to use caucus mechanisms to instil party discipline in the legislature. This occurred during Thomas
Jefferson's
presidency, and again when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House. In the latter period, the Democratic caucus in the House debated legislative proposals and operated under a rule requiring that when two-thirds of those present agreed to support a bill this would, with certain qualifications, be binding on party members when the matter was before the House as a whole. In the early twentieth century, the Republican leadership in the House also made use of the caucus in efforts to maintain party discipline and later, in 1925, expelled rebels who supported Robert LaFollette , the Progressive candidate for the Presidency in 1924. The House Democratic caucus took similar action forty years later against two Democrats who chose to support Barry Goldwater , the Republican presidential candidate in 1964.
In the 1970s the Democratic caucus in the House introduced a series of rule changes with far reaching consequences for the structure of power in Congress by abolishing the
seniority
rule in favour of making Committee chairmanship nominations subject to caucus approval. In 1974 three chairmen were deposed. The caucus was further strengthened by making the appointment of
Rules Committee
members and Appropriations Committee Chairmen subject to its approval. A further rule change conferred on the principal committee of the Democratic caucus, the Steering and Policy Committee, the right to nominate standing committee members, subject to caucus approval.
There is another type of caucus in the US national legislature. These are informal organizations of members who share common interests and come together in attempting to influence the agenda. These bodies often have cross-party membership. One of the best-known examples is the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization of African-American legislators. There is also an Hispanic Caucus, and many others.
DM
Primary elections
provide an alternative means whereby rank-and-file party members may participate in the process of selecting presidential candidates.
The word caucus is also used in the United States in reference to party organizational structures in Congress. The parties in each house periodically hold private meetings to elect officers, to make nominations, and where substantive policy issues may also be considered. Among Democrats such gatherings are known as caucus meetings whereas Republicans in modern times come together in a ‘conference’. The significance of the congressional caucus or conference has varied over time. They have also usually been more important in the House than in the Senate and Democrats have tended to take them more seriously than Republicans.
In the early years of the republic congressional caucuses took upon themselves the responsibility for selecting candidates for President and Vice-President. Congressional party leaders have periodically sought to use caucus mechanisms to instil party discipline in the legislature. This occurred during Thomas
Jefferson's
presidency, and again when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House. In the latter period, the Democratic caucus in the House debated legislative proposals and operated under a rule requiring that when two-thirds of those present agreed to support a bill this would, with certain qualifications, be binding on party members when the matter was before the House as a whole. In the early twentieth century, the Republican leadership in the House also made use of the caucus in efforts to maintain party discipline and later, in 1925, expelled rebels who supported Robert LaFollette , the Progressive candidate for the Presidency in 1924. The House Democratic caucus took similar action forty years later against two Democrats who chose to support Barry Goldwater , the Republican presidential candidate in 1964.
In the 1970s the Democratic caucus in the House introduced a series of rule changes with far reaching consequences for the structure of power in Congress by abolishing the
seniority
rule in favour of making Committee chairmanship nominations subject to caucus approval. In 1974 three chairmen were deposed. The caucus was further strengthened by making the appointment of
Rules Committee
members and Appropriations Committee Chairmen subject to its approval. A further rule change conferred on the principal committee of the Democratic caucus, the Steering and Policy Committee, the right to nominate standing committee members, subject to caucus approval.
There is another type of caucus in the US national legislature. These are informal organizations of members who share common interests and come together in attempting to influence the agenda. These bodies often have cross-party membership. One of the best-known examples is the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization of African-American legislators. There is also an Hispanic Caucus, and many others.
DM
central committee
The centre of power in a Communist Party run on the Leninist principle of
democratic centralism
. Each level of the party controls the personnel of the level below, and each level is bound to obey the rulings of the level above. Thus a majority in the central committee is enough to commit the whole party at every level.
democratic centralism
. Each level of the party controls the personnel of the level below, and each level is bound to obey the rulings of the level above. Thus a majority in the central committee is enough to commit the whole party at every level.
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