Discussion question. Please read the posted Aldrich chapters: A good place to start our discussion is by defining political parties, which are "a group organized to nominate candidates, to try to win political power through elections, and to promote ideas about public policies." They are also described as "promoting principles," "seeking to control the governing apparatus by legal means," and "coalitions of elites to capture and use political office." We have noted the basic definition of political parties, so let's move on to a more sophisticated view. John Aldrich, an important party scholar (Why Parties, 1995) states the following: "My basic argument is that the major political party is the creature of the politicians, the ambitious office seeker and officeholder. They have created and maintained, used or abused, reformed or ignored the political party when doing so has furthered their goals and ambitions... What ever its strengths or weakness, whatever its form and role, the party is the ambitious politicians creations." Please dissect the quote from Aldrich. In general, what does the quote mean? What does the term "ambitious" refer to? If Aldrich is accurate, what does it mean for the fate of the parties, and the politicians that use and abuse them? Political Science Subject: (Please write the assignment on only one page , thank you).
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