Nonpartisan
 |
 |
The termnonpartisan is generally used in one of two ways. In the stricter sense, which is used by some government agencies (such as the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service), the term nonpartisan may be used to describe a group or individual that does not expressly support one political party or candidate over another. More broadly, the term nonpartisan may sometimes be used to describe a group or individual that does not promote a particular political ideology.[1][2]
For example, consider the following two organizations: theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council and theCenter for American Progress. Both organizations describe themselves as nonpartisan. In the stricter sense of the term, that is correct; neither supports or advocates for one political party over another. In the broader sense, however, some may not consider these organizations to be nonpartisan because they espouse political ideologies. The American Legislative Exchange Council is regarded as a conservative organization "dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets, and federalism." Meanwhile, the Center for American Progress describes itself as being dedicated to "bold, progressive ideas."[3][4]
Nonpartisan elections
- See also:Nonpartisan elections
The term nonpartisan is also used to describe elections in which the candidates do not run with partisan labels.Nonpartisan elections are generally held formunicipal and county offices. In addition, mostschool board elections are nonpartisan. Nonpartisan elections for judges are also common.[5][6]
The state ofNebraska self-identifies as the onlystate legislature that is entirely nonpartisan. TheNebraska State Senate isunicameral. To learn more about partisan affiliation in the Nebraska State Senate, seethis article.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Merriam-Webster, "Nonpartisan," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑Internal Revenue Service, "The Restriction of Political Campaign Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑American Legislative Exchange Council, "About ALEC," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑Center for American Progress, "About the Center for American Progress," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑Pitt.edu, "Party Identification and Vote Choice in Partisan and Nonpartisan Elections," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑National League of Cities, "Partisan vs. Nonpartisan Elections," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑Nebraska Legislature, "History of the Unicameral," accessed May 1, 2014
