As citizens, we have a right to know what is going on at all levels of government, from local to federal. One way is through the use of or participation in linkage institutions, which are very important in connecting citizens to all levels of government. http://hattingtonpost.blogspot.com/2012/03/media-ultimate-linkage-institution.html. While not formally part of government, their presence is part of what makes political systems work. Services, Linkage Institutions: Definition & Examples, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The two major political parties in the U.S. are the Democrats and the Republicans. Ch 8 - What is ticket splitting? The difference between these two parties is based on their ideological differences (Hershey, 2009). Media is everywhere in today’s world. Media is also used as a political tool where political candidates appeals to the people directly. Leaders have continued to use their pocket size in media, to create a positive image to the public. Interest groups have had a significant influence in the American governance and policy making systems through their eminent influence and power. Linkage institutions provide the means to connect those individuals within a society to the centralized authority. Monarchies develop a single arbitrator. With only two parties in place, each seeks to maximize its appeal to voters. Election gives people chance to express their opinion, by the way of voting. There are four main types of linkage institutions: media, interest groups, political parties, and elections. 1-3 Boumpoulinas, Office 42 Boubolulina Building, Nicosia, 2407 Cyprus, Live Elections give citizens the ability to exercise their ultimate power-voting. Leaders such as Martin Luther King are still remembered for significant role in fighting racist regime in America. It is a democratic right that should be accorded to every citizen as it gives him or her power to participate in the country’s governance process. Informal institutions might be particularly used to pursue a political agenda, or a course of action that might not be publicly popular, or even legal, and can be seen as an effective way of making up for lack of efficiency in a formal institution. These ideologies are the ones which influences the decision of the general public on who to choose. They also enable the government to understand the opinion of the people on the ground. Question: What are examples of linkage institutions? Political parties tend to find the voters that best match a candidate and get out to garner their support. It is therefore a linkage institution between people and government. The same constitution defines the election candidates and the maximum term they should serve once voted in. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Linkage institutions are not part of the government itself, but they play a large role in supporting democratic societies. Which one is least important? Would you like to get a custom essay? While elections are the most basic form of linkage institutions, they are perhaps the most important because they provide citizens with a direct voice to the government. A linkage institution helps people do what? Interest groups just try to influence the government to support their opinions, I believe that the other three institutions play a more important role in involving the people in government. Example - in 1932 FDR (a democrat) won the presidency. A linkage institution is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. Many groups exist with the primary mission of protecting a particular set of concerns they hold near and dear about a politically relevant topic. In many ways, the media is a watchdog of politicians. Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. Linkage institutions are also important tools for evaluating the country’s scope of governance. Chat, Transatlantic Relationship between European Union and the US, Motivation Letter for the University of East Anglia. Here in America the process is run after every four year while in other nations it’s done after five years. Although the media may have some effect on the opinions of the public, the decisions of voters and citizens of the United States are often rooted deeply enough that they cannot be changed by a simple negative attack ad or segment on a certain news program. Linkage institutions are very critical in the daily running of the government since they encourage transparency, accountability and equal participation of people in the policy making process. By doing a simple search of the internet, you can pull up recent news articles that talk about new policies being passed. Fortunately, there are many ways the average person can find political information relevant to him or her. This might include information about laws passed, debates and speeches, and appearances for their constituents. But still, much remains unknown as far as the effects of media on the American political behavior are concerned. And as the rational choice theory dictates, political parties are guided by ideologies. Have you ever watched political coverage on your TV or on the Internet? 4.What are benefits of the two-party system for the United States? I disagree though and believe that media is an important linkage institution. A framework for the study of politics The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.