Modern parties are disciplined in the sense that, once elected
to a representative
assembly
under the label of a
party
, it is expected that the member
will adhere to the general principles and platform of the party and
will vote with his or her colleagues in the assembly.
If the member does not conform to the decisions of the party, he or
she may be threatened with expulsion from the party
caucus
and the withdrawal of the
party’s endorsement at the next election (see
nomination
). This is a
powerful inducement for members to conform to the party
line. It is the price that members must pay for using
the party label to gain election, and to gain the benefits of party
membership.