Political Parties

1. Political Parties Chapter 12

2. In this chapter we will learn about What political parties are and the role they play in a democracy What parties in America stand for The history of political parties in America The central functions of parties: electioneering and governing Characteristics of the American party system The relationship of citizens to political parties

3. The role of parties in a democracy Political linkage A voice for the opposition Provides a check for the party in power Unification of a fragmented government A way to organize a block of voters (otherwise chaos)

5. Three components of political parties Party organization http://www.democrats.org/ http://www.gop.com/ Party in-government Party-in-the-electorate ReincePriebus Republican party chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Democratic party chairman

6. The responsible party model Each party presents a coherent set of programs to voters, consistent with its ideology and clearly different from those of the other party. party platforms through the years The candidates for each party pledge to support their party’s platform and to implement their party’s programs if elected.

7. The responsible party model, cont’d. • Voters make choices based on which party’s programs most closely reflect their own ideas and hold the parties responsible for un-kept promises by voting members out of office. • While governing, each party exercises control over its elected officials to ensure that party officials are promoting and voting for its programs, thereby providing accountability to voters. • If a person votes for a person of a particular party, they expect that person to behave in accord with that party’s ideals • List of change of Congressional seats • This system of quasi-checks and balances begins to fail when voters party identification wanes.

8. Party Disloyalty Joe Lieberman

9. Party Disloyalty On April 28, 2009, Specter announced that, after 44 years as an elected Republican, he was switching to the Democratic Party. On May 18, 2010, Specter was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Sestak

10. Turncoats Origin: The Duke of Saxony (1500s), whose land was bounded by France and England had a coat made, reversible blue and white, so he could quickly switch his show of allegiance (white for France and blue for England). • Senators Who Changed Parties During Senate Service (Since 1890) 1: William M. Stewart of Nevada  2: John P. Jones of Nevada  3: Henry M. Teller of Colorado  4: Lee Mantle of Montana  5: Richard F. Pettigrew of South Dakota  6: Frank J. Cannon of Utah  7: Fred T. Dubois of Idaho  8: Miles Poindexter of Washington  9: Robert M. La Follette, Sr., of Wisconsin 10: Robert M. La Follette, Jr., of Wisconsin 11: George W. Norris of Nebraska 12: Henrik Shipstead of Minnesota 13: Wayne Morse of Oregon 14: J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina 15: Harry F. Byrd, Jr., of Virginia 16: Richard Shelby of Alabama 17: Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado 18: Robert Smith of New Hampshire 19: James Jeffords of Vermont 20: Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut 21: Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania

11. Disillusionment and Confusion • Voter disillusionment and confusion occurs when political party has conflicting issues in its platform • Pro-Life, but Pro-Death Penalty • Pro-Family Values, but Anti-Pro-Family Policy • Pro-War, but Anti-Deficit Spending • Pro-Union, but Pro-NAFTA

13. January 9, 2012 Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11 More Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27% The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year, although the 40% who did so is the highest Gallup has measured, by one percentage point. More Americans continue to identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27%.

15. More Independent Votersbut candidates still unwilling to run independently Ron Paul Paul has campaigned for President of the United States twice before, first during 1988 as the nominee of the Libertarian Party and again during 2008 as a candidate for the Republican nomination. On May 13, 2011, he announced formally that he would campaign again during 2012 for the Republican presidential nomination.

16. More Independent Votersbut candidates still unwilling to run independently • Donald Trump Will Not Run as an Independent: Will Seek GOP Nomination if he Runs • April 18th, 2011 • After recently suggesting he might run as an independent if he fails to gain the Republican nomination, Donald Trump seems to have changed his tune. Now he says he will run as a Republican and downplays the idea of running as an independent which he says would split the vote and help Obama.

17. Party Structure or How to influence party platform

18. Local Party Orgs. • St. Louis County Democrats • St. Louis County Republicans

19. The Electoral College • Who are the Electors? • In general, the elector is nominated by his/her state party committee (perhaps as a reward for many years of service to the party) • The elector might “campaign” for a spot and the decision is made during a vote held at the state’s party convention • Electors are usually highly politically active or connected to politics, such as activists, party leaders, elected officials of the state, and even people who are tied to the Presidential candidates.

20. Missouri Electors 2008 • Missouri11 Electors. Population 2000 census: 5,595,211. 1,445,814 popular votes cast for electors pledged to John McCain and Sarah Plain. 1. McCain: Willis Corbett 2. McCain: Scott Dickenson 3. McCain: Robert Haul 4. McCain: Ronny Margason 5. McCain: Cathy Owens 6. McCain: Ron Muck 7. McCain: Gene Hall 8. McCain: R. MelleneSchudy 9. McCain: Nadine Thurman 10. McCain: Paul Nahon 11. McCain: Jerry Dowell

21. The dilemma party candidates face Most Republican primary voters are very conservative, while most Democratic primary voters are very liberal, meaning that candidates must run to the extremes to win the party’s nomination But: Many moderate voters turn out in the general election, so candidates should position themselves in the center of the ideological scale to win the general election

23. The history of party eras Critical elections lead to realignments Five agreed-upon party eras A sixth party era?

24. Party Eras • Realignment- a change in the basic party attachments of the voters that results in a new structure of party conflict. • Realigning elections in US history: • 1800- Republicans over Federalists • 1828- Democrats over National Republicans • 1860- Republicans over Democrats • 1896- Republicans over Democrats/Populists • 1936- Democrats over Republicans • Held until Reagan Era (1981)

25. De-alignment (a sixth party Era?) • Began in 1960s and is evidenced by ticket-splitting and independent voting as party identification declined. • Characterized by: • The demise of the New Deal coalition • Movement of southern whites (Dixiecrats) to Republican Party • African-Americans become overwhelming Democratic • Once predominately Republican (party of Lincoln) • De-alignment? Reduction in party identifiers into 1980s • Possible increase in party identifiers with the advent of political entertainment

26. Party of Governor by State Blue = Democrat Red = Republican The following figure is for Governors as of the Spring of 2011. Note that there are no Independent Governors despite the growth in independent voting. Alabama

27. Independent Candidates? • There are currently no Independents serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT) are currently serving in the U.S. Senate. • Why are so few independents elected when (at present) a large proportion of the population says they are “independent” voters? • Has to do with what parties do and how they do it

28. What do parties do?:Electioneering by Recruiting candidates Nominating candidates Open vs. closed primaries Open primaries (or pick-a-party) are those in which voters of any affiliation may vote for the slate of any party. Missouri has an open primary: Since Missouri has open primaries, every eligible registered voter may select the party ballot of their choice. However, primary voters may select only one party’s ballot. Voters who do not wish to give a political party preference may request an issues only ballot, if one is available in that particular jurisdiction. Republicans and Democrats are not required to have the same type of primary RL urges Republicans to vote for Hillary

29. Electioneering • Closed primaries are those in which only the voters affiliated with a party may vote in its primary. • What is the benefit of a closed primary? Political opponent cannot cross-over and vote in the other party’s political primary for the candidate least likely to win the general election.

30. The Caucus The CaucusCaucuses are simply meetings, open to all registered voters of the party, at which delegates to the party's national convention are selected. When the caucus begins, the voters in attendance divide themselves into groups according to the candidate they support. The undecided voters congregate into their own group and prepare to be "courted" by supporters of other candidates. • Voters in each group are then invited to give speeches supporting their candidate and trying to persuade others to join their group. At the end of the caucus, party organizers count the voters in each candidate's group and calculate how many delegates to the county convention each candidate has won. • As in the primaries, the caucus process can produce both pledged and unpledged convention delegates, depending on the party rules of the various states.

31. Characteristics of theAmerican party system Two parties Few serious political splits Ability to change with the times Two parties set the rules of the game!! Legal barriers faced by third parties Winner take all (not proportional representation) Laws governing placement on the ballot Laws dictate that in many states 3rd party candidates have to get more signatures than Democrats or Republicans to get a name on the ballot or get a certain percentage of votes in the previous election Third party candidates cannot get federal campaign funds until after the election, and only if they receive 5 percent of the National vote.

32. What happens to third parties in the U.S.? • They (or their ideas) get adopted by one of the two major parties in order to gain the 3rd party supporters. • Recently the case with the Green Party, the Reform Party (Ross Perot) and the Libertarian Party. • If not fully folded in, can sabotage election Third Parties Parties not established by Constitution Necessary way to organize people Can the new Constitution Party and Tea Party be considered “third” parties? The Rent is Too Damn High Party

33. Ralph Nader and the Green Party Total Votes % Cast Electoral Gore: 50,999,897 48.38% 266 Bush: 50,456,002 47.87% 271 Nader: 2,882,955 2.7 • Electoral votes needed to win: 270 • George Bush beat Al Gore by only 543 citizen votes in Florida • Nader received 97,488 in Florida

34. Characteristics of theAmerican party system, cont’d. Changes in party discipline over time Parties have been less disciplined in the U.S. than in other countries Meaning elected officials will vote with the opposing party or vote their conscience which may support an issue contrary to that of their political party E.g. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) held out for an executive order prohibiting federal funds for abortion before voting for health care reform. U.S. parties are becoming more ideological, meaning they are becoming more disciplined as well Potential for more political gridlock New Trend?

35. Characteristics of theAmerican party system, cont’d. Ideological moderation in general election campaign Decentralized party organizations National committees Congressional campaign committees State party committees Local party organizations Allows for citizen involvement

36. The citizens and political parties Three things citizens can do to offset their frustration with political parties, according to your text book: 1. Have realistic expectations 2. Get involved 3. Don’t split your ticket What do you think?