Political Parties

1. Political Parties

2. Learning Objectives • Identify the functions that political parties perform in American democracy / Describe how political parties are organized in the U.S. • Differentiate the party eras in American history. • Compare America’s two party system to the alternatives. • Assess the impact and limitations of third parties on American politics • Determine the significance of party identification in the U.S. today.

4. Q1. What is the purpose of political parties? • Controlling the government

5. Parties: “three-headed giants”

6. Q2. What are the “three-heads” of parties? (3 roles) • As a label, in voters’ minds • Party in the electorate • As an organization, recruiting and campaigning for candidates • Party as an organization • As a set of leaders, organizing and trying to control legislative and executive branches • Party in government • The influence of #1 and #2 has declined • The influence of #3 has strengthened • Especially in Congress

7. Q3. What do parties do? (functions) • Pick candidates • Run campaigns • Give cues to voters • Articulate policies • Coordinate policymaking

8. Parties, Voters, and Policy Rational choice theory Political scientist Anthony Downs’ model Most voters are moderate Center of political spectrum Parties seek voter loyalty Position themselves to left and right of center 8.1

9. 8.1 How do parties maximize their appeal to voters? Position themselves near political center Lie about their opponents Stake out clear positions to the left or right Make party members sign loyalty oaths

10. 8.1 How do parties maximize their appeal to voters? Position themselves near political center Lie about their opponents Stake out clear positions to the left or right Make party members sign loyalty oaths

11. Party as an Organization • Local Parties • 50 State Party Systems • National Party Organizations

13. Local Parties • Used to be the main party organization • Party machines • Rewarded voters • New York / Chicago • Patronage • Jobs for voters and contributors • Progressive reforms ended this system

15. 50 State Party Systems • No two exactly alike • Some well-funded, some weak • Get to decide voting rules • Open or closed primaries • Straight-ticket voting • Single column or random list of candidates

17. National Party Organizations • National convention • Every four years • Writes party platform • Formal nomination of candidates • National committee • Operates between conventions • Led by national chairperson

18. Party Platforms:Individual Task • Everyone gets one of six different party platforms: • Identify the parts of the platform (“planks”) that you agree with and highlight or underline them • Be prepared to explain your rationale for selecting these particular planks

19. Party Platforms: Group Task • Adopt a new party platform for your group. • What will be challenging about this task? • Creating the platform: • Combine your selected planks into a platform • Include 15-20 planks + identify their origin • Avoid contradictory planks • Planks do not need to be balanced • You must reach a consensus • Name your party!

20. Party Platforms: Reflection • Were you able to identify your platform? • Overall, what did you think of your platform? • Was it a major party or minor party platform? • How accurate were your predictions about the challenges of forming a platform? • How does this exercise help us understand the role of parties?

21. Historical Party Eras

22. 1796-1824: First Party System • Madison warned against factions • Hamilton – Federalist Party • Capitalist support, Northeast • Short-lived • Jefferson – Democratic-Republicans • Agrarian support, South • Torn by factions

24. 1828-1856: Jacksonian Democrats vs. Whigs • Andrew Jackson • Democratic-Republicans  Democratic Party • New coalition • Westerners, Southerners, poorer whites • Broaden suffrage • Whig Party • United by opposition to Jackson

26. 1860-1928: Two Republican Eras • 1850s: Slavery • Split both parties • Republicans rose as anti-slavery party • Second party realignment • Lasted 60 years • Democrats controlled the South • 1896: Second Republican era

28. 1932-1964: New Deal Coalition • FDR defeats Hoover • Promises “New Deal” • New coalition formed • New Deal coalition • Urban • Labor • Catholics and Jews • Poor • Southerners • African Americans

29. Party coalitions today

30. Realignment in the South

32. 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government • Began with Nixon’s “Southern strategy” • States’ rights, law and order, strong military posture • Different parties control executive & legislative branches • Party dealignment – people gradually moving away from both parties • Party neutrality – many Americans indifferent towards two major parties

33. Which events sparked party realignments? Civil War Great Depression Nixon’s Southern strategy A and B only

34. Which events sparked party realignments? Civil War Great Depression Nixon’s Southern strategy A and B only

35. Party identification in the U.S.1925-2012

36. More Americans are identifying as Independents, especially: People over 65 Minorities Young people Less-educated citizens

37. More Americans are identifying as Independents, especially: People over 65 Minorities Young people Less-educated citizens

39. Two-Party System • Very few other countries have two-party system • Evenly balanced nationally, not locally • Why has two-party system endured? • Winner-take-all and plurality systems • Compare to proportional representation / coalition government • State laws make it difficult for minor parties to get on ballot

40. Multiparty Systems • Proportional representation – legislative seats awarded in proportion to votes in election • Used in most European countries • Coalition government – when 2+ parties join to form majority in national legislature

41. Third Parties: What role do they play in American politics? Ross Perot: 1992, 1996 Ralph Nader: 2000, 2004

42. What do Shooting Stars and Third Parties have in Common?

43. Third Party Any political party organized in at least a few states, other than the two current leading parties Jesse Ventura, Independent Governor of Minnesota, 1999-2003

44. History of American Third Parties Third Parties in the U.S. receive great attention, but in fact “have not assumed the importance that all the academic attention on them suggests.”

45. History of American Third Parties No minor third party as ever come close to winning the presidency • Only eight third party candidates have won any electoral votes • Only five, including Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and Ross Perot in 1992 have won more than 10% of the popular vote

46. Types of Third Parties

47. Sectional Parties Example: Strom Thurmond and the Dixiecrat Party ran on a segregationist platform in 1948

48. Economic Protest Parties Example: James Weaver and the Populist Party won over 1 million popular votes and 22 electoral votes in 1892

49. Ideology Parties Examples: Socialist, Communist, and Libertarian Parties Libertarian Party 2000 campaign ad

50. Charismatic Personality Parties Example: Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Bull Moose Party in 1912