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Political Parties and Campaigns

Political Parties and Campaigns. Background. Party—ongoing coalition of interests joined together in an effort to get its candidates for office elected under a common label Party-centered politics v. candidate-centered. History. Washington farewell address: baneful effects of parties

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Political Parties and Campaigns

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  1. Political Parties and Campaigns

  2. Background • Party—ongoing coalition of interests joined together in an effort to get its candidates for office elected under a common label • Party-centered politics v. candidate-centered

  3. History • Washington farewell address: baneful effects of parties • Madison: Federalist 10—factions • Originate in battle between Jefferson and Hamilton • Jefferson: Republicans • Hamilton: Federalists • Late 1820s, Republicans battle each other • Andrew Jackson believes in ordinary people • Democratic Republicans…become Democrats

  4. More History • Jackson believed in grassroots • At peak de Tocqueville said “People reign in the American political world as the Deity does in the universe” • Whigs emerge as a threat • Catchall party • Falls apart in 1850s • Slavery splits Democrats and Whigs • Republicans rise • Abraham Lincoln • Stephen Douglas v. John Breckinridge

  5. Realignments • Disruption of existing political order because of the emergence of one or more unusually powerful and divisive issues • Election contest in which the voters shift their support strongly in favor of one party • A major change in policy brought about through the action of the stronger party • An enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of the dominant party

  6. Realignments • We’ve had three since the 1850s • 1) Civil War • Republicans replace Democrats as majority • 2) 1896 • Depression—people blame Cleveland (D) • Republicans gain in MW and NE • 3) Great Depression • Blame Hoover

  7. Parties and the Vote • Split ticket voting • Prospective • Retrospective

  8. Systems • SMDP • Candidate with plurality in district wins • Proportional representation • Multi-party systems

  9. Politics and Coalitions in the Two-Party System • Seeking the center • Power rests with moderates • Party coalitions • Two parties means BIG coalitions

  10. Third Parties • Promote policies • Reform party • Progressive • Single-issue parties • Prohibition Party • Ideological parties • Socialist Workers Party • Factional parties • Bull Moose

  11. Party Organizations • Nomination to office • Primary elections • Closed, open, blanket • Primaries hinder strong parties • No patronage • Party to individuals • U.S. parties are loose associations of national, state, and local organizations

  12. Local Party • Registration drives • Send mailings • GOTV • Concentrate on local races

  13. State Party • Central committee • Chairperson • Fundraising and voter registration

  14. National Party • RNC and DNC • National chairperson • Raising and spending money • DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, NRSC • Hard money—What party gives and what you get from individual contributors and interest groups (hard cap) • Loophole—allows parties to raise and spend if not channeled directly to candidate (Soft money) • BCRA—bans soft money • 527 groups • Hydraulic Theory

  15. Candidate-Centered Campaign • Service relationship • The money chase • $20,000 per week to make what you need for Senate race • Hired guns • Consultants, pollsters, media producers, fundraising, GOTV specialists, opposition research • Packaging

  16. The Battles • Air War • TV • Communicate directly • Rapid response • Debates • Ground War • Get swing voters • More difficult to switch sides • Web War • Email is cheaper • YouTube is cheaper • Targeted medium

  17. Advantages and Disadvantages • Can infuse new blood • More open for newcomers • Flexibility • Encourage national officeholders to remember the locals • Degenerate into mud-slinging • Weaken accountability

  18. Thursday • Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas? asserts that the Republican Party has forged a new "dominant political coalition" by attracting working-class white voters on the basis of "class animus" and "cultural wedge issues like guns and abortion." Larry Bartels's analysis confirms that white voters without college degrees have become significantly less Democratic for different reasons. Why? • If nonvoters actually came out to vote in an election, would this change in the voting electorate be enough to make substantive changes in elections? • Before the widespread use of the survey in American political science, scholars considered American voters to be well informed on elections, policies, and other areas of politics. Once they began asking Americans questions about politics in the 1950s, they were shocked to discover that levels of political knowledge were low, and that Americans used cognitive shortcuts—such as party identification—to help determine the groups and policies that they would support. Is that good or bad?

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