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Chapter 9

Chapter 9 . It’s Party Time!!!!!!!! Political Parties. What is a political party? . An organized group that seeks to Win elections Hold public office Operate the government Determine public policy. Parties exist to:. Label candidates (Party ID) Helpful for voters, shorthand… Govern

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Chapter 9

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  1. Chapter 9 It’s Party Time!!!!!!!! Political Parties

  2. What is a political party? • An organized group that seeks to • Win elections • Hold public office • Operate the government • Determine public policy

  3. Parties exist to: • Label candidates (Party ID) • Helpful for voters, shorthand… • Govern • Congressional rules and organization are based on the 2 party system • Critique party in power • Organize election process • Recruit candidates, mobilize voters, info on issues…

  4. What else do they do? • Serve as a linkage institution that connects citizens to government

  5. Why do we have a two party system? 1. Congressional and local elections • Winner take all , plurality (as opposed to proportional: win 20% of votes get 20% of the seats) • single member district (1 candidate per office) 2. Electoral College • Names of Democratic and Republican candidates are automatically placed on ballots • 3rd party candidates must obtain a certain # of signatures to get on the ballot

  6. One / Multiparty systems • One party: a single party exercises total control over whole government • China , Iran • Multiparty: a number of parties compete for offices • Parties are often based on a few issues , illustrating widely differing views on policy • France , Italy, Israel

  7. Benefits of political parties • Offer clear choices to voters • No need to gather volumes of information on tons of candidates • Eases transition of officials after elections

  8. Weakening of parties (Party De-alignment) • Less people identify with single party • More split ticket voting • Dem for Pres / Rep for Congress • More identify as independent (about 38%) • Organization • Parties no longer run the general elections, less local influence • Prior to progressive era parties organized election, printed ballots, provided incentive for voters to turn out (28 gallons of rum)

  9. Weakening of party identification

  10. Trends in split ticket voting

  11. Parties in US vs. Parties in Europe US: weaker parties Europe: stronger parties National government has much more power Less regulation on parties People vote more for party than for individual • Federal system: decentralizes party • Regulated by federal and state laws • Candidates picked through primaries, not selected by party leaders • President and Congress elected separately • Presidential appointees

  12. History of political parties Reading: Due Tomorrow (1/3/13) • Create a chart for each party system with the following information: (there are 6) • Dominant party of the time • Core beliefs of each party • Voting coalitions for each side • Any particular regions? Groups of people? • What caused the change in party systems to occur?

  13. History of the 2 party system • Why have there been changes in political parties? • New issues emerge causing new voter coalitions to be formed :known as Realigning / critical elections • 2 types: • 1 – parties disappear • Federalist / Whigs • 2- coalitions of voters switch party loyalty • 1896, 1932, 1968

  14. 1st party system: Federalists vs. Democratic Republicans 1796-1816 (DR’s dominate) • Starts at the Federal Level: Loose political parties form in Congress to help pass legislation • Federalists = strong Fed gov’t, close relationship with Brits • New England, commercial interests • Starts diminishing in power after election of 1800, fades away after War of 1812 • Democratic Republicans = loose coalition organized against Feds • South, agrarian interests • Created to defeat Adams in 1796 (he wins) • The sole ruling party from 1816-1824: Era of Good Feelings • Really party is dividing 2nd party system emerges because Federalists disappear!!!!!

  15. 2nd Party system: Democrats and Whigs 1828-1860 (Dem’s dominate) • Democratic Republicans split to form the Dems and Whigs • Dems: South and West, farmers • Whigs: North, business interests… loose association of groups opposed to Jackson • Breaks apart due to divisions over slavery • Parties controlled at local level (rather than national level) • Nominating conventions, patronage • Political participation increases dramatically • Universal white male suffrage 3rd party system emerges because Whigs disappear

  16. 3rd party system: Democrats and Republicans 1860-1896 • 1856: Republicans emerge as a 3rd party to challenge Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 (slavery allowed in new territories) • Only 3rd party to become a major party • Attracted anti-slavery dems and Whigs • Anti-slavery • Free market (as opposed to slave labor) • Expansion of railroad • High tariff Republicans dominate presidency and Senate, Dems often control the House

  17. 3rd party system: Democrats and Republicans 1860-1896 • During this era Dems continue to appeal to Southern, agrarian interests, also appeal to urban workers, immigrants, and Catholics… • Election of 1896: WJ Bryan, dem nominee adopts populist platform and alienate many Northern Dems • Nativist ideas alienate immigrants • Protestant ideology alienates Catholics • Free silver alienates urban workers Realigning because coalition of voters switch party Dems loose key coalitions of voters and realize they can’t just appeal to farmers (as they tried to in 1896)!!!

  18. 4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) • Republicans win presidency 7 of 9 elections, control Congress in 15 of 18 elections • Start of solid red/ blue divide (although Republicans dominate North and Democrats dominate the South) • Many election reforms introduced during period ( starts to diminish the power of local parties) • Primary / caucus • Direct election of Senators • Civil Service

  19. 4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) • 1901-1912: Progressive Republicans prevail • The popularity of progressivism influence the national and local agendas of both parties causing them to espouse similar ideology • 1912-1920 (Dems win presidency 2x’s, control Congress 1913-1917) • Republican party splits • Progressive republicans: low tariff, regulation of business, progressive income tax, support of the worker… • Conservative “traditional” republicans: high taxes, little gov regulation, support industry… • 1920-1932: Conservatives emerge • Reps: high tariff, low taxes, little regulation of business

  20. 4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) • Election of 1928: Catholics and immigrants start to move back to the Democratic Party due to the nomination of Al Smith (wet, Catholic) • Great Depression hits 1929 • Continues through Hoovers term, getting worse!!!!! • FDR wins election of 1932: New Deal coalition emerges • Catholics, immigrants, Jews, African Americans , Urban workers, • Dems also keep Southern Whites

  21. 5th Party System: Democrats and Republican 1932-1968 (Dems dominate) • Dems: keep New Deal coalition • Reps: struggle to offer an alternative, many programs very popular (majoritarian / Social Security) ; division within their party • Liberal republicans = supported bigger gov’t and New Deal ideology but felt republicans could administer programs more efficiently (dominant in Northeast) • conservative republicans = wanted to dismantle much of the New Deal legislation as well as • Lower taxes, less gov’t regulation of business, less federal control

  22. 5th Party System: Democrats and Republican 1932-1968 (Dems dominate) • Dems coalition breaking by the 1960s • Civil rights legislation ( alienates S. Dems as early as the late 1940s, alienates working class Northern Dems by 1960s) • Johnson’s Great Society ( blue collar / white collar divide) • Vietnam War (alienates young dems and upper class intellectuals)

  23. 6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present • What causes it to emerge: Disintegration of the New Deal coalition leaves the door open for Republicans to re-emerge • Characteristics of this era: • Congress and the Presidency often controlled by different parties • Red/ Blue states switch: Why? (2 reasons) • 1. Nixon and the “Southern Strategy”: 1968 &72 • Race becomes more important than class • For the first half of the 20th century, white protestant southern voters were more liberal on every issue than white protestant northern voters, with one exception: race. • Class was more important than race for decades because of poverty. With growing affluence in the 1960s, however, race began to be more important than class.

  24. 6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present • 2. Reagan (1980) brings religious conservatives solidly into the Republican party • Concentrated more heavily in the South • By the election of 1980 the South becomes solidly republican

  25. 6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present • Democrats continued to appeal to union members, upper class intellectuals, racial minorities, and progressives (abortion, gay rights, environmentalism, feminism) • Women move in larger numbers into the Democratic party during this era • Republicans appeal to Southern, rural, white, protestant, wealthier individuals

  26. 6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present • During this time period each party has become more ideologically distinct • Why? • Less party identification by voters (de-alignment) • Those who continue to identify are less moderate • Nominating process • Must appeal to liberal / conservative activists to secure parties nomination • Activist within parties discourage compromise • If you work across the aisle you’re a “sell out” Pros: clear alternatives are evident for voters Cons: inaction

  27. Party system review • 1. What is the only 3rd party to become a majority party?

  28. Republicans

  29. 2. Which political party forms as a loose coalition opposed to Andrew Jackson?

  30. 2. Whigs

  31. 3. What event lead to the dissolution of the Federalist party?

  32. 3. War of 1812

  33. 4. What 3 groups of voters did Democrats alienate during the election of 1896, starting the 4th party era?

  34. 4. Catholics, immigrants, urban workers

  35. 5. Why did Southern Whites begin to flee the democratic party in the 1960s?

  36. 5. Democrats pushing Civil Rights legislation

  37. AWESOME graph depicting history of parties • http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/03/politics-newnation.jpg • http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/06/politics-antebellum.jpg • http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/09/politics-gildedage.jpg

  38. 3rd / minor parties • Types: • Ideological: radically different view on government • Communist Party • Libertarian Party • Green Party • Single-issue parties • Prohibition Party • Factional / Splinter Parties: break off from existing party • Bull Moose Progressives (1912) • Dixicrats (1948) • American Independent Party (1968) • Economic-protest parties: usually form during economically depressed periods • Populists (1892)

  39. What purpose do 3rd / minor parties serve? • Often influence platform of major party, and then die out • 1896: Dems/ Populists • 1968 & 1972: Reps / American Independent Party • 1992: Dems & Reps / Ross Perot

  40. 3rd / minor Parties

  41. 1992: Who voted for Perot?

  42. Impact / importance of 3rd /minor parties • Often push a major party to adopt their ideas • Examples???? • Can play the “spoiler role” • Ralph Nader: 2000 / 2% of vote • TR: 1912

  43. Why is it difficult for 3rd parties to emerge in Presidential elections? • Electoral College • Winner take all • Public Financing • Must be a member of a political party • Must show broad based support by raising at least $5,000 in at least 20 states (100,000) • Ballot Access: reading • Why so difficult? • Participation in debates • Must meet constitutional requirements • What are they? • Must be on enough state ballots to theoretically win 270 electoral votes • 5 separate polling organizations must indicate that the candidate has a rating of at least 15%

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