Party Organization

1. Party Organization

2. Decentralized Nature of Parties • How well organized do you think they are? • Both are decentralized • Fragmented, disjointed, beset by factions and internal squabbling • Chain of Command • Neither party has central command from national to state to local organizations. • These parts usually co-operate with each other • Local party organizations are rarely tied to State organizations

3. Role of Presidency • Presidents party is more solidly united • President is automatically the party leader • Asserts leadership in various tools • Media, popularity, federal appointments • Other party • Has no clear leader • Typically group of people are identified as leadership

4. Role of Nominating Process • Nominating Candidates • Intraparty process • Nominations are made only within the party • Nominating process is a divisive one • Members of same party battle it out • This is a cause of the fragmentation of the party • Its hard to accept defeat and smile

5. National Party Machinery • Both parties follow a format to keep the machine running • There are 4 basic elements for national party

6. National Convention • Party’s national voice • Nominate Presidential candidate • Adopts the party’s rules • Writes the platform for the party • No other authority • No control over selection of party’s candidates for other offices • No control over policy stands for these other nominees

7. National Committee • Handle party affairs between conventions • Traditional composition • Committeeman and committeewoman from each state & some territories • Chosen by states party organization • However both committee’s have changed in the last few years

8. Republican National Committee (RNC) • Members from each state and… • District of Columbia, Guan, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands • National Federation of Republican Women • Also have some members

9. Democratic National Committee (DNC) • Much larger • Includes members from each state • Party’s chairperson and vice chairperson • Several territories • Includes additional members from the party organizations of larger states • Up to 75 at-large members chosen by the DNC • Several members of Congress, governors, and mayors

10. National Committee • Looks powerful on paper • Filled with prominent members of each party • In reality it has little power • Stages party’s national convention every 4 years

11. National Chairperson • Leader of National Committee • Chosen by nomination from Presidential candidate • Approved by the national committee • Directs work of party’s headquarters • Focus on convention during election year • In-between elections • Strengthen the party • Promote unity, raise money, recruit voters

12. Congressional Campaign Committees • One in each house of Congress for each party • Chosen by colleagues and serve two years • Work to reelect incumbents • Make sure seats stay in the party • Try to oust competitors from other seats • When it seems likely the incumbent could lose

13. State and Local Party Machinery • Regarding National Party organization • Largely based on custom • Rules adopted at national conventions • State and Local • Structure is usually set by State law

14. State Organization • State Central Committee • Headed by State chairperson • Chairperson • May be an important politician • Usually fronts for the Governor, or Senator, etc • Further parties interest in the State • Build up organization • Focus on party unity • Find good candidates • Raise campaign funds • Hard job when people don’t get along

15. Local Organization • Vary widely, hard to make description • Follow electoral map of the State • Party unit for each district with elective office • Congressional and legislative districts, counties, cities, and towns, wards, and precincts • Ward • Unit into which cities are divided • Divided for election of city council members • Precinct • Smallest unit of election administration • Voters in each precinct report to 1 polling place.

16. Local Organization Cont. • Large cities • Organization broken down by residential blocks • In some cases even by apartment building • Activity • Most tend to be inactive during the year • Very busy during election months

17. Three Components of the Party • Party organization • The leaders, activists who run the party machinery • Party in the electorate • Party loyalists who vote straight party ticket • Party in government • Party’s officeholders at all levels of government

18. Future of Major Parties • Political parties have never been very popular • Many Americans have mixed feelings regarding them • Considered by many as a necessary evil • Decline • Parties have been on the decline since the late 1960s • We may witness a collapse during our lifetime

19. Five Factors that Weakened Parties • Sharp drop in number of voters willing to identify themselves with major party. Also growing number of Independents • Big increase in split-ticket-voting. Voting for candidates of different parties for different offices during same election • Structural changes that have made parties “more open” which led to greater internal conflict and disorganization • Including direct primary election in early 1900s • Recent changes to campaign finance laws

20. Five Factors that Weakened Parties 4. Changes of campaign technology. • Heavy use of TV, internet, direct mail, phone calls 5. Growth of single-issue organizations • Interests groups pick sides for or against candidates • Political Action Committee (PAC’s) • Raise and fund candidates campaigns • Candidate doesn’t need to rely on party for funding

21. Political Parties • Love hate relationship • Lots of people hate them, for good reason • However they offer the ability to make government work • Perform many necessary functions for the government • Without parties its not clear what would happen