Political Parties

1. Political Parties Its Not Just a Celebration April 12, 2003

2. Outline • Description of Political Parties • History of Parties in the United States • Roles of Parties in Democracies • Major Functions of Parties • Characteristics of a Party System • Citizen Relationship to Parties • Future of Parties

3. What are Political Parties? • A group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to promote their ideas and policies • Promote individuals of like ideas to political office • Assist in governing the country • Help link American public to government

4. History of Political Parties in the United States • Madison and Federalist #10 • First Issues in the New Government • Washington’s Warning • Madison Gives In – Joins with Jefferson • Turning of the Guard During Jackson • Party Machines, Party Bosses • Patronage • Primaries

5. Party Eras • What are Party Eras? • Political Science examination of government control • Definition: Extended period of relative political stability in which one party tends to control both the presidency and the Congress • Critical Elections • Realignments • Dealignments

6. First Party Era: 1790s-1824 • Elite Phenomenon • Government and Parties Forming • Issue: National Government vs. State Rights • Federalists • Alexander Hamilton and John Adams • Democratic-Republicans • Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

7. Second Party Era: 1828-1854 • Rise of the Mass Political Party • Election of Andrew Jackson • Birth and Rise of Modern Democratic Party • JQ Adams – National Republican Party which turned into Whigs • Henry Clay and Daniel Webster • Same Major Issue • More Focused: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

8. Third Party Era: 1856-1896 • Rise of Modern Republican Party • Republicans took control of House and Lincoln named President in 4-way battle • Regionalism: South (Democrats) vs. North and West (Republicans) • Republicans held slight edge in presidential elections

9. Fourth Party Era: 1896-1928 • Large Depression in the Country • Rise of Stronger Third Party Candidates • People’s Party: Response to Farmer Crisis • Bull Moose Party: Split in the Republican Camp • Democrats took stronger hold on South • Republicans took stronger hold on North and West

10. Fifth Party Era: 1932-1964? • Another Depression: New Deal Emerges • New Coalitions of Voters Voting Democratic • Shifting Allegiances: Still Exist Today • Rise of Big Government • Declining Partisan Attachments • End of Realigning Periods?

11. Sixth Party Era: 1964-? • Long Periods of Divided Government • Many Pieces to the Political Puzzle • Dealignment? • Growth of Independents • Growth of Candidate-Centered Campaigning • Blunders and Changes: Nixon, Reagan, and the 1994 Congressional Elections

12. Roles of Parties in Democracies • Political Linkage: between voters and elected officials • Unification of a Fragmented Government: Helps in cases where Separation of powers in effect • Voice for the Opposition: providing an articulate opposition to the ruling parties • Partisanship: Loyalty to a political cause or party

13. Components of a Political Party • Party Organization: the official structure that conducts the political business of parties • Party-in-Government: members of the party who have been elected to serve in government • Party-in-the-Electorate: ordinary citizens who identify with the party • Party Identification: voter affiliation with a political party

14. Responsible Party Model • Each party should present a coherent set of programs to the voters, consistent with it’s ideology and clearly different from those of the other party • The candidates from each party should pledge to support their party’s platform and to implement their party’s program if elected.

15. Responsible Party Model Voters should make their choices based on which party’s program most closely reflects their own ideas and hold the parties responsible for unkept promises by voting out their members While governing, each party should exercise control over its elected officials to ensure that party officials are promoting and voting for its programs, thereby providing accountability to the voters

16. Party Differences • Party Ideology: ways parties organize their views of the world • Conservative • Liberal • Party Membership: different groups are supported by different parties • Policy Differences between the Parties: different party platforms are offered

17. Political Forces • What functions drives parties apart? • General Elections • Public Opinion • Party Activists • What functions drives parties together? • Primary Elections • Public Opinion • Pressures to win the Majority of the Vote

18. Functions of the Parties • Electioneering: the process of getting a person elected to public office • Recruiting Candidates • Nominating Candidates • Primaries • Open • Closed • Nominating Conventions • Defining policy agendas • General Elections

19. Functions of the Parties • Governing: activities directed toward controlling the distribution of political resources by providing executive and legislative leadership, enacting agendas, mobilizing support, and building coalitions • Controlling Government • Execution of Policy Agendas and Accountability

20. Characteristics of American Party System • Two-Parties • Rules of the Systems • Difficulty to be a candidate for 3rd party • Funding • Lack of Deep, Enduring Issues • Limited Credibility Given by Major Two Parties • Various Other Factors • Ideological Moderation

21. Characteristics of American Party System • Decentralized Party Organizations • National Committee • Congressional Campaign Committees • State Party Committees • Local Party Organizations • Difficult to Centralize: • Fed Electoral Structure • Federalism • Lacking Strong Organizational Roots

22. Discipline in the Parties • U.S. System Unlike European Models • There are ways to discipline in U.S. • Withholding Benefits and Privileges • Getting Favorable Positions in Government • Withholding Support • Losing Control of Congress

23. Future of the U.S. Party System • Will it stay the same? • What will changes be? • Will individuals go back to the party? • Will it just be candidate organizations? • What of the benefits of the party? What fills in for it today? • Can third parties come into being?