Review for Political Parties, and Elections and Campaigns

1. Review for Political Parties, and Elections and Campaigns Kelly Walker

2. Functions of Political Parties • Linkage Institution: Connecting citizens to their government • Running candidates for political office • Informing the public • Organizing the government

3. Why a Two Party System? • Consensus of Values • Historical Influence • Winner-take-all election system • Realignments occur at the beginning and end of a party era. (issues change and schisms form between groups) Proportional system: the percentage of votes for a party’s candidates is directly applied as a percentage of representatives in the legislature. More voices are heard.

4. Organization of the Two Party System A Strong Grassroots organization (the candidate runs the campaign with support from the party) Both have: • A national committee composed of representatives from each state and territory • A full time paid national chairman that manages day to day work of the party • A national convention that meets formally every four years during the summer before a presidential election in November • A congressional campaign committee that assists both incumbents and challengers • A broad not always consistent ideological base since they must appeal to a large number of voters

5. Historical Development of the Parties • Long periods of dominance by one party- until realignment occurs because issues change, and new schisms form between groups

6. Historical Development of the Parties The Early Years • 1st parties: • Federalists- eventually die out (Hamilton) urban- business class- strong central govt. • Anti-Federalists- become Democratic- Republicans (Jefferson) strong state govts , rural interests, and weaker central govt. This party dominates until 1828.

7. Historical Development of the Parties Jacksonian Democracy: • Whigs emerge- represented the interests of the old Federalist party • Jackson: 1st democrat • 1st national convention to nominate a candidate for presidency- delegates selected from each state rather than a handful of eltie party leaders • North/South Tensions- Form Republican party 1860.

8. Historical Development of the Parties • Republican Era: 1861-1933 • Also dominated the legislature • Championed Industrial Revolution- business

9. Historical Development of the Parties • The Second Democratic Era: 1933-1969 • Roosevelt Coalition- a combination of many different groups of voters that wanted Hoover defeated

10. Historical Development of the Parties • The Era of Divided Government: 1969-2008 • Balance of Power between the Dems and Reps • Divided: presidency and legislature • Gridlock

11. Historical Development of the Parties • The Republican Hold on the Presidency from 1969 to 1993- (Carter 77-81) • 60s republican paid attention to the electronic media and the importance of paid professional consultants and public opinion polls • Democrats became concerned with grass roots or common man representation- 1968 convention showed party was factionalized and leaderless. McGovern-Frasier Commission led the Dems to represent minorities and women at the convention.

12. Historical Development of the Parties • Divided Government Today • Under Reagan, the Dems adopted Republican strategy and numbers grew. • Divided govt. remained (1969 until today) • A few periods were executive and Legislative are the same, but rare.

13. Minor Parties • 2 categories: • Dominated by an individual • Organized around a long-lasting goal or ideology Populist party: there goals were adopted by a major party deferring to the winner-take-all system

14. Party Power: The Effects of Dealignment • Over the last 50 years, party identification has weakened • More are Independent • Many are less willing to vote a “straight ticket” • Many political scientists believe the party structure is weakening

15. Party Power: The Effects of Dealignment • Early 20th century Reforms • Patron-Client system led to reform: took control of nominations from party leaders and gave it to the rank-and-file- also established: • primary elections at the state level • established the civil service • direct election of Senators • Women’s suffrage

16. Party Power: The Effects of Dealignment • Late 20th Century Developments Electronic media campaigns, professional consultants and direct-mail recruitment of voters has led to: • Less party clout over politicians and policy as politicians are more responsive to their personal following than to party leadership • National party organization are better funded • Parties are deeply entrenched organizational blocks for government, especially Congress

17. Realignment of 2008? • Republican sweep of 2004- both executive and legislative branch. • Split between red and blue • Voters were especially loyal to their parties • Break-up of the “solid south” long time dems replaced by republicans • 2008, shift to Democrats (Virginia, Indiana) • More young and minority voters

18. Elections and Campaigns • Functions of elections: • Choose political leaders from a competitive field of candidates • Form of political participation • Legitimizes the political system of the United States • Serve as a peaceful transition from one leader to the other

19. Guidelines for Elections • Constitutional • Elections for the House every 2 years • Creates the Electoral College • Congress sets the day for elections • Elections in the Senate every 6 years, 1/3 every 2 years • President elected for 2, 4 year terms

20. Role of Political Parties in Elections • The candidate must take the initiative to run for office • The candidate must announce their intent, raise money, collect signatures to get their name on the ballot and personally appeal to voters in primary elections • The power of parties has dwindled as campaign techniques have changed.

21. The Election system in the US: Winner-Take-All • The candidate with the most votes wins. They do not have to have a majority (more than 50%), but a plurality; the largest number of votes. • Most American elections are based on single-member-districts, which means that in any district (geographical region) the election determines one representative or official. • The census determines the population, the state legislatures determines the districts.

22. Primaries • The run-off elections for the parties; Types • Closed- voter must declare in advance his or her party membership (most states have this) • Open- do not need to declare party affiliation • Blanket (free love)- a voter marks a ballot that lists candidates for all parties and can select Rep for one office and Dem for another

23. Primaries • Caucuses: Iowa- local party members meet and agree on the candidate they will support; the local caucuses pass the information on to regional caucuses, who in turn vote on candidates- • States individually determine the rules for voting in primaries- history and tradition

24. General Elections • Once political parties select their candidates, they campaign against another until the general election where the voters make the final selection of who will fill the office. • More people vote in the general election than in the primary and most vote during a presidential election.