Political Parties

1. C H A P T E R 7 Political Parties

2. What Is a Party? • Apolitical partyis a group of persons who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office. • The two major partiesin American politics are the Republican and Democratic parties. • Parties can be principle-oriented, issue-oriented, or election-oriented. The American parties are election-oriented.

3. What Do Parties Do? • Nominate Candidates—Recruit, choose, and present candidates for public office. • Inform and Activate Supporters—Campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates. • Act as a Bonding Agent—Guarantee that their candidate is worthy of the office. • Govern—Members of government act according to their partisanship, or firm allegiance to a party. • Act as a Watchdog—Parties that are out of power keep a close eye on the actions of the party in powerfor a blunder to use against them in the next election.

4. Why a Two-Party System? • The Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. • The Force of Tradition. America has a two-party systembecause it always has had one. Minor parties, lacking wide political support, have never made a successful showing, so people are reluctant to support them. • The Electoral System. Certain features of government, such as single-member districts, are designed to favor two major parties. • Ideological Consensus. Most Americans have a general agreement on fundamental matters. Conditions that would spark several strong rival parties do not exist in the United States.

5. Party as nominator of candidates • Most states use the primary as a way of nominating • Some use caucus or conventions-party leaders play stronger role in nominating

6. How ballots are organized affects party nominations • Party column ballot-easier to vote straight ticket. • Office block ballot-organized by office candidate is running for, makes straight ticket less likely • Nonpartisan elections-no affiliation with party is indicated on ballot-local, judicial

7. Office Column Ballot Party Column Ballot

8. The Caucus-history & modern use • Caucus-meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform • By 1820’s this became corrupt-backroom deals

10. Convention method of nomination • 1830’s-1840’s Party Conventions-delegates, usually chosen directly by party members • Once again, falls to corruption, replaced by primary election

11. How do primaries differ? • 1.) who may run and how one qualifies for the ballot; • 2.) whether the party organization can or does endorse candidates before the primary; • 3.) who may vote in a party’s primary; • 4.) how many votes are need for nomination-plurality, majority or some other number determined by party rule or state law.

12. Impact of differing types of Primary elections • Open primaries-any voter, regardless of party may vote Permits crossover voting-Republicans voting in Democratic primary & vice versa • Closed primaries-only persons of registered in the party holding that primary may vote

13. Primary system and the Power of the Party • Decreases the role of the party in nominating candidates. • Party officials have less influence in an election so have much less control over nominations • ***PARTY’S DO NOT CONTROL WHO IS NOMINATED IN OUR CANDIDATE CENTERED SYSTEM

14. Blanket Primaries • Washington and California experimented with this • All voters could vote for any candidate, regardless of party-allowed raiding of other parties ballot

15. Watchdog Role • Parties give each other a polite reprieve from attack shortly after an election • This is called the honeymoon period. • Most Presidents have used this to their advantage-the first 100 days.

16. The Party as an agent of governing • Legislative: all committees are chaired by majority party, all committees have a majority of members that are of the majority party in that house. • Executive: Patronage- President appoints or selects party loyalists to key government and federal judicial positions • Patronage…the awarding of government jobs to persons of the winning party

17. The Party as agent of governing • Even the party in power must moderate its position because it usually needs the help of the minority…to get legislation passed and especially to get re-elected.

18. Other Party Systems • Multi party systems-parliamentary systems • Exception –England-strong two party system • Italy/Israel-many parties-coalitions necessary, minor parties get concessions(positions in cabinet, etc.) in exchange • Creates incentive and environment for strong third/fourth parties to flourish

19. Multiparty Systems • Parties run slates of candidates for legislature • Winners determined by Proportional Representation-parties receive proportion of legislators based on proportion of votes ________________________________________ • U.S.-Winner-take-all-only candidate with most votes takes office. • Minor parties can rarely overcome the assumption that a vote for them is wasted • Plurality-most votes Majority-more than 50%

20. Multiparty Systems Advantages • Provides broader representation of the people. • More responsive to the will of the people. • Give voters more choices at the polls. Disadvantages • Cause parties to form coalitions, which can dissolve easily. • Failure of coalitions can cause instability in government.

21. One-Party Systems Types of One-Party Systems Modified One-Party Systems where one party regularly wins most elections One Party Systems where only one party is allowed. Example: Dictatorships such as Stalinist Russia Example: Republican North and Democratic South until the 1950s.

22. Factors that can influence party membership: Party Membership Patterns

23. The Nation’s First Parties Federalists • Led by Alexander Hamilton • Represented wealthy and upper-class interests • Favored strong executive leadership and liberal interpretation of the Constitution Anti-Federalists • Led by Thomas Jefferson • Represented the “common man” • Favored Congress as the strongest arm of government and a strict interpretation of the Constitution

24. Change and Continuity • Parties have changed but many important elements of the system have not. • Such as… ~Parties are moderate and accommodating ~minor parties have played a role but never eclipsed the major parties ~the “plate tectonics” of parties had been realigning elections-a turning point that redefines the agenda and the alignment of voters within the parties

25. Realigning Elections • Characteristics: • 1. intense electoral involvement(voters) • 2. disruption of traditional voters • 3. changes in relationships of power within the community • 4. formations of new and durable electoral groupings

26. Realigning Elections contin… • Final Characteristic: • 5. Cyclical-coincide with • a. expansion in suffrage or • b. changes in rate of voting Key Realigning Elections 1824, 1860, 1896, 1932

27. 1824 • Jackson defeated by John Q. Adams in the House of Reps • Comes back with Martin Van Buren to win by combining various interests and regions • Solidifies a new Democratic Party with nation wide support Federalists become the Whigs

28. 1860 • Republican Party evolves out of crisis over slavery • Lincoln elected in 1860, dominate for 50 yrs. • Dems survive only with white male base in South

29. Election of 1896McKinleyBryan

30. 1896 • Party in power did not change hands • * exception called a converting realignment because party in power was same but was reinforced by those characteristics of realignment because of the threat to the party

31. 1932 • Laissez faire economics-hands off-Hoover vs. • Keynesian economics-government could influence economy through fiscal and monetary policy adopted by FDR

32. American Parties: Four Major Eras The Three Historical Eras The Era of the Democrats, 1800—1860 • Democratsdominate all but two presidential elections. • TheWhig Party emerges in 1834, but declines by the 1850s, electing only two Presidents. • The Republican Party is founded in 1854. The Era of the Republicans, 1860—1932 • Republicans dominate all but four presidential elections. • The Civil War disables the Democratic Party for the remainder of the 1800s. The Return of the Democrats, 1932—1968 • Democrats dominate all but two presidential elections. • Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected President four times.

33. American Parties: Parties Today The Start of a New Era: The Era of Divided Government Since 1968, neither Republicans nor Democrats have dominated the presidency and Congress has often been controlled by the opposing party. 1976–1980 Democrats hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Democrats 1968–1976 Republicans hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Democrats 1992 – 2000 Democrats hold the presidency Congress controlled by Republicans, 1994 to present 1980–1992 Republicans hold the presidency Senate controlled by Republicans 1980-1986, controlled by Democrats from 1986 to 1994 2000 Republicans hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Republicans

34. Minor Parties in the United States Types of Minor Parties Splinter Party Example: “Bull Moose” Progressive Party Economic Protest Parties Example: The Greenback Party Ideological Parties Example: Libertarian Party Single-issue Parties Example: Free Soil Party • Ideological parties tend to last the longest • Examples-Prohibition, Libertarian, and Green parties

35. Minor Parties in the United States

36. Why Minor Parties Are Important Minor parties play several important roles: “Spoiler Role” • Minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the major parties’ candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from a splinter party. Critic • Minor parties, especially single-issue parties, often take stands on and draw attention to controversial issues that the major parties would prefer to ignore. Innovator • Often, minor parties will draw attention to important issues and propose innovative solutions to problems. If these proposals gain popular support, they are often integrated into the platforms of the two major parties.

37. Third Parties in History • Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party

38. Third Parties in History, contin… • George Wallace’s American Independent Party- 1968 election-13 million votes, 46 electoral votes

39. Continued… • Ross Perot-The Reform Party- won 19 million votes, 19% of the total vote in 1992

40. Reform Party contin… • Without Ross Perot to lead it, Reform party under candidate Pat Buchanan failed to get even 1% of the popular vote.

41. The Decentralized Nature of the Parties Both of the major parties are highly decentralized and fragmented. Why? • The party out of power lacks a strong leader. • The federal system distributes powers widely, in turn causing the parties to be decentralized. • The nominating process pits party members against one another because only one person can chosen to be the party’s presidential candidate.

42. National Party Machinery • The National Convention • The National Chairperson • The Congressional Campaign Committees • The National Committee All four elements of both major parties work together loosely to achieve the party’s goals.

43. State and Local Party Machinery • State and local party organization varies from State to State, but usually follow the general principles below.

44. The Three Components of the Party Party Components The Party Organization: Those who run and control the party machinery. The Party in the Electorate Those who always or almost always vote for party candidates. The Party in Government Those who hold office in the government.

45. The Future of Major Parties Weakened connections to political parties: For voters : • More people are unwilling to label themselves as “Democrats” or “Republicans” • Split-ticket voting—voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election • Distrust of Parties For candidates: • Structural changes have increased conflict and disorganization within parties • Changes in the technology of campaigning, especially the use of television and the Internet, have made candidates more independent of the party organization • The growth of single-issue organizations provides candidates with another source of financial support

46. Parties today • Institutions: • ~National party leadership • National Convention • National Committee • National Party Chair • Congressional/senatorial campaign committees • Proposed soft money bans, but parties need $ Grass Roots State, county, city level separate structure

47. Institutions of the Party, contin… • Party Platform-official statement, vague on purpose • Party platform-doesn’t help a presidential candidate but can hurt a candidate

48. Party Activists • Those who identify themselves as strong Republican or strong Democrat are the most active in politics and are generally more knowledgeable and informed.

49. The Fate of the Party system • Three challenges • 1. Parties do not take meaningful and contrasting positions on issues • 2. Party membership is meaningless • 3. Parties are concerned with the middle of the ideological spectrum so they are not capable of social progress

50. Is the Party System in Severe Decline? • Reforms of early 1900’s progressives weaken parties • Nonpartisan elections and the large number of elections make it harder for party to exert influence • The new media have reinforced the role of the candidate