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POLITICAL PARTIES. If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, speech, Mar. 6, 1956. What are they?.
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POLITICAL PARTIES If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, speech, Mar. 6, 1956
What are they? • VO Key definitions: • The party that mobilizes on election day- You, me your parents ( Party of the electorate) • The people who do the work of the party, organizers, campaigners, fund raisers- local, state and national levels ( organizational party) • The party that governs, democrats and republicans that make the laws ( Governmental party)
What do they do? • Mobilize support, gather power, create an identity • Stability- pull extremes to the center to attract moderate masses • Unify many interests ex. Exec/leg branches or regions, religions, races join forces fro common goal • Electioneering- funnel people to system, candidates, voters, workers • Voting and issue cues- create opinion • Policy formulation- party platform- What are we?
What kinds of parties exist? • POLITCAL MACHINE- Built to win- Democrats and Republicans- adaptable
IDEOLOGICAL PARTIES- Green, Libertarian etc.- they actually believe in something.
The GOP evolved? Well sort of… • GOP platforms over time • What year is it anyway?
SPONSORED PARTY- Party that is funded by an organization, typically local ex. Democratic party in Detroit is sponsored by the UAW.
TWO PARTY SYSTEM • Why just two parties? • Plurality system- most votes wins, many other nations require a majority, creating run off elections. They hope to get enough votes to advance, then make political deals with contenders. Not here. • Winner take all- Europe is proportional, win 13% get 13% of seats. • Single member districts- one district represented by one member of a larger legislative body. Because of plurality system, this also hinders 3rd parties
MORE • Laws slanted toward big 2 Why? They make the dang rules: • 3rd parties need signatures to get on ballot. • Lack of media attention- follow the leaders or create the leaders?? Ron Paul is invisible- including exclusion from debates!! • Federal funding rules- Need 5% of vote to get fed funds
FINALLY- big two adapt! • Winning is their ideology
3rd PARTIES- USELESS? • Not quite • Push the envelope, operate ahead of the curve • 1. Women’s suffrage –Woman’sParty • 2. Child Labor Laws- Socialist Party • 3. Immigration Act of 1924- Populist Party, from pre 1900 • 4. Social Security- Socialist party • 5. Tough on crime- Independent party of Geo Wallace 1968 • 6. Limited government- Libertarian party
Of course not ALL 3rd parties serve a noble purpose: • What the.........
And sometimes their candidates are dubious, but what the heck:Green candidate for NY governor (1998)
REALIGNING ELECTIONS • Sharp lasting alteration of party loyalties • 2 kinds- party dies or people shift allegiance • 1860- Whigs disappear as Democrats and GOP fight slavery issue • 1896- economic issues create east vs west, urban vs rural, as opposed to slavery split of North vs South • 1932- New Deal/Great Depression – blacks, Jews urban workers leave GOP for democrats