Political Participation

Political Participation -is low voter turnout a reality -comparison of turnout statistics between countries -who has control of elections and it’s effect -what factors hold down voter turnout/participation -Nie and Verba’s six categories of political participation -compare participation rates in various forms of political activity

A closer look at non-voting: A. Alleged Problem: low turnout compared to Europeans -but this compares registered voters to eligible adult population *look at table on Pg. 130 in text B. Most common explanation: voter apathy on election day -but the real problem is low voter registration rates -maybe Americans are satisfied with the way things are? No sense of urgency? C. Proposed solution: get out the vote drives -Civil rights in 1960’s -but will this help with those who are not registered? D. Apathy is not the only cause of non-registration -costs here versus no costs in Europe- registration is automatic -Motor-voter law of 1993, took affect in 1995 *ex. pg. 131 E. Voting is not the only way of participating- Americans #1 -civic groups, writing letters, social movements, working for candidates, $ donations (least)

Changes-cont’d B. Voting Turnout Debate over declining percentages: two theories -real decline as popular interest and party competition decrease -apparent decline induced in part by honest ballot counts of today *parties once printed ballots *ballots were cast in public *parties controlled the counting *today we use the Australian ballot system Most scholars see some real decline -registration is more difficult- Why? -continuing drop after 1960 cannot be explained apathy? -2008 election? Turn around? Why?

Who Participates in Politics? Forms of Participation -voting is the commonest, but 8-10% misreport it! -Verba and Nie’s six forms of participation *inactives 20% *voting specialists *campaigners *communalists *parochial participants *complete activists 11%

Causes of Participation, or lack thereof -those with schooling, or political information are more likely to vote -Church goers are more likely to vote (contact with like minded voters) -men and women vote at the same rate -Race * Black participation lower than that of Whites overall *But, controlling for SES (socioeconomic status), higher than Whites -level of trust in the government?- no correlation? -difficulty of registering, as turnout declines, registration gets easier. States with same day registration- slightly higher- 40% of non-registered say “too busy”

What do Participation Rates Mean? Americans vote less, but participate more -other forms of activity are becoming more common -some forms more common here than in other countries Americans elect more officials than Europeans do and have more elections -voter burn out U.S. turnout rates heavily skewed to higher status - are we an elitist society?

Elections and Campaigns Two Phases of Getting Elected -Getting Nominated -Getting Elected Getting Nominated -getting your name on the ballot -individual effort -Parties used to play a much larger role

Major differences between congressional and presidential elections -presidential elections are more competitive -fewer people vote in midterm elections -congressional incumbents can cater to their constituents -congressional candidates can campaign against Washington -power of presidential coattails has declined

Primary vs. General Campaigns • What works in a primary may not work in the general election • Iowa caucuses • The balancing act • Two kinds of issues-position and valence issues

Money, Money, Money, Money Sources of campaign money -presidential primaries part private, part public -presidential general elections-all public ($84 million to major party candidates) Obama first to refuse money (spends $745 million) -campaign finance rules: Watergate and 1974 federal campaign reform law – Federal Election Commission

Effects of Reform • Increased power of PAC’s • Shifted control of money away from parties to candidates • Given advantage to wealthy challengers • -given advantage to ideological candidates • -penalizes latecomers • -helped incumbents, hurt challengers

Other Factors that are often Overstated • VP nominee • Political reporting • Religion of the candidate • Abortion as a single issue • New voting groups *Party affiliation, state of the economy, and candidate character are most influential in presidential elections

What Decides Elections • Party identification • Issues, especially the economy • Prospective voting used by few voters • Retrospective voting practiced by most voters • Campaigns make a difference • Campaigns tend to emphasize themes over details

Finding a Winning Coalition • How loyal, or percentage voting for the party • How important, or number voting for party • Democratic coalition-Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Catholics, Southerners, Unionists • Republican- business and professionals, farmers

Party Realignments due to issue changes within the parties • 1800- Jeffersonians defeat Federalists- Federalism v. States’ rights • 1828-Jacksonian Democrats win- Elitism • 1860- Whigs collapse, Republicans win- Slavery • 1896- Republicans defeat Bryan- Economics • 1932-FDR Democrats came to power-Economics • 2012?

Party De-alignment • General de-alignment due to party labels losing meaning for many voters • Party decline -fewer people identify with either party -increase in ticket splitting -seeing effect of change from party-column voting to office-bloc ballot

Why Political Parties? -Provide a label (party identification) -Organization, recruiting, campaigning of politicians -Set of leaders to organize and try to control the legislative process and executive branch

US compared to European Parties -Europeans are disciplined gatekeepers, voters loyal -Our Federal system decentralizes power *Early on most power and important decisions were in state and local govts., as well as most political jobs. *national parties were coalitions of local and state parties *as political power became more centralized, parties became more decentralized and weaker (regulation): 1. Parties closely regulated by state and federal laws 2. Candidates are now chosen through primaries, not by party leaders 3. President elected separately from Congress and presidential appointees are drawn from many sources

The rise and decline of the political party. • The founding • the founders disliked parties and factions • Jefferson's organization of his followers was not seen as only an attack on Hamilton, but on the national govt. • Hamilton and his guys organize into the federalists (Why called Federalists?)

There were two emergent groups • The first party, the Republicans (Democratic Republicans) • The Federalists (Hamilton's group)

Conclusions to be drawn • First parties' weakness were that they were the first • no strong ancestral ties to the party • nobody considered themselves to be professional politicians. • Federalist party did not have wide appeal. • Early parties were heterogeneous coalitions- no homogeneous economic interests

The Jacksonians: Second Party System • largest voter eligibility in history • presidential politics brought to the people, not just the elites Party system under the Jacksonians was bottom up, rather than top down • By 1832, presidential electors selected by popular vote in most states • End of presidential caucuses, begin national conventions- allows for local control

Sectionalism: splits in the party 1860-1930 • Slavery was the major issue • caused split in Whigs (anti Jackson) and Democrats

Democratic Republicans divide into Democrats and Republicans • Republicans only third party to achieve majors- Whigs fade away • Dominate politics for the next 75 years

Splits within parties: Republicans and reform • Stalwarts: Old Guard Conservatives • Mugwumps (progressives) • giant reforms like direct primary, voter registration, referendum

The Era of Reform -Progressives pushed measures to curtail parties’ power and influence -non-partisan elections at city and some state elections -no party-business alliances, limit corruption -strict voter registration requirements to reduce fraud -civil service reform to eliminate patronage -initiative and referendum so that citizens could vote directly on proposed legislation

Party Politics Today Parties similar on paper -National convention has ultimate power; meets every four years to nominate presidential candidate -National committee is composed of delegates from the states; manage affairs between conventions -Congressional campaign committees support the party’s congressional candidates -National chair manages the daily work

Democrats Set New Rules • In 1970’s, rules changed to weaken local party leaders and increase the proportions of women, youth, blacks, and Native Americans attending the convention • -Hunt Commission in 1981-”superdelegates” increased the influence of elected officials and made the convention more deliberative • Consequence of Reforms • -parties represent different sets of upper middle class voters • *Republicans represent the traditional middle class, conservatives • *Democrats represent new class, more liberal

Democrats make more rule changes to become more competitive: -In 1988, the number of superdelegates was increased while the status of some special interest caucuses was decreased -In 1992, three rules were set: *Winner-reward system of delegate distribution banned, this had previously given winners of primaries and caucuses extra delegates *Proportional representation implemented *States that violated the rules were penalized with the loss of convention delegates. (Michigan-2008) *Conventions today only ratify choices made in primary season- unless a tight race

State and Local Parties • State level structure: • State central committee • County committees • Various local committees • Distribution of power varies withing the state, as different incentives are at work • Party types: • -The machine • -Ideological parties • -Solidarity Groups • -Sponsored Parties • -Personal following

The Machine: -a party organization that recruits members via tangible incentives (money, jobs, political favors) -high degree of leadership control -abuses were extensive -gradually controlled by reforms- voter registration, civil service, Hatch Act (1939)(prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan politics) -machines continued until voter demographics and federal programs changed, decreasing the need for parties’ resources -machines were self-serving and public rewarding -New machines are a blend of the old machine (campaign finance) and today’s ideological party traits (issues)

Ideological Parties - extreme opposite to machine -Principle is more important than winning election -Contentious and factionalized -Usually an outside “third party” -local reform clubs in the 1950’s and 1960’s -reform clubs replaced by more focused social movements which advance specific demands -Political machine replaced by today’s social movements as the “farm club” of the national party *factionalism is more intense *party leaders have less freedom

Solidarity Groups -Members are motivated by solidarity incentives (companionship) -Advantage: neither corrupt nor inflexible -Disadvantage: not very hard working- “Is it raining?” Sponsored Parties -created or sustained by another organization Example: Detroit Democrats were developed and led by the UAW union -not very common in the U.S. Personal Following -appealing personality, name recognition, and money Example: Kennedys, Romneys, Longs

The Two Party System -A rarity among nations today -Parties are balanced nationally, but not locally Why has the two party system endured so long? -Electoral system- winner-take-all and plurality system limit the number of parties -Opinions of voters-two broad coalitons work (most of the time- sometimes bitter dissent) -State laws have made it difficult for third parties to get on the ballot- petition drives, voter signatures etc.

Minor Parties- “third parties” -Ideological Parties-radical view, most enduring, ex. Socialist, Communist, Libertarian, Green -One issue parties- address one concern, ex. Free Soilers, Prohibition -Economic Protest Parties- regional protest of economic policies, ex. Populists -Factional Parties, split from a major party, usually over presidential candidate, ex. Bull Moose, Henry Wallace, Ross Perot Why not more minor parties? -slim chance of success -major parties accommodate movements with platform

Political Participation