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Partisanship

Partisanship. GOVT 311 Lecture 6. Partisanship: Information shortcut or perceptual screen?. “A sense of belonging that an individual feels for a political party” A running tally of how individuals feel about parties? A perceptual screen that people use to filter information?.

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Partisanship

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  1. Partisanship GOVT 311 Lecture 6

  2. Partisanship:Information shortcut or perceptual screen? • “A sense of belonging that an individual feels for a political party” • A running tally of how individuals feel about parties? • A perceptual screen that people use to filter information?

  3. Partisanship as a “Running Tally” or “Informational Shortcut” New Information Re-Evaluation of Parties Use Party ID to Make Voting Decisions

  4. Partisanship as a “Perceptual Screen” New Information Use Party ID to Evaluate Information Discount Disagreeable Information, Value Agreeable Information

  5. Partisanship in the Aggregate • Number of votes cast for partisan candidates, usually the president. • In the aggregate, we can talk about a “normal vote” which is the predicted vote for a partisan candidate. • Problem with using presidential vote: ignores partisanship of those people who don’t vote.

  6. Realigning Elections • Happen about every 32 years • Important issue not being addressed by major parties • Presence of minor parties • High turnout • Following: new party system

  7. Realigning Elections • 1828: Andrew Jackson, birth of modern Democratic Party • 1860: Abraham Lincoln, birth of modern Republican Party • 1896: William Jennings Bryan Cross of Gold • 1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt: New Deal • 1960: Dealignment…?

  8. Elections Within a Party System • Maintaining election: favored party wins • Deviating election: other party steals a win

  9. Realignment in the South? • Following Reconstruction, the South became the “Solid South” – solidly Democratic. • Republican presidential candidate Goldwater won Southern states in 1964, first time a Republican had done so in 100 years. • Democratic vote for Congress in the South steadily declined from 1960-1972. • Why did the change in the vote for congressmembers lag behind vote for president?

  10. Partisanship Among Individuals • Most common way to measure it with three questions: • “Generally speaking do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or what?” • (If R or D) “Would you call yourself a strong (R) or (D), or not very strong (R) or (D)? • (If Independent) Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican or to the Democratic Party? • May also be measured by partisan voter registration in states with closed or semi-closed primaries

  11. Partisan Change 1952-2004(Source: American National Election Study)

  12. Changes in Partisanship • The rise of Independents (F & Z p.73) • 1952: 22% responded as Independent • 2004: 38% responded as Independent • The South: • 1952: 63% identify (D), 15% identify (R) • 2000: 37% identify (D), 30% identify (R)

  13. Partisan Change 1990-2007(Source: Pew Survey Research)

  14. A Breakdown of Partisanship • Two ways to present the data: • Percentage of a group that belongs to a party (F & Z p. 104) • Percentage of a party that is composed of different groups (F & Z p.107)

  15. Social Group Analysis • Primary Groups – people that meet face to face, such as family, friends, co-workers, etc. • Secondary groups, collections of individuals – religious affiliation, ethnic group, unions, interest group membership, etc. • Social classes – high or low SES

  16. Primary Groups • Families tend to be politically homogenous. 70% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats say their spouse is of the same party (F & Z p.109). • People avoid “cognitive dissonance” – they generally seek friends who are like-minded. • People have less control of co-workers, but again we see considerable similarity. It may be that people don’t know the partisanship of co-workers they don’t agree with

  17. Secondary Groups • People of similar groups also have higher propensities to affiliate with a particular party. • Especially true for ethnicity, unions, and religion • Religion • Catholics & Jews: Democrats • Protestants • Educated: Republican • Uneducated: Democratic • Frequent Church attendance is related to more Republicanism

  18. Class • Lower SES slightly more likely to be Democratic • The relationship is not as strong as one might suspect, because lower SES is economically liberal, but socially conservative

  19. Red – Blue – Purple States • There is not much difference between these states (F&Z p.119) • Is it the behavior of the rich? (Gelman book)

  20. Cross-Pressurization

  21. Cross-Pressure or Cognitive Dissonance • Persons who are cross-pressured (i.e., have family of one party and friends of another) are: • Less likely to vote • Less likely to vote a straight ticket • Have less interest in politics • Have low information about politics • Have conflicting attitudes on issues

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