UNIT TWO: OPINIONS, INTERESTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS Chapter 9: Political Parties

Linkage Institutions  “The means by which individuals express preferences regarding the development of public policy”  Groups which link the people to their government  PPIGMM  Political Parties  Interest Groups  Mass Media

Political Parties  Groups which try to control government policy  Seeks to elect like- minded people to office

Political Parties  Activities  A LABEL for the voters to easily recognize This has weakened somewhat over the decades  An ORGANIZATION for Recruiting candidates Campaigning for candidates GREATLY weaker over the past decades  LEADERSHIP Organize government policy Control government direction Remains almost as strong

European Political Parties  Much stronger in European nations (in any parliamentary system really)  Voting district candidates MUST be authorized by a party to run as a member of that party.  List candidates may fill out parliaments by party- appointed MPs using a proportional system  Parties in parliament elect the prime minister from the MPs to serve as head of government  The cabinet may be members of parliament

American Political Parties  Weaker than parliamentary counterparts  Federal System Multiple levels decentralizes power Decentralized power = weakened parties National parties were often coalitions of local parties State and federal regulations Primary elections select candidates Candidates are not selected by the party leaders

American Political Parties  Weaker than parliamentary counterparts  Separation of Power Head of Government (president) may NOT be a sitting member of Congress Cabinet members may NOT be sitting members of Congress  Political Culture American political culture separates politics from Social lives Business lives Working lives

Rise of Political Parties  Founding Era  Party conflicts were Mostly about policy differences Seen to be an indictment on the legitimacy of the national government

Rise of Political Parties  The Founding Era

Rise of Political Parties  Founding Era  Every president since the Jefferson-Hamilton/Adams conflicts has had to persuade the public that, despite partisan politics, the presidency exists to serve all of the people.

Rise of Political Parties  Jacksonian Era  Political participation becomes a mass phenomenon New laws enlarged eligible voter status Population growth swelled voter numbers  Presidential Electors chosen by popular vote in most states  Party conventions replace legislative caucuses for selection of nominees

Rise of Political Parties  Civil War and Antebellum Era  Slavery divides parties as much as it does the nation  Modern Republican Party emerges from the “Free Soil Party”  Whig Party fades away  The McKinley-Bryan election Realignment / Critical Election Last time a nominee ran on “agrarian power” base Republican party strengthens

Rise of Political Parties  Civil War and Antebellum Era  McKinley Businessmen, professionals, skilled workers, prosperous (large scale) farmers Regional strength Northeast Upper Midwest Pacific Coast

Rise of Political Parties  Civil War and Antebellum Era  Bryan Alienated northeasterners Moralistic rhetoric “Crusading for inflation” (Free Siverite) Regional strength South Rural Midwest Rocky Mountain states

Rise of Political Parties  Civil War and Antebellum Era  States become single party states at the national level

Rise of Political Parties  Civil War and Antebellum Era  The single party splits into factions at the state level  Mugwumps (Progressives)  Reformers  Advocacy of party platform  Principle was prized above all  Stalwarts  Build up party machinery  Party loyalty is prized  Patronage is expected  Interested in WINNING at all costs

Evolution of Political Parties  The Era of Reform  Progressives push measures to reform the abuses of the political parties Wanted primaries to replace party conventions Break corrupt alliances of business and parties Strict voter-registration requirements  Used media to get the word out

Evolution of Political Parties  The Era of Reform  Successes Initiative Referendum Recall Direct Primaries  Effects Weaken party machines and bosses Weaken party structure in general

Political Parties  Realignment and Critical Elections  Sharp and LASTING shifts in popular support for a political party  Kinds One party disappears and is replaced by another one Both parties continue but one loses support of a sub- group

Political Parties  Some Critical Elections  1800 Jeffersonian Democrats defeat Federalists and kept presidency for 24 years Issue was states’ rights  1860 Whigs disappear and are replaced by Republicans Issue was slavery

Political Parties  Some Critical Elections  1896 Both parties emerge in modern form of “pro-business” Republicans and “pro-worker” Democrats Issue was economics  1932 New Deal Coalition Urbanites, Unions, Jews, Poor, Southerners and African Americans join Democratic ranks Issue was economics

Political Parties  1968  Nixon’s Southern Strategy to pull South to Republican ranks  Issue was civil rights and “law and order”  1980? 1992? 2008?  Too soon to tell if any sweeping changes are lasting changes

Party Decline  Trends  Proportion of people identifying with one party or the other is in decline  Split ticket voting has increased Use of office-bloc ballot expands Massachusetts ballot Candidates are grouped by office Candidates in each race is listed randomly Use of party-column ballot declines Indiana ballot All party candidates are listed in a single column Can vote straight ticket by checking off column

Party Decline

National Party Structure  Parties still matter  In most elections Registered Democrats vote for Democrats Registered Republicans vote for Republicans  In legislative voting Elected Democrats vote with Democrats Elected Republicans vote with Republicans

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  National Conventions  Ultimate party power  Meets every four years  Nominates presidential candidate  National Committee  In charge of managing party affairs between conventions  Comprised of delegates from each state and territory  Selects the National Chairman

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  National Chairman  Full-time job  Paid position  Manages day-to-day business of the party  Congressional Campaign Committee  Made up of congressmen from each party  Helps elect party members to Congress

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  Republican National Committee starts to become more bureaucratized  Use computers  Develop mailing lists  Raise money from likely donors  Recruit and train viable candidates  Republicans show gains in several elections  Democrats quickly follow suit

Party Structure (on the outline)  Raising money  Hard money Money given directly to a candidate Easy to “follow the trail”  Soft money Money given to parties Parties use the money to Run commercials Help select candidates More difficult to track

Party Structure

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  The National Convention  Before the convention Primary Elections Open Closed Caucuses Can be just like primary election Can be a debate Can vote and revote until one candidate wins Attended by activists  Candidates must cater to the extremes of the party

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  The National Conventions  Democratic attendees are more liberal than the average Democratic voter  Republican attendees are more conservative than the average Republican voter  Delegate selection  Democrats give more weight to big states  Republicans give more weight to loyal states

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  The National Convention  Democratic Delegates Superdelegates Elected officials Party “big wigs” Reforms Less power to superdelegates Less power to special-interest groups More power to state-elected delegates

Party Structure (take your own notes here)  At the convention  Delegates RATIFY nominee which has already been determined in state primaries and caucuses  Party platform is outlined  It’s more a big “pep rally” than a political direction-selection meeting

State and Local Parties  The Machine  Recruits members with promises Jobs Political favors Other services  Members trade votes for those promises  Elected officials vote for legislation favorable to the Machine  Hatch Act curtails powers of Machines

State and Local Parties  Ideological Parties  Value principle above all else  Would rather be “right” than win  May be “Single Issue Party”  Solidary Groups  Come together through common interests  Stay together for social reasons Enjoyment Status Friends

State and Local Parties  Sponsored Parties  Another association creates or pays expenses of a party organization  Personal Following  Cult of personality Appealing personality Lots of friends Access to lots of money

State and Local Parties (extra notes – not on your outline)  Protest Parties  Upset with current conditions  Not satisfied with solutions from the major parties  Splinter Groups  Group from WITHIN a party is dissatisfied with platform or candidate  Bolt from “mother party” to form own party

The Two-Party System  Only two parties have a realistic shot at winning national elections  Rare in the world  Reasons we keep it  Winner take all method Plurality system Get the most votes, get ALL of the spoils Doesn’t even have to be a majority of the votes Example: Electoral College  The two parties we have reflect American values

The Two-Party System  Reasons we keep it  Historical reasons  Unifying force Two parties moderate each other Multiple parties create more division in society  Social and religious organizations are separate from politics  It’s tradition  Fear of change

Role of Minor Parties  Critics of policy stagnation  Innovators of new ideas  Gain public attention  Popular ideas are often co-opted by a major party  Influence nominations  Influence platforms  Spoilers Fear of bolting to form a splinter party