American Political Parties RIXIE Unit 3, Chapter 8

Warm-up: What message is being conveyed by this political cartoon Warm-up: What message is being conveyed by this political cartoon? What are your thoughts on the 2-party system?

What is a political party? A team of people trying to control government bodies by gaining office in fair and free elections Major goal? WIN!!! What is a political party?

Party in the electorate Party as an organization Party in government The “3-Headed Giant”

What do parties do? Serve as a linkage institution Key Functions: Recruit/pick candidates Run campaigns Give voters cues/”get out the vote” Articulate policies to choose from Coordinate policymaking/influence gov’t What do parties do?

Party Eras: Bring on the history!!!! Periods of time with one party getting most votes and therefore the power Starts with a critical election New issues may divide the voters Causes a realignment Majority party usually gets displaced Party Eras: Bring on the history!!!!

Party Eras in American History Time Period Description of dominant party: Name, leaders, supporters, & key issues Description of competing party: Name, leaders, supporters, & key issues 1796-1824   1828-1856 1860-1892 1896-1928 1932-1964 1968-Present

You (along with several others in the class) will be assigned one of 6 party eras we will learn about. We will watch a Crash Course video, during which you should pay careful attention when your assigned party era is discussed, jotting down as many notes as you can. After the video, you will meet with your fellow group members, compare notes, and consult the textbook (p. 247- 256) for clarification. Next, you will fill in your part of the chart with clear & significant information (decide as a group what to include!). Then, we will have 5 rounds of 5 minutes each. During each round, you will find someone from another group and exchange information on your chart. Repeat until the chart is complete! Party Eras Assignment

Rational Choice Theory: Tries to explain actions of voters & politicians Assumes individuals act in their own self- interest Two assumptions of this theory: Voters want gov’t to adopt policies they favor. Parties want to win office. The Downs Model

The party that figures out what voters want will have success Parties have to stand out from each other, but also appeal to both their core supporters & moderates What does this mean?

Party in the Electorate Formal membership not required To be a member, you just have to identify your preference for that party Many vote completely based on party Others do “ticket splitting” Vote with one party for one office and the other for another office Party in the Electorate

Party in the Organization American political parties are decentralized and fragmented. Party in the Organization

Party in the Organization Local organizations: How has the role changed with reforms after the patronage/party machine era? Party in the Organization

Party in the Organization State organizations: What is their main job? Types of primaries? Party in the Organization

Party in the Organization National organization: Know the vocab! National convention National committee National chairperson Party in the Organization

Actual government officials, usually elected More officials, more influence Candidates make promises to get in office Some are broken, but most are kept Party in Government