Party Activists Last time: reforms, technological change and the modern party

Progressive/Populist reforms reform movements in 1880s-1910s pushed for increased efficiency and accountability in government –professional civil service (careerist, not partisan) –competitive bidding Sources of pressure: –Tiebout hypothesis: exit option forced parties and governments to be responsive –new communications, transportation technologies (telegraph & railroads in postbellum era; radio in 1920s) opened new markets for mass media communication (“muckrakers”)

Ballot Change and Reform Australian ballot (1890s) Primary elections (1900s-1910s) Direct election of senators (1913) Non-partisan election of local officials and state legislators; city manager movement; initiative, referendum and recall (1900s- 1920s)

Communications and Party Structure competitive, independent newspapers reemerged in postbellum era (rise of AP, UPI networks using railroad, telegraph to share news stories, lower costs) Synchronous mass communications technology (radio, tv) allows the candidate to speak directly to voters. Greater control of the message; shift from labor to cash as key resource telephone and direct mail strategies also reduce dependency on labor, increase need for cash parties switch from managing labor to fundraising as key function

Party activists 19 th century “mass” parties were membership oriented 20 th century parties are both more and less professional –smaller core of “permanent” members: key management employees and leaders; key functions are running conventions, fundraising and recruiting/training candidates –more dependent on outsourcing of work (polling, ad work, campaign management, fundraising) –more dependent on cyclical volunteer labor

Who are party activists? material, solidary, purposive incentives only ~5 pct of adults report involvement, most of whom are “checkbook activists” tend to hold more extreme views on issues than avg. party voters candidates tend to poach on the activist pool for campaign volunteers –issue activists are thus sensitive to candidates’ issue positions