Today’s Agenda –Political Parties It’s a Party Up in here!!!

Party Time The definition of a political party: A political organization whose goal is to organize political interest by creating an ideological platform with the goal of gaining elected office You cannot have democracy without some form of political parties…they are vital for democracy

Is it a Kegger or Wine Night? Different types of Parties –Catch-all parties (United States) focus on attempting to consolidate several areas of interest under the umbrella of one political party –Ideological parties (Europe) stake out an ideological area, and only represent individuals who are close to those beliefs. Example: Labor, Green, or Beer-Drinking Party (no kidding)

Catch-all vs. Ideological parties Catch-All Parties –Broad ideology –Shifts over time –More focus on winning elections and gaining a clearly plurality of the electorate –Tends to not speak with one voice in government Ideological Parties –Specific and clear ideology –Puts forth consistent programs despite small following –Tends to speak with one voice in government

So why do we get the sleazy parties? Electoral System –single member districts –plurality system (“first-past-the-post” or winner-take-all elections) –This favors large catch-all parties since only the party with the most votes wins Alternatives adopted in other countries –multi-member districts –proportional representation

If we were British: A Hypothetical Example 54 Representatives Total for Texas - NO GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICTS Democrats get 41% of the statewide vote –get 41% of 54 seats, for a total of 21 seats Republicans get 50% of the statewide vote –get 50% of 54 seats, for a total of 27 seats Libertarians gets 9% of the statewide vote –get 9% of 54 seats for a total of 6 seats

Third Parties Disadvantages –Cannot get on the ballot –No federal funding –No name recognition –Looked to as “messing things up” –No organization Roles –Represent new interests and ideas –“Call out” the two major parties when they aren’t doing a good job –Splinter groups –Ideological

So we have these catch-all things, but were we supposed to? No, not really. James Madison warned repeatedly of the creation of political parties in Federalist Paper #10 –Fear of the Majority (Factions) However, divisions are bound to occur in politics and so within five years of the Constitution being signed we had political parties

Realignment Theory Realignment Theory states that every 32 years…or so…there is a durable shift in the political behavior of the public These shifts can be brought on by new voters, depression or war, but once they occur the political environment is substantively different than before We see evidence of this theory in the development of political parties

History Lesson First Party System ( ) –Jeffersonian Democrats v. Federalists Second Party System ( ) –Jacksonian Democrats v. Whigs Third Party System ( ) –Republican v. Democrat (split by 1877) Fourth Party System ( ) –Republican v. Democrat

History Lesson Fifth Party System ( ) –Democrat v. Republican Sixth Party System (1968-Present) –Democrat v. Republican (divided government) Seventh Party System (2008-???) –Democratic Era???