Political Parties: Essential to the American Political System?

Party Functions Organizing the competition Unifying the electorate Translating preferences into policy Providing loyal opposition Determines who legitimately holds office and political power

Party Functions - Continued Help organize government Simplify voting choices for the electorate Recruit members Nominate candidates

Evolution of American Party Systems: Critical Elections 1824: Andrew Jackson and the Democrats 1860: The Civil War and the rise of the Republicans 1896: Party realignment 1932: Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal Alignment 1968: Divided government

Parties as Institutions National Leadership – National Party Conventions – National Party Committees – National Party Chair

Parties as Institutions Parties at Grass-Roots – Party organization at state level – State committee and chair – Local committee and chair

Parties in Government In in the legislative branch In the executive branch In the judicial branch State and local level

Parties in the Electorate Party registration Party activists

Important Minor Parties Anti-Mason Party American (Know-Nothing Party) Democratic (Secessionist) Constitutional Union People’s (Populist) Bull Moose Socialist

More Important Minor Parties Progressive States’ Rights (Dixiecrat) Progressive American Independent National Unity Reform Green

Parties and Nominations Caucus Conventions Direct Primaries – Open Primaries – Closed Primaries

Are political parties essential to the American political system?