U2, C8

Political party: organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization’s name Differ from interest groups because nominate candidates Party Functions - Nominating candidates - Structuring the voting choice - Proposing alternative government programs - Coordinating the actions of government officials

Party Systems Eras of Party Dominance Since the Civil War  First: Federalists and Democratic Republicans  Election of 1800  12 th Amendment  “Era of Good Feelings”  Second: Democrats and Whigs  National conventions and party platforms  “King Andrew”  Current: Democrats and Republicans  Critical election  Electoral Realignment  Rough balance ( )  Republican Majority ( )  Democratic Majority ( )  Rough balance (1968- Present)  Electoral dealignment

Bolter parties: formed by factions that have split off from one of the major parties Farmer-labor parties: farmers and urban workers; believed working class not getting fair share of society’s wealth Parties of ideological protest: reject prevailing doctrines and propose radically different principles, favoring more government activism Single-issue parties: promote one principle Existence: promote some voters’ discontent with choices offered by major parties; better record as policy advocates than as candidates

 Electoral System  Majority representation: system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes  Proportional representation: legislative seats are awarded to a party in proportion to the vote that party wins in an election  Political socialization  Two parties have the power to make laws that make it hard for minor parties to get on the ballot

 Democrats usually feel that the federal government has a responsibility to help the poor through government intervention.  Democrats are generally seen as liberal.  Republicans hold the view that leaving the economy alone will allow for growth, giving people greater ability to help themselves. They believe in less regulation.  Republicans are viewed as being conservative.

 Voter’s sense of psychological attachment to a party  Figure 8.4 (Distribution of party identification )  Number of Republicans and Democrats combined has far exceeded independents each year  Number of Democrats has consistently exceeded that of Republicans  Number of Democrats has shrunk over time, to benefit of both Republicans and Independents, three groups almost equal in size  Figure 8.5 (Party identification by social groups)

 Mirror federal system: separate national and state organizations (local) – more functions performed at state (local) level  Four main organizational components:  National convention  National committee  Congressional party conference  Congressional campaign committees  Presidential primaries – campaigns run by individual candidates  Organizational and procedural differences  State and local party machines  Decentralized (but growing stronger)