Political Parties HOW DOES THE TWO – PARTY SYSTEM INFLUENCE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY?

One Party System  Usually found in nations with authoritarian governments  Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, China  While these nations may allow other parties to participate, they have no realistic chance of winning  Why is this

Two – Party System  System in which two major parties compete for power, although minor parties may exist.  Makes it extremely difficult for a minor party to gain enough votes to win an election  Only about a dozen truly exist (United States)  Patronage – practice of granting favors to reward party loyalty

Evolution of Political Parties  Opposing political parties had organized before the end of President Washington’s second term.  The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans disagreed over federal versus state power.  The Democratic-Republican party split into the Democrats and the Whigs.  In the 1850s, a new Republican Party opposed the spread of slavery.  Following the Civil War, the two dominant parties were

Evolution of Political Parties  hill.com/media/repository/protected_content/COMPOUND/ /15/68/USG16_SC_C17_L1_ig/index.html?mghCourseID=CQRQT1N MRFST57PEFOV7NJGTPMconnected.mcgraw- hill.com/media/repository/protected_content/COMPOUND/ /15/68/USG16_SC_C17_L1_ig/index.html?mghCourseID=CQRQT1N MRFST57PEFOV7NJGTPM

Minor or Third Parties  Single issue party – party that focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issue (usually short lived)  Liberty, Free Soil  Ideological party – party that has a particular set of ideas about how to change society overall  Socialist Labor, Communist  Splinter Party – party that splits away from a major party because of some disagreement  Bull Moose Party, Dixiecrats  What could be an obstacle that these parties face?  Single Member Districts

Minor parties

Party Identification and Ideology  People with a liberal ideology are more willing to trade economic freedom for greater equality.  People with a conservative ideology tend to believe the role of government should be limited.  Most people are moderates, falling somewhere in between liberal and conservative.  Currently, the Democratic Party is more liberal and the  Republican Party more conservative

Party Platforms  Both the Democratic and Republican Party agree on a number of foundational beliefs and values.  The Republican Party supports the rights of individuals as opposed to large government.  The Democratic Party supports governmental involvement in many areas.  The Green Party is more liberal and the Constitution Party more conservative.  The Libertarian Party supports personal responsibility and minimal government.

Party Identification  Party identification is a state of mind; voting is a behavior.  The Republican Party tends to attract white, male, educated, and religious people.  The Democratic Party tends to attract women, minorities, and young people.  The Democratic Party tends to be stronger in the Northeast and in cities.  The Republican Party tends to be stronger in the suburbs, South, mountain West, and rural areas.

Political Party Polarization  The two political parties have become more polarized and ideologically homogenous.  Both parties now tend to nominate ideological, rather than centrist, candidates.  Conservative “Tea Party” organizations helped shift Republican Party ideology to the right.  This more extreme party membership leads to increased poltical gridlock

Party Organization and Membership  Each party needs strong leadership and good organization at all levels.  At each level, the party endorses and works for the election of its candidates.  Fundraising is a key function of state and national parties.  Generally, citizens join a political party when they register to vote or vote in certain elections.  Party membership provides a way for citizens to increase their influence on government

Selecting Candidates to Represent the Party  A vital function of political parties is to nominate candidates for elected office.  To get onto the ballot, a candidate must file by fee or by petition.  Candidates are chosen by caucuses, primaries, or conventions.  Caucus – private meeting of party leaders to chose candidates for office  Types of primaries – open, closed, direct  Rules for presidential primaries vary among the states and even within many states.  Primaries are a long, costly process and states with late primaries may receive less attention.

National Party Conventions  Every four years, delegates for each major party select a ticket for the November election.  Many delegates are pledged to a candidate, but others are uncommitted.  Delegates to the convention debate the various planks before adopting the party’s platform.  Delegates vote state by state, but there is rarely a mystery about who will be nominated.  The party’s presidential nominee is usually the one who selects the vice presidential candidate