POLITICAL PARTIES IN GEORGIA Ryan D. Williamson 2 April 2015

Agenda Attendance Pick up test if you didn’t last time Lecture on parties in Georgia Brief review Readings for Tuesday

Questions?

Objective Be able to identify the different role of parties in Georgia politics.

Party in the Electorate There are no official numbers because Georgia is an open primary state. However, we still know a fair amount about the partisan composition of voters in Georgia.

Party Organization Both parties have an organization in almost every county. These units serve to promote that party’s candidates through mobilization and fundraising.

Party Organization Michelle Nunn received over 90 percent of the African-American vote in the 2014 elections. However, she received less than 25 percent of the white vote.

Party in Government The General Assembly is divided along party lines, where the majority party organizes the chamber, takes the best assignments, and controls the flow of legislation. The constitutional officers recruit their key staffers from among members of their own party.

Party in Government Georgia’s political offices are overwhelmingly filled with Republicans. The 2014 elections witnessed Nathan Deal defeat Jason Carter, David Perdue defeat Michelle Nunn, and Rick Allen defeat John Barrow.

Questions?

The problem of unstable coalitions is solved through which of the following institutions? A. Parties in the electorate B. Parties in government C. Parties as organizations D. Party professionals

The California Republican Party raises money for Republican candidates, funds signature drive to place initiatives on the ballot, and airs campaign ads on behalf of its party’s nominees. This is an example of what? A. Party in the electorate B. Party in government C. Party as an organization D. Party professional

At the individual level, scholars conceive of party identification in all of the following ways except as: A. A psychological attachment or loyalty to a political party B. A running tally of the performance of party leaders C. An informational shortcut D. How liberal or conservative individuals see themselves

California’s 8 th district has a large majority of Democratic voters and is represented by Nancy Pelosi. However, if the general election pitted her against another Democrat and a Republican, the Republican might win if the Democrats were evenly split. Therefore, the Democrats require that any Democrats wishing to challenger Pelosi face her in a primary election. What collective dilemma for Democrats does this solve? A. A collective-action problem B. A coordination problem C. A principal-agent problem D. A prisoner’s dilemma

A political party is: A. Officials who oversee the operation of their political organization nationwide B. A group of candidates and elected officials organized under a common label for the purpose of attaining positions of public authority C. The meeting where an organization formally nominates its presidential candidate D. Any group that is organized to influence the government

Answer Key 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. B

For next time… Read Kollman chapter 11