Chapter 26 Political Parties, Interest Groups, Elections and Campaigns in Texas Pearson Education, Inc. © 2008 American Government 9th Edition to accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions O’Connor and Sabato

The Development of Political Parties, Interest Groups, Elections and Campaigns in Texas  Parties and interest groups developed slowly in Texas. Personality was the dominant force in electoral politics. In 1848 the Democratic Party emerged as a formal organization. Era of one party dominance:  Contending factions within the Democratic Party

The Roots of Political Parties, Interest Groups, Elections and Campaigns in Texas  Most influential interest groups in the 19 th century represented agrarian interests The Grange  Agrarian interests were supplanted by oil and gas interests.  As Texas economy and society became more complex after WWII, varied interests proliferated  Elections became more partisan or factional contests.

Political Parties in Texas  Party Organization Texas state law establishes formal organization for political parties.  Temporary party organization Exists for a limited time and includes several levels of conventions  Permanent party organization Operates throughout the year, performing the parties functions

Temporary Party Organization  Consists of conventions at the precinct, county or state senatorial districts and the state level Held every two years Precinct convention  Both meet to select delegates and adopt resolutions but at a different geographic level  1% of voters attend precinct conventions and they select delegates to the county convention  Or in counties that are in more than one state senatorial district to the senate senatorial district convention State convention  Party meeting held to adopt the party’s platform, elect the party’s executive committee and state chairperson, and in a presidential election year, elect delegates to the national convention and choose presidential electors

Permanent Party Organization  Consists of party chairpersons and committees which work throughout the year Tied to electoral districts due to their activities Precinct chairperson County chairperson County Executive Committee State Executive Committee State Party Chairperson

Functional Organization  Although the state chairperson is elected by the state executive committee, functional leadership may rest with the governor.  Performance of the party is determined by the effectiveness of those who occupy the party positions.  Certain factors are likely to influence the performance. Unity  Important factor for both major parties in Texas  Democrats  Republicans Effectiveness  Institutional support activities  Candidate-centered activities  What is at stake?

Party in the Electorate  Distribution of party attachments 1952: Only 6% of Texans identified themselves as Republicans; 66% as Democrats. Since then, the number of Democratic identifiers has declined while the number of Republican identifiers has increased. Percentage of independents has also increased. 2006: 39% of Texans identify with Republican Party; 29% with the Democratic Party

Party Realignment in Texas  Texas has experienced an attenuated (secular) realignment. Young voters were more likely to identify with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party in the 1980s and 1990s.  Generational replacement favored Republicans Some Democrats switched to the Republican Party. New residents were more likely to identify with the Republican Party. Party identification is important in determining vote choice in elections. Republican candidates have won more counties in recent elections. In 2000 Republican candidates won every statewide election. Dealigning rather than realigning?

The Party in Government  Executive branch Independent election of the most important executive officers Governor and Lt. Governor do not run as a team  Can lead to strain in the relationship Little incentive to campaign together or coordinate  Legislative branch Partisan considerations minimized Strong institutional leaders who eschew the opportunity to build strong party organizations

The Party in Government  Judicial branch Judges elected on partisan ballot But candidates for other offices rarely team up with members of their party seeking judgeships Influence of party often dominant in the appointment of judges when a vacancy occurs Does ideology of the justice matter?  In term, the Texas supreme Court, on which Republicans held all the seats, decided for the defendant in 76 percent of cases.  In 1985 when Democrats controlled the Supreme Court, defendants won only 28 percent of the cases.

Interest Groups in Texas  Types of interest groups Businesses and Trade Associations Professional Associations Labor Groups Racial and Ethnic Groups Public-Interest Groups

Political Activities of Interest Groups  Lobbying Attempting to influence public officials through direct contact  Electioneering Activity in political campaigns  Campaign contributions/PACS  Litigation Attempt to effect or prevent changes in public policy  Can be used as a delaying tactic

Elections and Political Campaigns in Texas  Types of Elections Primary elections Special elections General elections Local elections

Political Campaigns in Texas  Money  Media  Marketing

The Voter’s Decisions  Turnout Legal requirements for voting minimal  U.S. citizenship  18-years old or older  Residency in state  Registration  Only the mentally incompetent barred from voting and convicted felons who have not completed their sentence including parole, supervision or probation periods Early voting  Effect on turnout has been negligible.  People must be motivated by benefits of voting.  Only 46.1 percent of the age-eligible Texans voted in the 2004 presidential election.

Voter Turnout in Texas

The Voter’s Decisions  The Vote Choice Entire 19 th and early 20 th century vote choice was party oriented  Straight ticket-voting  Today vote choice is more office oriented and person oriented—so more voters split their ticket. Explanations of vote choice focus on  Party identification  Issues  Candidate characteristics  Comparison of 1986 and 2002 Texas gubernatorial races