Political Parties

What is a Political Party  A group of people joined together on the basis of common principles, who seek to control government in order to affect certain public policies and programs. (pg116)  Parties develop out of our differences about how to achieve common goals. They are a natural product of a democratic and free society.

Purpose of Parties According to the text, the purpose is “to put forward proposed leaders whom they support for official positions in government.” Because, parties want to have an impact on public policy; they want to win office so that they can affect what decisions are made. This is why our two parties are election oriented

Purpose of Parties  Even when they lose office, parties perform a useful role in a democracy, by organizing the opposition and offering alternatives.  Parties create important links between the voter, groups & government. To succeed, they must build consensus.

Types of Party Systems  One-Party Authoritarian. Government & party closely linked. No opposition parties permitted.  Example: –Communist Party in North Korea Kim Il Sung of North Korea

Types of Party Systems  Two Party System. Either party has genuine chance to win office; elections are competitive. Additional parties not outlawed but have serious difficulty winning because of electoral system. Tend to be umbrella parties; tend to be stable. Disadvantage: Voters limited to two choices.  Examples: –United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand

Types of Party Systems  Multi-Party System. Competitive elections with multiple parties ensure that no one party can dominate for long. Parties tend to be more doctrinaire and distinctive, giving voters more choice. examples: Israel, Iraq, Germany before Hitler

Types of Party Systems In Multi-party states, it’s difficult for any one party to win a majority. Coalitions with similar parties become necessary. But coalition partners may resign over particular government policies, so this system is less stable. Example of government instability: Italy, from 1945 to 1995, had 44 different coalition governments.

Example: Israeli Elections 2006  March 2006 Election outcome: Kadima Party wins the most with 28 seats in the Knesset. The new Prime Minister Olmert must form a coalition government.

Types of Party Systems  Dominant Party System; multiple parties exist but one-party dominates for long periods of time. No legal ban on other parties, but only one party has chance to win office, and there may be informal harassment of opposition parties.  Examples: –Mexico until the 1990s –Japan until the 1990s –Singapore –Germany during Hitler’s reign

Germany Becomes a Totalitarian State Gestapo (secret police) stamp out opposition – Socialist and Communist Suspends civil rights One-party rule (Nazi) Youth Groups Purged Nazi Party –Executed Nazi’s he felt were disloyal Purged German Culture –Denounce modern Art –Condemn jazz –Replace religion with racial creed

Major U.S. Political Parties  Republican National Party –  Democratic National Party –

Minor U.S. Political Parties Many minor parties, among them :  Green Party –  Democratic Socialists of America –  Libertarian Party –  Minor parties are based on: –Ideology, economic protest, single issue, splinter

Minor U.S. Political Parties Chance of winning statewide or national office low. Why? (hint: think of why parties exist) Answer: Elections and the Electoral College Presidential candidates must win 270 electors (out of 538) to win office. Example: Ross Perot & Reform Party in 1992 won 19% of the popular vote but not one elector.

Republican Party Trends  Chambers of Commerce tend to vote Republican  The West tends to be more Republican  Men tend to split fairly evenly between the two parties  Cuban Americans are generally Republicans (anti- Castro)  Professionals, executives, and white collar workers tend to be Republican tend to be Republican  High status Protestants tend to be Republican  Married couples tend to be Republican  Conservatives tend to be Republican

Democratic Party Trends  Labor union members tend to vote Democratic  Democrats have a lead in garnering the women's Votes  Over 80% of African Americans  Hispanics vote 3 to 1 Democratic  Young people are again more Democratic  Most blue collar workers and unemployed  Catholics and Jews are mostly Democrats  The widowed are mostly Democrats

Is Party Loyalty Declining?  general decline in partisan id  The number of independents in the U.S. rose  from 19% in 1958 to 37% twenty years later.  Identification with the two major parties today is in the mid 80% range.  Pollsters often find that many self declared independents often 'lean' quite strongly to either the Democrat or Republican party.  “Leaners” do feel party affiliations, but choose not to self-identify with a party.