1. Political Parties “Linkage Institution”

2. Parties - Here and Abroad Political Party – A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office.Political Party – A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office. A political party exists asA political party exists as –A label –An organization –A set of leaders

3. Decline in Party Identification, 1952-2004 Source: American National Election Studies, November 2005, table 2A.1.

4. The Rise and the Decline of the Political Party The FoundingThe Founding –Federalists vs Democrat-Republicans The JacksoniansThe Jacksonians –Democrats vs Whigs The Civil War and SectionalismThe Civil War and Sectionalism –Issue of slavery divides major parties- leads to development of new parties The Era of ReformThe Era of Reform –Populist –Progressives Party RealignmentsParty Realignments Party DeclineParty Decline

5. a American Independent party. b United We Stand America or Reform Party. CleavagesandContinuity in the Two-Party System

6. Party Structure National Convention – meets every 4 years, nominates President National Committee – manages party affairs on daily basis Congressional campaign committee – supports party’s candidates National chair – manages daily work

7. Goal of a Political Party? WIN ELECTIONS

8. Function of Parties 1.Connecting citizens to government (linkage institution) -Political Efficacy – citizen participation level and awareness of government decisions 2.Run candidates for political office 3.Inform the public – help voters decide who to vote for in elections 4.Organizing government – coordinate government policy-making

9. Why 2 parties? Winner-take-all system Winner receives a seat while loser receives nothing 3 rd party usually joins one of other parties Opposite – Proportional Representation – % of votes is directly applied as the % of representatives

10. “Grass Roots” “Grass Roots” – parties can also reach the voters personally and “get-out-the-vote” on a local level

11. Minor Parties Third Parties have played a role in politics Types 1.Individual personality – those dominated by one figure head (Ex. – 1912 Theodore Roosevelt – Bull-Moose, 1968 George Wallace – American Independent Party) 2.Long-lasting goal or ideology – (Ex. – Abolitionists, Prohibitionists, Socialists)

12. Party Identification Dealignment – weak membership, more “independents” or moderates – popular trend in the last 50 years Dealignment Video Straight ticket voting – strong party membership, support all candidates for one party Ticket splitting – voting for candidates from multiple parties

13. Split-Ticket Voting for President/House, 1952– 2004 Copyright © 2011 Cengage Source: American National Election Studies, November 2005, table 9B.2.

14. Realignment? “Gridlock” – Congress and Presidency controlled by different parties 2004 - Republican sweep of Congress and Presidency - party loyalty stronger? 2006 - split the Presidency and Congress again 2008 - brought a Democratic control of Presidency and Congress (small majority) 2010- might bring a split again ? ? ? (influence of Tea Party- independent vote)

15. Copyright © 2011 Cengage Source: Data from CNN exit polls for each year.