2. Political Participation Political Parties

3. Today’s Lecture What are political parties? ▫Party: electorate, government, organization What are the historical party eras? ▫Realignments What about parties today? ▫Characteristics of today’s party era

4. Political Parties Political Party: A “team of men [and women] seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.” ▫Parties want to win elections Parties can be thought of in three parts: ▫Party in the electorate ▫Party as an organization ▫Party in government

5. Tasks of Parties Parties Pick Candidates Parties Run Campaigns Parties Give Cues to Voters Parties Articulate Policies Parties Coordinate Policymaking A political party is a linkage institution

6. The Downs Model Rational-choice theory ▫Assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives Downs Model ▫Voters maximize chances that policies they favor are adopted by government. ▫Parties want to win elected office.

7. The Downs Model Figure 8.1

8. The Party in the Electorate These are the voters in an election; those who identify with a political party. Party identification: a citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other ▫Republican, Democrat, or Independent Ticket-splitting: voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices ▫Independents are most likely to split tickets. ▫No state or race is completely safe due to split tickets.

9. Party Identification

10. Party Leaners

11. Party Organizations Grass Roots Organizations: local people who work for the party. ▫Especially important in early presidential primaries Local Parties ▫Party Machines: Political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements to win votes and to govern. ▫Patronage: A job, promotion or contract given for political reasons rather than merit. Used by party machines.  No longer prominent Party machines and local organizations are now generally weak due to progressive reforms

12. State Party Organizations State parties affect how presidents are selected ▫Primaries (which type?) or caucuses ▫When will nominating elections be held ▫Variation in delegate selection procedures by state  Texas two-step Republican Party has more state-wide variation in selection procedures

13. National Party Organization National Convention: The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket. ▫Formal send-off for president and vice-president ▫Approve the party platform National Committee: Party organization that keeps the party operating between conventions. ▫Fund raising

14. The Party in Government These are the party members actually elected to government. Candidates are less dependent on parties to get elected, but they still need help: money, recognition, etc. Coalition: A group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends. Parties have platforms and politicians have promises; they generally act on these promises once in government.

15. Party in Government Today Presidency controlled by Democrat 111 th Congress controlled by Democrats Jan 3, 2009- Jan 3, 2011 ▫House  Republican: 178  Democrat: 257 ▫Senate  Republican: 40  Democrat: 58  Independent: 2  17 women…I checked

16. Parties in American History Party Eras: Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to the party in power. Critical Election: A massive change in electoral politics where new issues and coalitions emerge in one election ▫Often occurs around a national crisis e.g., Civil War, Great Depression. Party Realignment: The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election.

17. Burnham Contrast between two forces lead to realignments ▫American politics  System designed to slow change of voters  Fragmented system of government slow to change  Political culture, which favors status quo ▫Socio-economic systems change quickly  Dynamic and regular business cycles

18. Burnham Resolution of political/socio-economic in a realignment Constant build up of pressure in the political, which cannot change, but which increasingly contrasts with socio-economic Slash point or trigger event in socio-economic relieves the pressure and “realigns” these two forces Realignments happen every 30-38 years

19. Burnham Realignment periods characterized by: ▫High intensity in party nomination process ▫Increased ideological polarization ▫Heavy mobilization of the electorate ▫Policy change in terms of increased linkage, coordination, or alignment between electorate and government  Representation increases as voters vote for those candidates who will fulfill wishes of mobilized/partisan electorate

20. Party Eras 1796-1824: The First Party System ▫First party: Federalists 1828-1856: Jacksonian Democrats v. Whigs ▫Modern party founded by Jackson ▫Whigs formed to oppose Democrats 1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras ▫Republicans rose as the antislavery party ▫1894 Depression kept Republicans in power 1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition ▫Forged by the Democrats- relied upon urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners

21. The Current Party System 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government ▫Party dealignment and party neutrality: people are more indifferent towards and disengaged from the two parties ▫Since 1968, only 9 years of unified government Some wonder if the 2000 and 2004 elections have ushered in a new party era of Republican dominance Figure 8.3

22. Is the Party Over? Party is not the chief source of information for voters (media are), but: ▫Party identification is still best predictor of vote choice ▫Majority of people still identify with a party ▫Partisanship is increasing among public and legislators ▫State and national party organizations are getting stronger ▫Parties are integral part of organization and operation of government and elections

23. Summary Parties are a linkage institution Parties’ goal is to win elections Parties have operated in several distinct party systems or eras ▫The current party system is one of divided government and weak parties ▫But this trend is beginning to change