1. AP Gov
Political Parties
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2. Party Structure National Convention National Committee
Meets every 4 Years and Nominates the President
Convention Bounce
National Committee
Manages party affairs on a daily basis
State and Local Committees
While there is a national committee, THERE IS NOT A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT
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3. Goal of a Political Party?
WIN ELECTIONS
Gain Control of the Gov.

4. Function of Parties
Connecting citizens to government (linkage institution)
-Political Efficacy – citizen participation level and awareness of government decisions
Run candidates for political office
Inform the public
Party Platform
Help voters decide who to vote for in elections
Voting Cue
Straight Ticket vs. Split Ticket

5. Rise and Decline of Political Parties
Founders- Disliked parties, thinking of them as “Factions”
Federalist 10
Washington spent most of his Farewell Address condemning parties
Thomas Jefferson started the first Party, Republicans in 1790
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6. Party Realignments
This is a very rare occurrence in which existing party affiliations change dramatically and the change lasts over several election cycles
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7. Critical Elections
Critical Election- election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues
2006
2008
2010
2014
2016
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8. No more Realignment Just Dealignment
A general decline in partisan identification and loyalty in the electorate
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9. 9/29/2017

10. Declining Loyalty
Republicans and Democrats are split fairly evenly…about 1/3rd for each side
Number of Independents are on the rise
In % said they were Independents but only 20 years later it rose to almost 38% which is where we stand today
However, most “independents” have been found to lean quite strongly to one direction or the other…Most choose not to self identify with a party
This could signal an erosion in the appeal of the parties
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11. Declining Loyalty
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12. Impact of Parties
The Mass of potential voters who identify with party labels
Party Identification
Voters identify with a party but rarely belong to it
They do not physically join or pay dues
Becomes a voter’s central political reference symbol and a way of interpreting a complex world
Party Loyalties normally come from one’s parents but can be influenced in other ways?
What ways?
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13. Party Stables? These trends seem to hold true
Labor Unions tend to vote Democratic
South and Midwest still tend to vote Republican while the Northeast goes Dem
Over 80% of African Americans and many Hispanics vote Democratic
Young People are again becoming more democratic
GOP attracts white collar but the Democratic attracts the Blue collar worker
Married voters tend to lean Republican and widowed are mostly democrats
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14. Why Third Parties will never work…
Is it a good or a bad thing?
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15. Types of Third Parties Single Issue Parties
Single issues like Prohibition of alcohol or an extreme ideological position like socialism or libertarianism
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16. Types of Third Parties
Splinter Parties
Off shoots of a Major Party

17. Types of Third Parties Popular Individual
Jesse “the Body” Ventura or Ross Perot

18. Why 3rd parties will Never Win
Winner Take-All System
Who ever gets a plurality of the votes receives all of the States electoral votes
Funding
An independent party must raise a lot of money and they get no help from the government
Federal Funding
Must get 10% of the National Vote to receive federal funding in the NEXT election
Ballot Access
State Ballot Laws
Single Member Districts
Every district has ONE representative. No proportional representation in America.
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19. Importance of Third Parties
3rd Parties can take away votes and elections from major parties.
This affects the presidency. Gore lost by 537 votes in FLA. 97,000 Floridians voted for Nader
Bring new issues to the political agenda
Serve as “safety valves” for popular discontent
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