1. Chapter 12 Political Parties
To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions
American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition
Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato
 Pearson Education, 2009

2. Political Parties Organized effort to gain power through elections.
Consist of three entities:
Governmental party, or the office holders.
Organizational party, or the workers and activists.
Party in the electorate, or the voters.

3. Think-Pair-Share What were the first two political parties?
What did each of them stand for?

4. Roots of the Party System
Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were earliest.
1820s Era of Good Feelings is relatively party-free.
Whigs and Democrats after 1832.
Development of the
Republican Party in 1854.

5. Twentieth-Century Party System
was Golden Age of parties due to machines.
75% or better turnout between
Parties weakened in the modern era.
Development of direct primary system.
Changes in civil service laws.
Growth of candidate-centered and issue-oriented politics.
Increase in ticket-splitting.

6. Think-Pair-Share
Describe what a political machine is. What are they able to offer to supporters?
What role did immigrants play in the development of political machines?

7. Think-Write-Roundrobin
Explain how each of the following led to the weakening of political parties
Direct Primary
Change in civil service laws
Growth of issue-oriented and candidate-centered politics
Increase in ticket-splitting

10. Party Realignment During a realignment, party coalitions change.
Critical elections put key issues into perspective.
1800, 1860, and 1932 were critical elections.
Jefferson with Democratic-Republicans
Lincoln with Republican Party
FDR with the Democratic Party
No uniform realignment has occurred since 1932.

11. Think-Pair-Share
The most recent agreed-upon realignment occurred with FDR’s election in 1932
What event in the early 30s would have caused people to rethink their political affiliation?
What minority group would have felt the hardest impacts of this event?
What political party had this minority group previously identified with?

12. Figure 12.2- Realigning Elections
Pg 415
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13. Secular Realignment Sometimes parties shift for demographic reasons
Election of 1960
Election of 1964

14. Think-Pair-Share
Explain the difference between party realignment and secular realignment

15. Functions of the Party System
Mobilizing support and building coalitions.
Encouraging stability in the political system.
Providing unity and accountability for public policy.
Running candidates for office.
Providing a cue for issues and voters.
Formulating policy through a national party platform.

16. Table 12.1- Party Platforms
Pg 407
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17. Minor (Third) Parties
Winner-take-all system makes it difficult to win office.
Sharp contrast to proportional representation systems used elsewhere.
Rooted in sectionalism, protest, issues, and people.
Do best when there is little trust in other parties.
Can have success in putting issues on agenda.

18. Rally Robin
Identify as many third parties and their stance on specific issues as you can

19. Think-Pair-Share
Identify the three levels of a party’s organization

20. Party Organization National committees, which hold conventions.
State committees.
Local committees.
Informal groups, such as PACs and think tanks.
Changed dramatically in recent years.
New rules about soft and hard money have played role.

21. Donation Limitations
To each candidate or candidate committee per election
To national party committee per calendar year
To state, district & local party committee per calendar year
To any other political committee per calendar year
$2,500
$30,800
$10,000 (combined limit)
$5,000

22. Figure 12.3- Party Organization
Pg 422
Back

23. Figure 12.4- Political Party Finances
Pg 427
Back

24. Rally Coach Student A explain what hard money is
Student B explain what soft money is

25. Rally Robin
Identify the methods in which both political parties raise so much money

26. Party in Government Parties play a major role in organizing Congress.
Parties shape perceptions of presidents.
Presidents--to varying degrees--act as party leaders.
Party may predict some judicial decisions.

27. Figure 12.5- Congressional Party Unity
Pg 430
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28. Party in the Electorate
Party identification shapes political worldview.
May be shaped by demographic characteristics: Geographic region, gender, race & ethnicity, age, social and economic factors, religion, marital status.
South, middle-aged, and white-collar more Republican.
Evangelicals and married more Republican.
Women, minorities, and Jews more Democratic.
Unions, advanced degrees, and single more Democratic.

29. Table 12.2- Party Identification by Group
Pg 436
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30. Dealignment and Party Strength
Argument that we are in a period of dealignment.
Voters are much less likely to identify with a party.
Result of the growth in issue-oriented politics.
Parties are important in electorate and in government.
Parties continue to be competitive with one another.

31. Think-Write-Roundrobin
Explain why voters are much less likely to identify with a party in today’s political climate