1. Political parties overview
GOVT 2305, Module 9

2. What is a political party?
A political party is an organization that seeks political power.
In an authoritarian government, people fight for political power with bullets. In a democracy, they fight with ballots.

3. All-out political war
Today’s parties fight over almost every is- sue and in every arena. Each party tries to discredit the other party by casting doubt on its competence and questioning its integrity in order to win elections.

4. Parties are Broad-based
American political parties include a broad range of groups in order to assemble a majority coalition necessary to win elections.
Parties are sometimes called big tents. Explain.
Key point: Parties work to assemble diverse sets of supporters in hopes of building a majority coalition. The process gives influence to relatively small groups who would otherwise have little political influence.

5. Parties and democracy

6. Parties Stimulate Interest
Political parties stimulate interest in politics and government. They educate the electorate about issues and candidates, and mobilize voters to go to the polls.
Every democracy has at least two political parties.

7. Parties educate citizens
Political parties help voters make sense of the complexity of politics. Party labels give voters a shorthand way of evaluating candidates.

8. Parties make government work
Parties make government work by encouraging cooperation among branches and levels of government.
Who are these people?
Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid
Parties enhance cooperation when one party controls both Congress and the presidency

9. Role of parties

10. Parties and Government
The political party or party coalition holding the reins of government in a democracy is the governing party. After the 2008 election, the Democratic Party was the governing party because it controlled Congress and the White House.
The political party out of power in a democracy is the opposition party. It criticizes the policies of the governing party and offers alternatives. The Republican Party was the opposition party after the 2008 election.
Governing Party
Opposition Party

11. Divided Government
American elections sometimes result in divided government, which is the phenomenon of one political party controlling the legislative branch of government while the other holds the executive branch. No party is the governing party and no party is in opposition. Divided government can produce policy compromise or policy gridlock. After the 2010 election, the United States had divided government.

12. What We Have Learned What is a political party?
Do parties typically cooperate or is their relationship conflictual?
What does it mean to say that each party is a big tent?
How do parties contribute to democracy?
What is a governing party? What is an opposition party? What is divided government?