1. Chapter 5: Political Parties

2. Parties and What They Do
Section 1
Parties and What They Do

3. What Do Parties Do?
1. Nominate candidates for office and work to help their candidates win
2. Inform and activate supporters
Campaigning, take stands on issues, criticize opponents, advertisements
3. “Bonding Agents”
ensure good performance, make sure candidates are qualified and perform well in office

4. What Do Parties Do? 4. Governing 5. Acts as Watchdog
Officeholders chosen on basis of party
Govern on basis of support of party and its political stands (partisanship)
5. Acts as Watchdog
Party out of power criticizes the party in power (the party controlling the executive branch)

5. The Two-Party System Two is a party, Three is a crowd!
Section 2
The Two-Party System
Two is a party,
Three is a crowd!

6. Tradition
The framers didn’t want political parties but they were first formed with the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
The nation has always had a two-party system, and it will continue to have one because Americans accept it

7. The Electoral System and the Two-party System
Single-member districts work to discourage minor parties – encouraging the two-party system
Much of American election law is written to discourage minor parties
Republicans and Democrats work together to preserve the two-party system
Non-major candidates have made it to the ballot everywhere in only seven presidential elections

8. American Ideological Consensus
Over time, Americans have come to share many of the same ideals, principles, and patterns of belief
This causes American society and politics to simply not permit more that two major parties
This also causes the two major parties to be very much alike, both trying to go down the middle to get the most votes
There are however, some significant differences between Democrats and Republicans

9. Multiparty Systems In many European democracies
Consists of several major and many lesser parties
Various parties are based on particular interests
Economic class, religion, etc.
Makes for a broader and more diverse representation
Sometimes causes the power to govern to be shared by many parties (coalition)
                                         

10. One-Party Systems In dictatorships
Example of states in U.S. having one-party systems is the Democrats until the 1950s in the “Solid South”
1/3 of states still have a modified one-party system in which on major party always wins

11. Party Membership Patterns
Being a member of a party is voluntary
Each party comprised of a cross section of the nation’s population
African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and union members tend to be more Democratic
White males, Protestants, and the business community tend to be more Republican
Decide which party by: family, major events, economic status, age, education, and job
Americas independent party

12. Two Party System
Disadvantages Difficult for third parties to elect officials to public office. Democrats and Republicans have a monopoly. Party members and officials are at times accused of being overly partisan. May appear that the interest of the party is great than the nation.
Advantages Since the Republican and Democratic parties are not based upon common principles they tend to have a moderating and stabilizing influence on politics. With only two major parties we have a majority executive and legislative branches.

13. Democrats Republicans
Individual dignity and responsibility
Equal rights, justice, and opportunity
Free enterprise
Fiscally responsible government
Local control/local government
Limited central government
National strength/security
Global peace, freedom
and human rights
Expanding opportunities
Strong economic growth
Affordable health care
Retirement security
Accountable government
National security
Protection of civil rights and liberties
Energy independence

14. The Two-Party System in American History
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History

15. Nations First Parties: The Federalists
Alexander Hamilton
Rich and well-born
Wanted a stronger national government
Wanted a liberal interpretation of the Constitution

16. Nations First Parties: The Anti-Federalists
Thomas Jefferson
Sympathetic to the common man
Wanted a limited federal government
Wanted a strict interpretation of the Constitution

17. The Four Major Eras: Era of the Democrats, 1800-1860
Started with Jefferson in 1800
The were unopposed until the 1820s when the party split into factions
The Whig party led by Henry Clay were the major opponents until the Civil War
During the Democratic Era:
Voting for white males was established
Huge increase in the number of elected offices
Spread of the spoils system

18. The Four Major Eras: Era of the Republicans, 1860-1932
Started with Abraham Lincoln in 1860
After the Civil War, the Democrats only hold was the “Solid South”
McKinley’s victory in 1896 drew a broader range of electorate and helped Republicans to dominate even more
In 1912 Republicans nominated Taft and not Theodore Roosevelt so he went to the Progressive Party and the vote was split so Democrat Woodrow Wilson won
The GOP regained its ground winning the next 3 elections

19. The Four Major Eras: Return of the Democrats, 1932-1968
During the Great Depression people voted Democrat FDR
FDR’s New Deal strengthened the Democratic Party and got them the support of the African American community
FDR won 3 terms until his death
Eisenhower won for the Republicans from
JFK regained the Presidency for the Democrats in 1960

20. The Four Major Eras: Start of a New Era, 1968-Present
The Republicans regained power in 1968 with Nixon until the Watergate Scandal in 1974
In 1976 Jimmy Carter won for the Democrats after the Watergate Scandal and pardon of Nixon hurt Gerald Ford
Republicans won again in 1980 & 84 with Reagan and held it with George Bush in 1988
Democrats won in 1992 & 96 with Clinton
Republicans got it back in 2000 & 04 with George W. Bush

21. Section 4
The Minor Parties

22. Ideological Parties Based on a particular set of beliefs
Many built on Marxist thought
Socialist, Socialist Labor, Socialist Worker, and Communist parties
Libertarian Party
Emphasizes individualism
Ideological Parties seldom win many votes

23. Single-Issue Parties Focus on only one public-policy matter
Free Soil Party
Opposed the spread of slaver in s
American Party (“Know Nothings”)
Opposed Irish-Catholic immigration in
the1850s
Right to Life Party
Opposes abortion today
Most die away as events have passed them by
                                               

24. Economic Protest Parties
Rooted in periods of economic disaster
No clear-cut ideological base
Proclaim their disgust for the major parties
Greenback Party,
Populist Party of the 1890s
Disappear as the nation climbs out of difficult economic periods

25. Splinter Parties Have split away from one of the major parties
Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party of 1912
Robert La Follette’s Progressive Party of 1924
Henry Wallace’s Progressive Party, 1948
States’ Rights Party,1948
George Wallace’s Independent Party of 1968
Most form around a person who failed to win the major party’s nomination

26. Green Party
Founded in 1996
Began as a single-issue party but has evolved
Came to prominence in 2000 with Ralph Nader as its nominee
Nader’s campaign built around:
Environmental protection, universal health care, gay and lesbian rights, restraints on corporate power, etc.

27. Why Minor Parties Are Important
Minor Party, Anti-Masons, first to use a national convention in 1831
A strong third-party can play a “spoiler role” pulling votes from one of the major parties
Take clear-cut stands on controversial issues and draw attention to issues the major parties ignore

28. Section 5
Party Organization

29. Decentralized Nature of the Parties
Role of Presidency
Party leader
Uses media and power to make appointments and other favors to his party
Impact of Federalism
Goal of parties is to gain control of government by winning elective votes
Because the governmental system is decentralized, so are the major parties
Role of the Nominating Process
Nominations made within the party, and that can lead to fighting among party members

30. National Party Machinery
National Convention
Summer of election year to nominate
Adopt the party’s rules and write the platform
National Committee
Handle the party’s affairs between national conventions
National Chairperson
Leader of the national committee
Four year term
Congressional Campaign Committees
Work to reelect incumbents and unseat incumbents of the other party
Two year term (In Congress)

31. State and Local Party Machinery
State Organization
State central committee, headed by a State Chairperson
Work to further the party’s interests in the State
Local Organization
Follow the electoral map of the State with a party unit for each district
Mostly work only in months before the election

32. Three Components of the Party
1. The Party Organization
Party’s leaders, activists and hangers-on
2. The Party in the Electorate
Party’s loyalists who vote the straight party ticket
3. The Party in Government
Party’s officeholders in executive, legislated, and judicial branches of the government

33. Future of the Major Parties
Political parties have been in a period of decline since the 1960s:
Drop in the number of voters identified as Democrats or Republicans
Increase in split-ticket voting
Making parties more open but having more internal conflict and disorganization
Technology of campaigning for office:use of TV and internet
Growth of single-issue organizations

34. Sources Used
Magruder’s American Government, revised by William A. McClenaghan, published by Prentice Hall
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