1. Chapter 5
Political Parties

2. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
LO 5.1 Identify the characteristics of American political parties. LO 5.2 Understand the evolution of the party system in Texas. LO 5.3 Evaluate the importance of party organization. LO 5.4 Assess the functions of political parties in American and Texas politics. LO 5.5 Apply what you have learned about Texas political parties.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

3. Characteristics of American Political Parties
Two-Party System
Competition usually between Democrats and Republicans
Single-member districts
Two-party system: A political system characterized by two dominant parties competing for political offices. In such systems, minor or third parties have little chance of winning.
Single-member districts: Election districts in which one candidate is elected to a legislative body.
Explain why there are two major parties in the U.S. and Texas.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

4. Characteristics of American Political Parties
Pragmatism
Valence issues
Position issues
Growing polarization?
Decentralization
Pragmatism: The philosophy that ideas should be judged on the basis of their practical results rather than on the purity of their principles.
Valence issues: Issues on which virtually all of the public agrees, for instance, such as peace and prosperity.
Position issues: Issues on which the public is divided.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

5. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
The Decentralized Nature of American Political Parties and the Importance of the National Party’s Service Function
Figure 5.1 The diagram shows the semi-independent relationship that exists among national, state, and local party organizations and the increasingly important services and funds provided by the national party organization.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

6. Development of the Texas Party System
The One-Party Tradition in Texas
Ideological Factions in America and Texas
Conservatives
Liberals
Under the Republic of Texas, there was little party activity. Political divisions were usually oriented around support of, or opposition to, Sam Houston, a leading founder of the Republic. After Texas became a state, however, the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics until the 1990s.
Conservatives believe that individuals should be left alone to compete in a free market unfettered by government control; they prefer that government regulation of the economy be kept to a minimum.
Liberals believe that it is often necessary for government to regulate the economy and to promote greater social equality.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

7. Development of the Texas Party System
Conservatives and Liberals and Texas Democrats
The rise of the Republican Party
The Republicans become competitive
Pivotal events in the rejuvenation of the Republican Party in Texas:
1961: John Tower elected to the U.S. Senate
1978: Bill Clements elected governor
1992: Republicans hold both U.S. Senate seats
1998: Republicans win every statewide election
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

8. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Changes in the Number of Republican and Democratic Officeholders in Texas
Table 5.1
What explains the Republicans’ dominance of the Texas political scene today? To what extent will demographic changes affect the future success of the party?
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

9. Development of the Texas Party System
The rise of the Republican Party (cont.)
The era of Republican dominance
Party realignment
Partisan identification
Dealignment
Sources of Republican strengths and weaknesses
Party realignment: The transition from one dominant party system to another.
Partisan identification: A person’s attachment to one political party or the other.
Dealignment: When increasing numbers of voters choose not to identify with either of the two parties and consider themselves to be independents.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

10. Percentage of voters indicating a major party identification
Table 5.2
Sources: Polls conducted by Belden and Associates (1952 and 1972) Harte-Hanks Communications (1990) American National Election Studies (2002) and the University of Texas at Austin, Austin/Texas Tribune polls (2008 and 2014).
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

11. Results of the 2012 Presidential Election
Figure 5.2: The map shows the only 26 counties won by Barack Obama. Note that Obama carried more populous counties like Bexar, Dallas, Harris and -\Travis, and Mitt Romney carried the smaller counties outside of South and Southwest Texas. Source: Office of the Texas Secretary of State.
What does this mean for the future of the Democratic Party in Texas?
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

12. Development of the Texas Party System
Conservatives and Moderates and Texas Republicans
Evangelical (fundamentalist) Christians
Party platform
Tea party
Evangelical (fundamentalist) Christians: A bloc of conservative Christians who are concerned with such issues as family, religion, abortion, gay rights, and community morals, and often support the Republican Party.
Party platform: The formal issue positions of a political party; specifics are often referred to as planks in the party’s platform.
Tea Party: A faction or groups of very conservative Republicans generally resistant to compromise of its principles.
Is Texas becoming a one-party Republican state? Or is there reason to expect increased competition between the parties in the future? Why or why not?
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

13. Development of the Texas Party System
Can the Democrats still compete?
Tipping
Swing voters
Tipping: A phenomenon that occurs when a demographic group grows large enough to change the political balance in the electorate.
Swing voters: Voters who are not bound by party identification and who support candidates of different parties in different election years.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

14. The Organization of Texas political parties
Temporary-Party Organization
Precinct convention
County and senatorial district conventions
State conventions
Presidential preference primary
Precinct convention: A gathering of citizens within a precinct—where people vote—who voted in the party’s primary.
Presidential preference primary: A primary election that allows voters in the party to vote directly for candidates seeking their party’s presidential nomination.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

15. Texas Political Party Organization
How does the process of selecting delegates ensure that many of the delegates who attend the national convention have been “grassroots” supporters of the party?
Figure 5.3 The chart shows the three levels of state party organization in Texas and the ties of the state organization to the national party organization.

16. The Organization of Texas political parties
Permanent-Party Organization
Precinct-level organization
County-level organization
State-level organization
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

17. The functions of political parties
The Party in the Electorate
The Party as Organization
The Party in Government
The party in the electorate refers to the identification of citizens with the parties.
The party as organization is the formal structure of the party itself.
The party in government consists of the elected officials in government and what they do while there.
How do parties help represent the public in government?
Are parties always good agents of the public?
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

18. Party Control in the Fifty States: How Texas Compares
Figure 5.4 How Does Texas Compare? Party Control of Government
The map illustrates party control of government in the American states.
Source: National Council of State Legislatures. The figure depicts whether Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches (red), Democrats control both (blue), or control is divided (purple).
Based on demographic changes in Texas, is the state likely to become more competitive or less competitive in the future?
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

19. Click on picture to view video
former governor ann Richards discusses the rise of the republican party in texas
Click on picture to view video
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

20. video discussion questions
Who benefits from a two-party system?
How does former Governor Richards describe the “winning formula” for a major Democratic victory in Texas? Is this accurate?
Characterize differences between Texan Republicans and Democrats.
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.