1. Political Parties and Interest Groups
Chapter Six
Political Parties and Interest Groups

2. Why are political parties weaker today than in the past?
Enduring Questions
Why are political parties weaker today than in the past?
Why do we have just two major political parties?
Why does the United States have so many interest groups?
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3. Parties in the United States and Abroad
Party definition
Decentralization: U.S. – European party differences
Political culture
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4. The Rise and Decline of U.S. Political Parties: Four Broad Periods
The founding
The Jacksonians – the first national party system
The Civil War and sectionalism
Progressive reform
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5. Figure 6.1: Cleavages and Continuity in the Two-Party System
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6. National Party Structure Today
Party organization: A loose structure
National conventions
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7. Table 6.1: Campaign Spending by Democrats and Republicans, 2000
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8. State and Local Parties: Five Informal Practices
The machine
Ideological parties
Solidary groups
Sponsored parties
Personal followings
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9. Most European democracies have multiparty systems
The Two-Party System
Most European democracies have multiparty systems
In U.S., the two parties have historically been evenly balanced nationally,
Although local and congressional elections have often been dominated by one party
Explanations for persistence of the two- party system
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10. Nominating a President
Are the delegates representative of the voters?
Explanations for this disparity
Who votes may also influence delegate selection
Delegates today different from in past
Other factors influencing presidential nominating conventions
Assessing the two-party system
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11. George Wallace: “Not a dime’s worth of difference”
Do the Parties Differ?
George Wallace: “Not a dime’s worth of difference”
Large differences between parties’ leaders and activists
Some differences between rank-and-file
Candidates confront a challenge
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12. Interest Groups - Lobbies
Organizations that seek to influence government decisions
Causes of the proliferation of interest groups, especially since 1970
Interest-group activity has varied over time
Factors explaining rise of interest groups
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13. Institutional interests Membership interests
Kinds of Organization
Institutional interests
Membership interests
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14. Funds for Interest Groups
Greatest challenges for membership groups, especially those relying on purposive incentives
Foundation grants
Federal grants and contracts
Direct mail
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15. Interest groups in Washington reflect upper-class bias
The Problem of Bias
Interest groups in Washington reflect upper-class bias
Many groups internally divided, competing with others
Many conflicts between upper-middle class elites
More people mobilized today, making politics more pluralist
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16. The Activities of Interest Groups
Information
Public support
Money and PACs
The “revolving door”
Demonstrations
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17. Table 6.4: Ten Largest PAC Contributors, 1999–2000
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18. Table 6.5: Spending by Political Action Committees (PACs), 2000
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19. Regulating Interest Groups
Protected by First Amendment
1946, Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act had little effect in Congress
1995, legislation sought to tighten up registration, disclosure requirements
Significant restraints, established prior to 1995, in effect
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20. Reconsidering the Enduring Questions
Why are political parties weaker today than in the past?
Why do we have just two major political parties?
Why does the United States have so many interest groups
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