1. The origins of the mass political party

2. Definitions “a team seeking to control the governing apparatus by winning election.” “articulate organization of …those who are concerned with the control of governmental power and who compete for popular support.” “any group, however loosely organized, seeking to elect governmental office-holders under a given label” “…must take into account others who are also competing for office”

3. Functions Structure voters’ choices Set rules for applying a label to candidates for public office Are ready-made coalitions of like-minded legislators

4. Are political parties inevitable in a democracy?

5. Washington’s Farewell Address The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

6. Madison Federalist #10 Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community. (Solution is a Large Republic)

8. Collective Action Problems Coordination problems –Free rider –Prisoners’ Dilemma Costs of collective action –Transaction costs –Conformity costs

9. Voting calculus P(V) = PB + B + D – C The probability of voting is equal to the voter’s personal benefit from electing one candidate times the probability the vote itself will determine the outcome, added to the expressive benefit of voting for a favored candidate and the emotional benefit of performing one’s civic duty, minus the transaction and opportunity costs of the act of casting a ballot.

10. Bottom line: Voting is a low benefit activity with high personal costs Voting is subject to the free rider problem Elites want to get people to vote for their candidate---so they have to find ways to reduce voters’ costs and increase their benefits.

11. Overcoming free rider problems Selective incentives: A selective incentive applies selectively to individuals depending on whether or not they contribute to the provision of the collective good. Material Social/ “Solidary” Expressive

12. Are political parties inevitable?