Political Parties and Campaigns
Background Party—ongoing coalition of interests
joined together in an effort to get its candidates for office elected under a common label
Party-centered politics v. candidate-centered
History Washington farewell address: baneful
effects of parties Madison: Federalist 10—factions Originate in battle between Jefferson and
Hamilton Jefferson: Republicans Hamilton: Federalists
Late 1820s, Republicans battle each other Andrew Jackson believes in ordinary people
Democratic Republicans…become Democrats
More History Jackson believed in grassroots
At peak de Tocqueville said “People reign in the American political world as the Deity does in the universe”
Whigs emerge as a threat Catchall party Falls apart in 1850s
Slavery splits Democrats and Whigs Republicans rise Abraham Lincoln
Stephen Douglas v. John Breckinridge
Realignments Disruption of existing political order
because of the emergence of one or more unusually powerful and divisive issues
Election contest in which the voters shift their support strongly in favor of one party
A major change in policy brought about through the action of the stronger party
An enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of the dominant party
Realignments We’ve had three since the 1850s 1) Civil War
Republicans replace Democrats as majority 2) 1896
Depression—people blame Cleveland (D) Republicans gain in MW and NE
3) Great Depression Blame Hoover
Parties and the Vote Split ticket voting Prospective Retrospective
Systems SMDP
Candidate with plurality in district wins Proportional representation
Multi-party systems
Politics and Coalitions in the Two-Party System Seeking the center
Power rests with moderates Party coalitions
Two parties means BIG coalitions
Third Parties Promote policies Reform party
Progressive Single-issue parties
Prohibition Party Ideological parties
Socialist Workers Party Factional parties
Bull Moose
Party Organizations Nomination to office Primary elections
Closed, open, blanket Primaries hinder strong parties
No patronage Party to individuals
U.S. parties are loose associations of national, state, and local organizations
Local Party Registration drives Send mailings GOTV Concentrate on local races
State Party Central committee Chairperson Fundraising and voter registration
National Party RNC and DNC National chairperson Raising and spending money DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, NRSC Hard money—What party gives and what you
get from individual contributors and interest groups (hard cap)
Loophole—allows parties to raise and spend if not channeled directly to candidate (Soft money)
BCRA—bans soft money 527 groups Hydraulic Theory
Candidate-Centered Campaign Service relationship The money chase
$20,000 per week to make what you need for Senate race
Hired guns Consultants, pollsters, media producers,
fundraising, GOTV specialists, opposition research
Packaging
The Battles Air War
TV Communicate directly Rapid response Debates
Ground War Get swing voters More difficult to switch sides
Web War Email is cheaper YouTube is cheaper Targeted medium
Advantages and Disadvantages Can infuse new blood More open for newcomers Flexibility Encourage national officeholders to
remember the locals Degenerate into mud-slinging Weaken accountability
Thursday Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas? asserts that the
Republican Party has forged a new "dominant political coalition" by attracting working-class white voters on the basis of "class animus" and "cultural wedge issues like guns and abortion." Larry Bartels's analysis confirms that white voters without college degrees have become significantly less Democratic for different reasons. Why?
If nonvoters actually came out to vote in an election, would this change in the voting electorate be enough to make substantive changes in elections?
Before the widespread use of the survey in American political science, scholars considered American voters to be well informed on elections, policies, and other areas of politics. Once they began asking Americans questions about politics in the 1950s, they were shocked to discover that levels of political knowledge were low, and that Americans used cognitive shortcuts—such as party identification—to help determine the groups and policies that they would support. Is that good or bad?