political parties chapter 8. party battle party competition : battle of the parties for control of...

Political PartiesChapter 8

Party Battle Party Competition: battle of the parties

for control of public offices. Ups and Downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American politics.

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office.

Party View: Three Aspects

Party in the electorate: party image, identification, ticket splitting-Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other officesIndependents are most likely to split tickets.No state or race is completely safe due to split tickets. (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

Party View: Three Aspects

Party as an organization: national office, staff, rules, budget—win elections

Party in Government: elected officials

Party Duties Parties Pick Candidates:

nominations Parties Run Campaigns:

party organizations Parties provide specific

info to Voters: party affiliation—party principles

Parties Articulate Policies: advocate/voice party platforms

Parties Coordinate Policymaking: partisanship

A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives. (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

1. voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by government2. parties want to win office

Rational-choice Theory

Rational-choice Theory

(Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

PRINCETON, NJ -- Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

As has been the case each year since 1992, very few Americans define themselves at the extremes of the political spectrum. Just 9% call themselves "very conservative" and 5% "very liberal." The vast majority of self-described liberals and conservatives identify with the unmodified form of their chosen label.


Party-Based Ideology There is an important distinction in the

respective ideological compositions of the Republican and Democratic Parties. While a solid majority of Republicans are on the same page -- 73% call themselves conservative -- Democrats are more of a mixture. The major division among Democrats is between self-defined moderates (40%) and liberals (38%). However, an additional 22% of Democrats consider themselves conservative, much higher than the 3% of Republicans identifying as liberal.


Party-Based Ideology True to their nonpartisan tendencies,

close to half of political independents -- 45% -- describe their political views as "moderate." Among the rest, the balance of views is tilted more heavily to the right than to the left: 34% are conservative, while 20% are liberal.


Gallup trends show a slight increase since 2008 in the percentages of all three party groups calling themselves "conservative," which accounts for the three percentage-point increase among the public at large.


Thus far in 2009, Gallup has found an average of 36% of Americans considering themselves Democratic, 28% Republican, and 37% independent. When independents are pressed to say which party they lean toward, 51% of Americans identify as Democrats, 39% as Republicans, and only 9% as pure independents.


Still, conservatism outweighs liberalism among both genders.


As reported last week on Gallup.com, women are more likely than men to be Democratic in their political orientation. Along the same lines, women are more likely than men to be ideologically "moderate" and "liberal," and less likely to be "conservative."

http://www.gallup.com/poll/120839/Women-Likely-Democrats-Regardless-Age.aspx

Party-Based Ideology: End Results Although the terms may mean different things

to different people, Americans readily peg themselves, politically, into one of five categories along the conservative-to-liberal spectrum. At present, large minorities describe their views as either moderate or conservative -- with conservatives the larger group -- whereas only about one in five consider themselves liberal.


While these figures have shown little change over the past decade, the nation appears to be slightly more polarized than it was in the early 1990s. Compared with the 1992-1994 period, the percentage of moderates has declined from 42% to 35%, while the percentages of conservatives and liberals are up slightly -- from 38% to 40% for conservatives and a larger 17% to 21% movement for liberals.

Party-Based Ideology: End Results


Primaries

Closed primaries: Only people who have registered with the party can vote for that party’s candidates.

Open primaries: Voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote in the Democrat or Republican primary.

Blanket primaries: Voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties.

State parties are better organized in terms of headquarters and budgets than they used to be.


Party Organizations

National Convention: the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the party’s platform

National Committee: one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions

National Chairperson: responsible for day-to-day activities of the party


The Party in Government: Promises and Policy

Party members actually elected to government

Which party controls government has policy consequences.

Coalition: a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends

Parties and politicians generally act on their campaign promises.

The Party in Government: Promises and Policy

Party Eras inAmerican History

Party Eras Historical periods in which a majority of votes

cling to the party in power Critical Election

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions emerge

Party Realignment The displacement of the majority party by the

minority party, usually during a critical election


1796-1824: The First Party System Madison warned of “factions” Federalists: first political party

1828-1856: Jackson and the Democrats Versus the Whigs Modern party founded by Jackson Whigs formed mainly to oppose

Jacksonian Democrats


1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras Republicans rose as the antislavery party 1896 election centered on

industrialization 1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition

New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats; consisted of urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

Party Eras in American History

Party Eras in American History 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party

Government Divided government: one party controls

Congress and the other controls White House

Divided government due in party to: Party dealignment: disengagement of

people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification

Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

Party Eras in American History

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics

Third parties: electoral contenders other than the two party parties; rarely win elections

Third parties are important. Are “safety valves” for popular discontent Bring new groups and ideas into politics

Two-party system Discourages extreme views Contributes to political ambiguity

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics Multiparty Systems in Other Countries

Winner-take-all system: legislative seats awarded only to first place finishers

Proportional Representation: legislative seats awarded based on votes received by the party - more votes, more seats

Coalition Government: two or more parties join to form a majority in a national legislature

Understanding Political Parties

Democracy and Responsible Party Government Responsible Party Model

1. Parties have distinct comprehensive programs.2. Candidates are committed to the program.3. The majority party must carry out its program.4. The majority party must accept responsibility.

American political parties fall short of these conditions.

No mechanism for party discipline

Understanding Political Parties

American Political Parties and the Scope of Government Lack of uniformity keeps government

small Big programs like Health Care (1994) fail

But also makes cutting government programs difficult Individuals focus on getting more from

government for their own constituents

Understanding Political Parties Is the Party Over?

Political parties are no longer main source of information for voters; media are

Yet parties will play an important but diminished role in American politics State and national party organizations have

become more visible and active Majority of people still identify with a party

Summary

Parties are a pervasive linkage institution in American politics. Party in electorate, government, and as

organization America has a two-party system. The decentralized nature of political

parties makes major change difficult and encourages individualism in politics.

political parties chapter 8. party battle party competition : battle of the parties for control of...

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