Political PartiesIn the United States

Political Parties

The alternating of power and influence between two major parties is one of the most important elements in American politics.

Without competition, there would be no choice…without choice, there is no democracy.

Party competition – the battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of public office

Political Parties

One thing that political parties have in common is that they want to win!!!

Interest groups do not nominate candidates for office; they only endorse candidates for office

The definition of a political party is a team of men and women seeking to control of the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election

The road from public opinion to public policy is a long one – political parties are a linkage institution; they translate input from public into outputs from policymakers; public opinion is loud and clear

Political Parties

The party team consists of three parts:

(1) Party in the Electorate – consists of members of the party; does not necessarily have to be top ranking officials, just everyday Americans

(2) Party as an Organization – the national office, full time staff, etc. with rules, bylaws, and a budget

(3) Party in Government – the elected officials who call themselves members of the party

The Tasks of Political Parties

(1) Pick Party Candidates• Almost nobody above local politics and

higher gets to public office without having the endorsement of their party; comes through the nomination

(2) Parties Run Campaigns• TV aside, parties coordinate with national,

state, and local organizations(3) Parties Give Cues to Voters

• Knowing whether a candidate is a Democrat or Republican provides info for voters

(4) Parties Articulate Policies• Within the electorate and the

government, each political party advocates specific policy alternatives

Marketplace Politics

Parties are in the market for voters; its products are therefore the candidates and the policies

Rational Choice Theory – explains the actions of both voters and politicians; individuals will act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

The U.S. is a nation in the middle – 13% consider themselves to be liberals; 18% consider themselves to be conservatives; majority is the middle

Marketplace Politics

Anthony Downs notes two similarities about parties, voters, and policies:

1. Voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by government.

2. Parties want to win office, therefore relating it back to point #1.

Democrats favor more government programs to help out the less

advantaged Americans.

Republicans favor lower taxes and less domestic spending from

government.

Party Images

Our political parties are different than European countries – no formal membership, no membership cards, no dues required, etc.

Voters in the United States have a party image – a perception of what Republicans or Democrats stand for – ex. Conservatism or liberalism

Party image shapes party identification – a citizen’s self proclaimed preference for one party over the other; this routinely leads to voting

Age impacts party affiliation – the younger one is, the more likely they are to be independent

Independents engage in ticket splitting – voting with one party on an issue and another party for another office

The History of the Organization of Political Parties

From the late 19th Century through the New Deal of the 1930’s, many cities were dominated by political machines.

• Political Party Machines – a political party organization that relied heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, in order to win votes

• Patronage – one of the key inducements used by political party machines; job that is awarded for political reasons rather than merit or competence

• Used throughout the U.S. (NYC, Albany, Chicago, Philly, KC) & relied on ethnic groups

Political Parties Today

Today, the major political parties are a loose combination of state parties, where they are constantly changing as related to individuals, groups, and their local organization

Each state has a different party system and no two states look alike in how they are organized/structured

States are allowed a wide discretion in the regulation of political party activities; how they choose to organize elections has a large influence on the strength of political parties

The Organization of State Primary Systems

Some states give greater power to political parties than other states in the ability to limit

who can participate in their nomination contests.

Closed PrimariesOnly people who have

registered with the political party can vote in the

election.

Open PrimariesAllows voters on Election

Day to decide if they want to participate in Republican or

Democratic contests.

Blanket PrimariesPresent voters with a list of

candidates for all parties and allow them to pick some Dems and some Repubs

The Role of the National Organization Although political parties are ran at the state level, the supreme power for political parties rests with the national convention.

• National convention – meeting of the party’s delegates every four year to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform

Keeping the party operating between conventions is the job of the national committee.

• National committee – keeps the party operating between conventions; compromised of representatives from states/territories

Day-to-day activities of the national party are the responsibility of the party’s national chairperson.

• National chairperson – responsible for day-to-day activities of the party and usually handpicked by presidential nominee

The Promises & Policy Relationship of Politics

The party that has control over the most government offices will have the most influence in determining who gets what, where, when, & how

Voters are attracted to a party in government by its performance and policies; this will influence coalitions or the groups of individuals with common interests on which every political party depends

If you want to know what a political party believes in, read their platforms; for the most part, it outlines what parties believe and they have traditionally stuck with what has been discussed

The Recurring Cycle of Party Politics

Party Eras Party RealignmentCritical Election

One party will be the dominant majority, sometimes for an

extended period of time

A majority of the voters will cling to the party in power, resulting in that

party winning a majority of the elections

An electoral “earthquake” with new issues, new

coalitions, and the majority party often

losing

Sometimes the result of a national crisis and may require more than one

election to bring about a new party era

It may take more than one election, but the party system will be

transformed

Party realignment is when the majority party is

displaced by the minority party, usually during the critical election period

Party Politics Through History1796 – 1824 – The First Party System

In the Federalists, James Madison warned against factions, but his colleague Alexander Hamilton created the first political party, the Federalists

They were short lived; after the defeat of John Adams in 1800, the party faded; poor organization led to the party fielding no candidates by 1820

Virginians such as Madison, Jefferson, and Monroe was the main competition – known as the Democratic-Republicans or Jeffersonians

Party Politics Through History1828 – 1856 – Jackson’s Democrats vs. the Whigs

Andrew Jackson founded the modern American political party in 1828 with his coalition of Westerners, Southerners, immigrants, and settled Americans

The true architect of the Democratic Party was Jackson’s VP and successor, Martin van Buren

The opposition to the Democrats were the Whigs; their success came from military heroes (William Henry Harrison in 1840 and Zachary Taylor in 1848)

The Whigs experienced a divided coalition with Northern industrialists and Southern planters

Party Politics Through History1860 – 1928 – The Two Republican Eras

In the 1850’s, slavery split both major parties; Dred Scott v. Sanford sharpened the differences and made Civil War likely

The Republicans emerged as an anti-slavery party led by its first successful presidential candidate, Abraham Lincoln; following the Civil War, they would dominate American politics for a 60 year period despite Democratic strongholds in the South

The second Republican era started in 1896 as they took a strong stance on a gold standard; this was a realignment that led to more Republican strongholds through 1929

Party Politics Through History1932 – 1964 – The New Deal Coalition

Republicans took the blame for the causes and the lack of responses to the Great Depression; as Franklin Roosevelt took the Presidency, he used his first 100 days to pass a number of different bills

FDR’s New Deal coalition – urban working class, immigrants, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, intellectuals; led to Democrats dominating American politics through the 1960’s

Harry Truman (D) saw the Democratic stronghold broken by Dwight Eisenhower (R), but John F. Kennedy (D) and Lyndon Johnson (D) picked right back up

After JFK’s assassination, Lyndon Johnson’s support of civil rights and the war in Vietnam tore apart the Dems. In 1968

Party Politics Through History1968 – Present – Southern Realignment & Divided Party Government

In 1968, Richard Nixon (R), used a support for states’ rights, law & order, and the military to gain Southern conservatives in the Republican Party; Nixon won the Presidency but did not have control of Congress

Bill Clinton’s election in 1992 restored a united party government, until Republicans won both houses of Congress in 1994

Divided government is frequently seen at the state and national level, leading some to see the party system as dealigning – the gradual disengagement of people and politicians from political parties as seen by shrinking party identification

The Third Party in American PoliticsTraditionally, third parties have brought in new groups to the electorate and served as “safety valves” for those discontent with politics;

Historically in 1912 with Teddy Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party, more recently in 2000 with Ralph Nader costing Al Gore votes as a Green Party candidate

The Responsible Party ModelIdeally, we believe political candidates should do what they say; some don’t follow through

The Responsible Party Model – would stop “lying” candidates; parties would offer clear choices that outline their preferences; when in office, parties would carry out their promises

(1) Parties must present distinct, comprehensive programs for governing the nation(2) Each party’s candidates must be committed and have internal cohesion and discipline to carry out the plan(3) The majority party should implement its programs and the minority should state what they would do(4) The majority must accept responsibility for performance

A Final Note on Political PartiesThe upside – our loose party structure allows politicians to focus their efforts on getting more from government for their own constituents

The downside – the key problem for parties is that they are no longer the main source of information, attention, and affection; winning the game is more important than serving the people