LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS Linkage Institutions Groups that are not

LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS

Linkage Institutions Groups that are not officially part of the government, but play a vital role in connecting (or linking) citizens to the government. � Three types of linkage institutions �Political Parties �Interest Groups �Media �

Political Parties �A political party is a group of citizens who organize to: �Win elections �Hold public offices �Operate the government �Determine public policy

Political Parties Represent broad points of view — or IDEOLOGIES — that present people with alternative approaches to how the government should be run. � Each party seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy. �

Functions of Political Parties 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Recruiting and nominating candidates for public office Running political campaigns Articulating positions on issues Critiquing the policies of the party in power Serving as a linkage institution

Political Parties � � How does this link citizens to government? Example: both the Republican and Democratic candidates for President present competing plans for solving a wide array of public issues. �People, then, link to their government by identifying themselves as "Democrats, " "Republicans, " or "Reform" party members, for example

Political Parties How does this link citizens to government? -Provides information to voters about candidates running for office - Mobilizes voters to elect party candidates -Raises funds to support party canddiates �

Political Parties Party in the electorate- citizens who identify as Republicans or Democrats � Party Organization -all of the people at the various levels of the party organization who work to maintain the strength of the party between elections, help raise money, and organize the conventions and party functions �

Political Parties � Party in government-all of the appointed and elected officials at the national, state, and local levels who represent the party as members; officeholders

Types of Party Systems One-Party System-In a one-party system only one party exists or has a chance of winning election. � Generally, membership is not voluntary and those who do belong to the party represent a small portion of the population. �

Types of Party Systems Two-Party System-there may be several political parties but only two major political parties compete for power and dominate elections. � Minor parties generally have little effect on most elections, especially at the national level. �

Types of Party Systems Multi-Party System-when several major parties and a number of minor parties compete in elections, and any of the parties stands a good chance of winning. � Usually the result of a proportional representation voting system rather than one with single-member districts. �

Types of Party Systems proportional representation – Elections system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote � single-member districts- An electoral district in which voters choose on representative or official �

There was NO mention of political parties in the US Constitution!

Why does the USA Have a Two. Party System? � Strong Consensus on Core Political Values- American Political Culture �Americans share a strong commitment to a group of core political values that include belief in freedom, political equality, limited government, majority rule/minority rights, etc. �Most Americans identify as moderates

Why does the USA Have a Two. Party System? � Single-member districts �Almost all American elections are held in single-member districts in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot. �The candidate who receives the most votes is the winner. It is important to note the difference between a plurality and a majority.

Why does the USA Have a Two. Party System? �Plurality election- the winning candidate is the person who receives the most votes. �Majority election- the winning candidate is the person who receives more than half of all the votes case

Why does the USA Have a Two. Party System? � Single-member districts-winner take all vs. proportional representation �PR-each party awarded legislative seats in proportion to the vote it receives Example- In a state with 10 congressional seats, a party receiving 20% would be awarded 2 seats. In a WTA single member district that same party would receive zero seats.

Why does the USA Have a Two. Party System? � Legal barriers to third parties The names of Democratic and Republican canddiates are automatically placed on state ballots. In contrast, minor party candidates must persuade registered voters to sign petitions in order to have their names placed on the ballot.

Third or Minor Parties � Some third parties have been permanent, running candidates in every election; however, many third parties disappear after only a few elections. Several types of minor parties have emerged: � Ideological � Splinter/personality/factional � Single � protest issue

Third or Minor Parties � � ideological—those based on a particular set of social, political, or economic beliefs (communist, socialist, libertarian) splinter/personality/factional—those that have split away from one of the major parties; usually formed around a strong personality who does not win the party nomination; may disappear when that leader steps aside (Theodore Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Progressive, Strom Thurmond’s States’ Rights, George Wallace’s American Independent)

Third or Minor Parties � � protest—usually rooted in periods of economic discontent; may be sectional in nature (Greenback, Populist) single issue—parties that concentrate on a single public policy matter (Free Soil, Right to Life, Prohibition)

Third or Minor Parties � � protest—usually rooted in periods of economic discontent; may be sectional in nature (Greenback, Populist) single issue—parties that concentrate on a single public policy matter (Free Soil, Right to Life, Prohibition)

Third or Minor Parties � � protest—usually rooted in periods of economic discontent; may be sectional in nature (Greenback, Populist) single issue—parties that concentrate on a single public policy matter (Free Soil, Right to Life, Prohibition)

Third or Minor Parties � � Obstacles to minor parties Winner-take-all format of the electoral college �For example, Ross Perot (Reform Party) in 1992 won 19% of the popular vote but did not win a single electoral vote. �Single-member districts make it difficult for minor party candidates to win seats in Congress. �Minor party candidates are excluded from debates.

Third or Minor Parties � Importance and Impact of Third Parties � They express strong views on controversial issues. � Provide a safety valve for disenchanted voters. � They push major parties to adopt their ideas. � Spoiler Role- Although third parties rarely win, they are capable of drastically affecting the election’s outcome by taking away votes from a major party. For example, many analysts believe Ralph Nader pulled critical support from Al Gore in the 2000 election leading to George W. Bush’s victory.

Political Parties Vocabulary � � Party polarization- refers to cases in which an individual's stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party (e. g. , Democrat or Republican) or ideology (e. g. , liberal or conservative) Dealignment- a trend or process whereby a large portion of the electorate abandons its previous partisan affiliation, without developing a new one to replace it. It is contrasted with realignment.

Political Parties Vocabulary � � Critical election- When a national crisis forces voters to confront divisive issues that fracture party coalitions. This usually leads a significant group of voters to change their traditional patterns of party loyalty. Dealignment- a trend or process whereby a large portion of the electorate abandons its previous partisan affiliation, without developing a new one to replace it. It is contrasted with realignment.

Political Parties Vocabulary � National convention-The national convention serves as the party’s national voice. Party delegates meet in the summer of every fourth year to select the party’s candidates for president and vice president. They are also responsible for writing and adopting the party’s platform.

Media � One very important type of linkage institution is the media. � The media is the public’s main link to politics and the political issues � Most people find out about current events, political candidates, and other political issues through the media.

Mass Media � Types of mass media: � Print media � Movies � Radio � Television � Internet and social networking

Mass Media � Functions of the mass media: � Mass media influences public opinion (the population’s beliefs about politics) � Influences political agenda (the issues that the population finds most important) � The mass media is used by the government to educate young people on politics � Defamation by the mass media: � Libel – written defamation � Slander – spoken defamation must be malicious to count as libel or slander, not just untrue

Agenda Setting � � The ability of the media to influence the public agenda by dictating what issues should be important Based on the agenda setting theory, the more something is covered by the media, the more it is seen as important by the public

Mass Media � � The media gets information from many sources, one of which is the White House itself The White House releases information in 3 ways � Press Release: A document put out by the White House for the press to notify them (the press) of a current situation � Press Briefing: A meeting held daily by the press secretary to inform the press of current White House events � Press Conference: A meeting held to inform the press of a current event, often recorded or televised.

Fireside Chats � � FDR gave speeches over the radio in order to appeal to the public, known as fireside chats. The term is now used to refer to an informal address by a political figure made over television or radio.

How does the internet affect government and politics? � � � The internet influences public opinion greatly. The internet has allowed the public to receive information immediately with little to no restrictions The internet therefore has an influence on government and politics as the public has more access to information than they ever have before.

Candidate-Centered Political Campaigns � � Candidate-centered campaigns are those that focus on candidates themselves rather than their political party affiliation or other issues. Candidate-centered campaigns are extremely popular and extremely successful as it takes the thinking out of deciding who to vote for. People simply focus on the candidate as a person.

Negative Commercials � � Negative ads are advertisements in the media in any form that show an opponent in negative way. These ads are put out by a candidate or supporters of a candidate attacking another candidate.

Negative Ads

Sound Bites � � A SHORT video or audio clip of someone, such as a political figure, speaking, which can be fit easily into newscasts. Often, one clip out of a speech is replayed over and over in different newscasts.

Scandals � � � There have been many political scandals throughout history These all become scandals as they are picked up by the media and portrayed to the public Some highly publicized scandals are: � Nixon’s Watergate scandal � Bill Clinton’s sex scandal � Reagan’s Iran-Contra scandal

Gaffes � � � An error that is publicly made by a politician Oftentimes, political gaffes by candidates can end campaigns and gaffes by sitting officials can hurt their career. Recent political gaffes Donald Trump telling people to “go vote on November 28 th” � Joe Biden telling Obama “This is a big f-in deal” after the passage of the Affordable Car Act in 2010 � Sarah Palin referring to the white house as “ 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue” (the address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) �

Horse Race Journalism � The way that journalistic coverage of political elections resembles horse races. � The focus on data from polls which resembles that of horse races � The way the media focuses on the differences between candidates rather than focusing on similarities or on candidates alone � The main trait of horse race journalism is that it focuses on the numbers and who is winning rather than what is happening in society.

The Role of Interest Groups Interest group An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas. Interest groups are distinct from parties. Political parties fight election battles; Interest groups do not field candidates for office but may choose sides. Interest groups are policy specialists; political parties are policy generalists.

What Makes An Interest Group Successful? � Intensity � Financial Resources

Intensity Single-Issue groups: groups that focus on a narrow interest, dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. Groups may focus on an emotional issue, providing them with a psychological advantage. Intensity encourages non-conventional means of participation, i. e. —protests

Financial Resources Not all groups have equal amounts of money. Monetary donations usually translate into access to the politicians, such as a phone call, meeting, or support for policy. Wealthier groups have more resources— and presumably more access—but they do not always win on policy.

AMERICANS JOIN GROUPS A LOT OUT OF A SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY & POLITICAL EFFICACY. JOINERS TEND TO BE HIGH-STATUS, WEALTHY, HAVE FREE TIME, & CONNECTIONS.

Free-Rider Problem Some people don’t join interest groups because they benefit from the group’s activities without officially joining. The bigger the group, larger the problem Large groups are difficult to organize Olson’s law of large groups: “The larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good. ” Attempt to overcome Olson’s law by providing selective benefits: Goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues

HOW DO INTEREST GROUPS ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE? PROVIDE CREDIBLE INFORMATION ORGANIZE PUBLIC SUPPORT / PROTEST DONATE MONEY / JOBS (REVOLVING DOOR)

How Groups Try to Shape Policy Lobbying Election Activities Litigation Going Public

How Groups Lobby Target Congress through research, money, or testimony. Also target bureaucratic agencies and the president. Lobby courts through sponsorship or amicus briefs. Can use grassroots techniques, such as petitions. May also resort to protests and activism.

How Groups Try to Shape Policy Lobbying “communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision” Two basic types of lobbyists: 1 -Regular, paid employees of a group 2 -Temporary hires

Lobbyists: *are a source of information *help politicians plan political strategies for… legislation campaigns *Prefer to be called “consultants or laywers *are a source of ideas and innovations Mixed evidence as to whether lobbying works

Election Activities Recruiting and endorsing candidates. Organizing get out the vote efforts. Rating candidates and office holders Establishing political action committees.

Direct group involvement in the election process Groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to work for candidates; some form PACs. Political Action Committee (PAC): PACs are used by interest groups to donate money to candidates. PACs help pay the bill for increasing campaign costs. Most PAC money goes to incumbents.

Litigation If an interest group fails in one arena, the courts may be able to provide a remedy. Interest groups can file amicus curiae briefs to influence a court’s decision. Class Action lawsuits permit a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similar situated.

Going Public Because public opinion matters, groups try to: -cultivate a good public image to build a reservoir of goodwill with the public -use marketing strategies to influence public opinion of the group and its issues -advertise to motivate and inform the public about an issue

Types of Interest Groups � Economic Interests � Labor � Agriculture � Business � � � Environmental Interests Equality Interests Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies

Understanding Interest Groups & the Scope of Governmentt Interest groups seek to maintain policies and programs that benefit them. Interest groups continue to pressure government to do more things. As the government does more, does this cause the formation of more groups?

Understanding Interest Groups and Democracy James Madison’s solution to the problems posed by interest groups (factions) was to create a wide-open system in which groups compete. Pluralists believe that the public interest would prevail from this competition. Elite theorists point to the proliferation of business PACs as evidence of interest group corruption. Hyperpluralists maintain that group influence has led to policy gridlock.

Theories of Interest Group Politics Pluralism and Group Theory Groups provide a key link between the people & government. Groups compete and no one group will become too dominant. Groups play by the “rules of the game. ” Groups weak in one resource may use another. Lobbying is open to all so is not a problem.

Elites Theory (The Denial of Pluralism) Real power is held by the relatively few. The largest corporations hold the most power. Other groups may win many minor policy battles, but elites prevail when it comes to big policy decisions. Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the expense of the many.