Political Behavior What Is a Party A political
Political Behavior
What Is a Party? • A political party is a group of persons who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office. • The two major parties in American politics are the Republican and Democratic parties. • Parties can be principle-oriented, issue -oriented, or election-oriented. The American parties are election-oriented.
What Do Parties Do? Nominate Candidates—Recruit, choose, and present candidates for public office. Inform and Activate Supporters— Campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates.
Why a Two-Party System? The Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the Anti. Federalists. The Force of Tradition. America has a twoparty system because it always had one. Minor parties, lacking wide political support, have never made a successful showing, so people are reluctant to support them. 1 3
Multiparty Systems Advantages Provides broader representation of the people. More responsive to the will of the people. Give voters more choices at the polls. 3 Disadvantages Cause parties to form coalitions, which can dissolve easily. Failure of coalitions can cause instability in government.
One-Party Systems Types of One-Party Systems One Party Systems where only one party is allowed. Modified One-Party Systems where one party regularly wins most elections Example: Dictatorships such as Stalinist Russia Republican North and Democratic South until the 1950 s.
Party Membership Patterns Factors that can influence party membership: 4 5
Realigning Elections to Know Realigning/Critical Periods- A period when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties. Due to issues that cut across party lines § 2 Kinds: (1) Party get beats so bad that a new party takes its place. (2)Existing parties continue but voters shift their support from one to the other. 1. Election of 1800: Jeffersonian Republicans defeat the Federalists (Feds would collapse) (Adams loses to Jefferson) 2. Election of 1828: Rise of Jacksonian Democrats (Modern Democratic Party begins) 3. Election of 1860: Whigs collapse, modern Republicans rise (issue is slavery) 4. Election of 1896: Republicans defeated William Jennings Bryan (issue is Economics…Bryan endorsed Populism. Rural v. Urban, East v. West…no longer North v. South) 5. Election of 1932: FDR and Dems crush Hoover and Repub. (Got the urban workers and city folk that they could not get during Bryan…New Deal promises)
Economic protest parties Economic Protest Parties – Parties rooted in poor economic times, lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and demanding better times. ◦ Focus their anger on foreign imports, wall street bankers, etc. ◦ Examples: The Greenback Party (they tried to take advantage of agricultural discontent in the late 1880 s by appealing to struggling farmers) and the Populist Party of the 1890 s (they demanded public ownership of railroads, telephone companies).
Splinter Parties – Parties that have split away from one of the major parties. ◦ *Examples – President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” (Progressive Party) of 1912. George Wallace’s “American Independent Party” (1968 Presidential Election). 1908 Roosevelt leaves and Taft (1912) Roosevelt was shot during the Campaign ◦ Most splinter parties collapse when it’s leader/founder step aside.
Single issue parties Single Issue Parties – Parties that focus on only one public-policy matter. ◦ Examples – (Most single parties have now faded away) The Free Soil Party (they opposed the spread of slavery) and The American Party/Know Nothings (they opposed Irish-Catholic immigration in the 1850 s) ◦ Today, a single issue party is the Right to Life Party. They oppose abortion. ◦ These types of parties faded because they fail to attract enough voters.
Why are minor parties important? A minor party, the “Anti-Masons” first used a convention to nominate their presidential candidate. Today, Republicans and Democrats do the same thing. ◦ They can play spoiler to one of the two major parties by taking away some of their votes. ◦ They take on roles of innovator and critic, more so than Republicans/Democrat. ◦ “The major parties are stealing from my platform. ”
Party Organization & decentralization? Party power is decentralized (power is spread out between levels of govt & people). Reasons for this decentralization: ◦ Federalism – Because federalism hands over power to state govt and local govt, there’re millions of elective offices in the U. S. That’s too many. Therefore, the elective offices are decentralized just like our govt! ◦ Nominating Process - Democrats nominate Democrats and Republicans nominate Republicans. Results in: Dems fighting Dems and Repubs fighting Repubs.
Choosing a candidate Ways individuals may seek nomination for national, state, and local offices Caucus Nominating convention Petition Direct primary
National Convention – Meets in the summer of every presidential election year ◦ Purpose: Picks the party’s presidential & vice-presidential candidates
Influences on elections Mass media (including Internet) influence public opinion. Campaign advertisements are used to persuade and/or mobilize the electorate. Scientific polling is used to measure public attitudes, target ads, and refine campaign strategies. Web-based communications campaign Web sites e-mail communications with voters use of social networking sites and blogging online grassroots organizing. Corporate Campaigning…good or bad?
Ways interest groups influence political life Stimulate interest in public affairs Serve as a vehicle for participation in the political process Advance specific political, social, or economic issues Contribute to political campaigns The high cost of campaigning increases the influence of interest groups and political action committees (PACs).
Campaign Contributions � Laws limit the amount individuals and groups may contribute to federal, state, and local candidates. The Federal Election Campaign Act � Provides for a system of financing based on three principles: � Public funding of presidential elections � Limitations on the amounts presidential and congressional candidates may receive from contributors � Public disclosure of the amounts candidates spend to get elected � In state and local campaigns, campaign contributions received by a candidate are unlimited but must be reported.
Updating the Electorate reapportionment: Redistribution of the fixed number of seats in a legislative body (e. g. , the 435 Congressional seats) redistricting: Redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts gerrymandering: The process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit one political party or group of citizens The Constitution of the United States requires reapportionment of Congressional districts following each census. In Virginia, the General Assembly’s majority party redraws state and Congressional districts. Some states have removed legislators completely or partially from the process (e. g. , by using non-partisan commissions). United States Supreme Court cases in the early 1960 s established the “one man, one vote” principle.
http: //www. redistrictinggame. org/index. php
Amendments to the Constitution of the United States that extended suffrage The 15 th Amendment ensures right to vote regardless of race. The 17 th Amendment provides for direct election of United States senators. The 19 th Amendment grants women the right to vote. The 23 rd Amendment allows voters in Washington, D. C. , to vote for president and vice president. The 26 th Amendment gives the right to vote to citizens 18 years old and older.
� Campaign issues Influences on voter turnout � Candidates � Voter attitudes toward government � Voter loyalty to political parties � Competitive and noncompetitive races � Education, age, and income are important factors in predicting which citizens will vote. � More citizens vote in presidential elections than in other national, state, and local contests, but the percentage of Americans voting in presidential elections was on the decline until the 2008 election. � A voter’s belief that he/she has little impact on the outcome of an election tends to discourage voter turnout. � Voter apathy, dissatisfaction, and failure to meet voting requirements can contribute to decline in voting.
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