Political Parties Development of Parties Political party Group

Political Parties Development of Parties

Political party � Group of people with broad common interests who organize to win elections, control government, and thereby influence government policies.

Political party tasks � Pick candidates � Run campaigns � Give cues to voters � Articulate policies � Coordinate policymaking

One-Party System � The party is the government and the party leaders set government policy � Usually found in nations with authoritarian governments. ◦ One-party Communist governments �Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, China ◦ One-party Theocracy (government run by religious officials) �Iran ◦ One-party authoritarian system �Russia

Multiparty System � Most common political system today ◦ France, Italy � Parties often represent widely differing ideologies (basic beliefs about government) � Voters have a wide range of choices on election day � One party rarely gets enough support to control the gov’t so several parties often combine forces to obtain a majority and form a coalition government (groups w/diff. ideologies share power ◦ Break down when disputes arise � Tend to be politically unstable

Two-Party Systems � Two major parties compete for power, although minor parties exist � Only about 2 dozen nations in world � United States ◦ Democratic and Republican Party

Role of minor parties/third parties � Any party other than one of the two major parties � Labeled “third” parties because they rarely win major elections � Believe that neither major party is meeting certain needs- run candidates who propose ways to remedy situation.

Three types of Third Parties � Single-issue party focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issue; generally short lived ◦ Liberty Party; Free Soil Party � Ideological party has a particular set of ideas about how to change society overall ◦ Socialist Labor Party; Communist Party � Splinter party splits away from one of the major parties because of some disagreement ◦ Progressive Party; Bull Moose Party

Impact of Third Parties � Can influence the outcome of national elections � Promote new ideas that are adopted by major parties ◦ Min. wage; five day workweek; unemployment and health insurance

Obstacles to Third Parties � Single-member districts- system where no matter how many candidates compete in a district, only one will win. ◦ Because most voters support a major party, the winner has almost always been a Democrat or a Republican � Many nations use an election system based on proportional representation- several officials are elected to represent voters in an area. ◦ Offices are filled in proportion to the votes that each party’s candidates receive. ◦ Encourages minority parties

Political Parties Organization

Organization � All generally cooperate, but are independent of each other ◦ Local ◦ State ◦ National

Local Party Organization � Precinct: basic, local, voting district where voters cast their ballots at the same polling place � Precinct captain: organizes party workers to distribute info. about party and its candidates and to attract voters to the polls � Ward: several adjoining precincts comprise a larger district � Each precinct chooses a chairperson to represent ward at the party’s county committee � County committee selects a chairperson to handle the county party’s daily affairs

State Party Organization � State central committee: comprised largely of reps from the party’s county organizations � Chooses party state chairperson � Helps elect the party’s candidates for state government offices � Provides assistance to local parties and candidates � Helps coordinate the activities of local parties � Raises money

National Party Organization � National convention: a gathering of party members and local and state party officials that meets every four years primarily to nominate the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates � National committee: large group comprised mainly of reps from the 50 state party organizations runs the party � Elects party chairperson who manages daily operations- usually the choice of the party’s pres. candidate ◦ Raises money for party ◦ Touts achievements ◦ Promotes national, state, and local party cooperation

Membership � Provides ways for citizens to influence government, esp. at the local level � Most citizens declare membership when they register to vote ◦ May choose Independent if you do not support any particular party � No duties or obligations beyond voting � Must be a member to hold office or be its candidate � Ways to support party ◦ Contributing money ◦ Volunteer work for party or candidates

Political Parties Nominating Candidates

Primary � Meetings of party members who choose almost all candidates for office ◦ Direct primary= elections in which party members select people to run in the general election ◦ Closed primary= only members of a political party can vote ◦ Open primary= all voters may participate, even if they do not belong to the party, but they can vote in only one party’s primary � Candidate requires a plurality: more votes than any other candidate

Petition �A person announces his/her candidacy and files petitions that a specified number of voters have signed in order to be placed on the ballot � In a primary contest, the party-backed candidate has an advantage b/c party workers will circulate petitions and use its financial and organizational resources to back its candidate

Presidential Nominations � Presidential Primaries ◦ May use a delegate selection process or a presidential preference poll, or both ◦ Winner-take-all or proportional delegates system � National Convention officially nominates presidential and vice presidential candidate and adopts a party platform ◦ Sometimes planks divide the party