Political Parties Linkage Institution Political Parties Political Party

Political Parties “Linkage Institution”

Political Parties • Political Party – a group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to promote their ideas and policies – Organized group that may include office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who pursue their common interests by gaining and exercising power through the electoral process • Question: What is the ultimate goal of a political party?

Goal of a Political Party? • Run candidates for office to WIN ELECTIONS

What Do Parties Do? • Electioneering: process of getting a person elected to office – Recruiting candidates – Nominating Candidates • Closed primaries/Open Primaries • Nominating Conventions – Defining Policy Agendas – General Elections • Soft money

Propaganda Techniques • • Transfer/Symbols Just Plain Folks Bandwagon Namecalling Stacked Cards Glittering Generalities Endorsement/Testimonials

What Do Parties Do? • Governing: activities directed toward control of political resources by providing leadership, enacting agendas, mobilizing support and building coalitions – Controlling government • Divided vs. United Government • Midterm elections of 1994 and 2006 – Policy • Do parties implement their ideas?

Function of Parties 1. Political Linkage - Connecting citizens to government • Political Efficacy (internal) – citizen participation level and awareness of government decisions 2. Unification of fragmented government – organizing government and coordinating government policy making 3. A voice for the opposition – informs the public – both sides of partisanship

Components of Political Parties • Party Organization – the official structure that conducts the political business of parties • Party-in-Government – members of the party who have been elected to serve in government • Party-in-the-Electorate – ordinary citizens who identify with the party (party identification)

History of Parties in America • George Washington’s Farewell Address – Avoid foreign affairs – Avoid foreign allies – Avoid sectionalism – Avoid political parties • The Evolution of Political Parties in America – What were the first two political parties in this country? What are the major parties today?

Theory Of Critical (Realignment) Periods • Party Eras – Extended periods of relative political stability in which one party tends to control both the presidency and Congress • Critical election – An election signaling a significant change in popular allegiance from one party to the other • Realignments – substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by people usually resulting in a change in policy direction

Realignment • Realignments – major, lasting shift in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties • Scholars point to 1800, 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932 • Two Kinds: 1) major party is beaten so badly that it disappears, and new party takes its place • (Federalists in 1800, Whigs in 1860) 2) Two existing parties continue, but voters shift their support from one to the other (1896, 1932)

Party Eras • 1 st Party Era (1796 -1824) – Development of Parties – Main cleavage: Federal vs. state rights – Federalists (end) vs. Democratic Republicans (split) • 2 nd Party Era (1828 -1860) – Jacksonian Democracy – Expansion in electorate – Democrats vs. Whigs (northern vs. southern) • 3 rd Party Era (1860 -1896) – Golden Age, Part I – Republican Party/Civil War – Republicans (north/west) vs. Democrats (southern and proslavery)

3 rd Party Era • Political Machines – Use of tangible incentives such as jobs to win loyalty among voters – Provided upward social mobility

Party Eras • 4 th Party Era (1896 -1932) – Golden Age, Part II – Merger of Democrats/People’s Party? – Economic issues; stock market crash • 5 th Party Era (1932 -1954) – The Modern Era – Democrats (New Deal coalition) vs. Republicans (identified with conservativism) – African Americans shift in party identification – Candidate-centered politics – a focus on those running for office, their issues, and character rather than party affiliation

Party Eras: What Does A Realignment Look Like?

Party Eras • 6 th Party Era (1968 -? ) – Divided nation, party competition, gridlock – Have we broken with patterns of clear dominance? • Question: Is there any evidence to suggest that 2008 or 2016 are realignment elections?

Historical Context: Review • Republic Party: – How the Republican Party Went From Lincoln to Trump • Democratic Party – From White Supremacy to Barack Obama: The History of the Democratic Party

Do Now • Take out your annotations for “Critical Elections and the Mainsprings of American Politics” • Working with your partner, identify the main idea of the article and the 5 -10 most important takeaways from the article. • Each person should write them down!

Party Structure (Organization) • What does party structure look like in the US? • National • State • Local

Party Structure: National • National Convention – meets every 4 years, writes platform, nominates President and VP • National Committee – manages party affairs on daily basis between conventions – National Chairperson: What do they do? • Congressional campaign committee – supports party’s candidates, including mid-term elections

What Do the Parties Stand For: Policy • Party platform: list of policy positions a party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact – National party’s campaign promises – During an election year, can change – Planks: each point Reminder: YOUR PLATFORMS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY; email them to me by 8: 00 pm

Do now • Create a T-Chart in your notes and identify general differences between Democrats and Republicans. Consider the following in your lists: – Characteristics – Issues – Individuals – Ideologies – Key people

Table 11. 1 What Do Party Platforms Say? Issue Democratic Platform Republican Platform Abortion Strongly supports Roe v. Wade (1973) and a woman’s right to choose Upholds the “sanctity of human life”; believes unborn children have “Individual right to life” Defense Supports reductions in federal defense spending Believes that cuts in defense spending would be “disaster” for national security Medicare Opposes any movement toward privatization of or vouchers for Medicare Believes in “premium-support” model for Medicare Public-Employee Unions Opposes attacks on collective bargaining undertaken by some Republican governors Supports Republican governors’ efforts to reform laws governing unions Same-Sex Marriage Supports marriage equality and equal treatment under law for same-sex couples Supports constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman Sources: “Moving America Forward: 2012 Democratic National Platform, ” www. democrats. org/democratic-nationalplatform and http: //www. gop. com/2012 -republican-platform_home.

What Do the Parties Stand For: Membership Democrats • • • Working/lower class Union members Minorities Women The elderly Urban dwellers Republicans • • • Upper/middle class Non-union members White Religious The elderly Suburban dwellers

Party Structure: State • Examples: NCDP, NCRP • State party holds state conventions; – Helps write state party platforms – Discussion Questions: • Why would a state platform be different? • How different can it be? • Supports candidates for state offices (for example, the General Assembly in NC)

Party Structure: Local • Each community divided into precincts -geographic areas that contain a specific number of voters who all vote in the same place • Chairperson, volunteers try to register voters • Local party nominates candidates to city and county offices • Political Machine -- party organization that recruits members by dispensing money, favors, and “patronage” (political jobs) – More common in late-19 th century; but still occurs

Party Structure: Local • “Grass Roots” – parties can also reach the voters personally and “get-out-the-vote” on a local level

Responsible Party Model • Party government when four conditions are met: – Clear choice of ideologies – Candidates pledged to implement ideas – Party held accountable by voters – Party control over members • This reflects an “ideal party system. ” Do we have that in America? Why not?

Party Identification • Party identification – voter affiliation with a political party – Dealignment - More people today identify themselves as independents (Why did this increase, specifically, in the 1960 s and 1970 s? ) • Party base – members of a political party who consistently vote for that party’s candidates (straight ticket)

Party Identification

Party Identification and Ideology

Identification: Group Affiliations • • Geography Gender Race and Ethnicity Age Social and Economic Factors Religion Marital Status

Figures 11. 6 A–C How Do Gender, Race, and Age Influence Party Identification? (1 of 3)

Figures 11. 6 A–C How Do Gender, Race, and Age Influence Party Identification? (2 of 3)

Figures 11. 6 A–C How Do Gender, Race, and Age Influence Party Identification? (3 of 3)

Figures 11. 6 D–F How Do Income, Education, and Religion Influence Party Identification? (1 of 3)

Figures 11. 6 D–F How Do Income, Education, and Religion Influence Party Identification? (2 of 3)

Figure 11. 6 D–F How Do Income, Education, and Religion Influence Party Identification? (3 of 3)

Why 2 parties? • Winner-take-all system (“plurality system”) • Winner receives a seat while loser receives nothing • It could be different…. • Proportional Representation – % of votes = the % of representatives

It could be different…. • Multiparty system: (ex. , Israel, Iraq) • drawback is one party rarely wins enough support to control govt. • So, several parties often must work together in a coalition • Can be politically unstable, frequently breaks down

It could be different…. • One-party system (ex. , China, Cuba) Undemocratic because there are no rival candidates; citizens don’t have a choice

Third Parties • Practice FRQ Question

Minor Parties In U. S. Third Parties have played a role in politics Types 1. Individual personality (“factional”): dominated by one figurehead (Ex. – 1912 Theodore Roosevelt – Bull-Moose, 1968 George Wallace – American Independent Party) 2. Long-lasting goal or ideology: (Ex. – Socialist, Green, Libertarian) 3. One-issue: (Free-Soil, “Know-Nothing”, Prohibition

Minor Parties Minor Party Year Founded Primary Purpose Liberty/Free-Soil 1840 Abolition of slavery Prohibition 1880 Prohibition of alcohol sales and consumption Progressive/Bull Moose 1912 Factionalism in Republican Party; gave Theodore Roosevelt the platform to run for the presidency American Independent 1968 States’ rights; opposition to desegregation Libertarian 1971 Opposition to governmental intervention in economic and social policy Reform 1996 Economic issues; tax reform, national debt, federal deficit Green 2000 Environmentalism and social justice

Problems Third Parties Face • Hard to get on the ballot • People don’t donate to them because they don’t believe candidate can win • People who do agree with candidate may think they’re wasting a vote

Why Are Third Parties Important? • Can draw votes away from Reps. (Ross Perot in 1992) or Dems. (Ralph Nader in 2000) • Can focus attention on a certain issue and force two main parties to focus on it

11. 6 Causes of Polarization • Congressional Polarization – Democrats more liberal – Republicans more conservative • Polarization of the Public Is Less Clear. • Party Sorting – Parties providing clearer cues to the public

Figure 11. 8 Are American Political Parties Polarized? Source: Data from www. people-press. org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.

11. 6 Consequences of Polarization • Congress – Least productive in history – Lack of moderates, lower incentives to compromise • Consequences to Electorate Are Unclear. – Increase in voter apathy or higher voter turnout?

Realignment Any Time Soon? • “Gridlock” – Congress and Presidency controlled by different parties • 2004 - Republican sweep of Congress and Presidency (Bush def. Kerry) • 2006 - split the Presidency and Congress again • 2008 - Democratic sweep (Obama def. Mc. Cain) • 2010 – Republicans regain House