G-9: Political Parties

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G-9 Political Parties
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Chapter 9- Political Parties

• (1). Define what a Political Party is, and
  explain its key goal and purpose in politics.
• (2). Summarize the partys functions in theory,
  and discuss their limitations in reality.
• (3). Discuss the organizational role of Partys
  during primary elections.
• (4). Examine the centrist characteristics of
  Americas two party system, explain why.
• (5). Contrast U.S. two party system with that of
  other multi-party democratic systems.
• (6). Discuss the limitations of the spatial
  theory model when applied to real politics.
• (7). Trace the history of U.S Party systems and
  Elections.
• (8). Examine critical elections their
  relationship to party realignment theory.
• (9). Contrast party realignment with dealignment,
  and discuss its political significance.
• (10). Discuss the changing purpose role of
  National party organizations conventions.
• (11). Discuss modern party organizations
  relationships at local, state, and national level.

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Political Parties Definition Purpose

• What Is a Political Party?
• A political party is a coalition of people
  formed around political cleavages
  seeking to control government by
  contesting elections winning office.
• What Is the role core purpose of a Political
  Party?
• The core of a political Party's purpose
  is their role as electoral organizations
  the purpose of which
  is to win elections
• Get Partys candidates elected to office.

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Political Parties Key Interface
Parties link people and governments by providing

• Organization and Information

What are the main functions of political parties?
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Seven Functions of Parties

• 5. Form governments
• 6. Coordinate policy across independent units of
  government
• 7. Provide accountability

• 1. Recruit candidates
• 2. Nominate candidates
• 3. Mobilize voters
• 4. Contest elections

Examine in greater detail
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7 Party Functions

• Recruit candidates give training info to run
  for office
• Nominate candidates - by most common method
  today?
• ?_________________ Elections
• Contest election- wage war in general election
• Form governments- organized along party lines
• Government appointments in executive judiciary
  branches
• Assign leaders members of Congressional
  committees
• Coordinate policy across different branches of
  Govt
• Mobilize voters get out the vote drives
• President, Congress, State, local party cooperate
  to win elections
• Leaders stress party loyalty to proposed policies
  (mixed results)
• Provide accountability- unintended side effect
• Used by voters to hold elected official
  accountable

How are candidates nominated today?
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Methods of Nominating Candidates
?_______ Primary
?_______ Primary
?_______ Primary
?_______ Primary
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Direct Primary
An election in which voters and not party leaders
directly choose a party's nominees for political
office.
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Open Primary
A direct primary in which voters may choose which
party primary they will vote in on Election Day
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Closed Primary
A direct primary in which voters must register
their party affiliations before Election Day
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Blanket Primary
A direct primary in which voters may cast ballots
for candidates of any party, but may only vote
once for each office.
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2008 Presidential Primary Schedule
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U.S. Political Parties Characteristics

• U.S. Two party system linked togt
• Centrist political ideology
• Capitalism democracy accepted by both sides
• No socialists or fascists parties stand a
  realistic chance
• Disagreement comes at the narrow margins
• Mostly about how to meet same accepted goals
• Both want strong Political Economic Security
  for US
• What theory is used to explain this Centrist
  characteristic?

?___________ theory of elections
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Spatial Model of Voting

• In a perfect world of perfect information
• Candidate closer to center should win election
• (All other considerations ignored)
• Explained by the Median Voter Hypothesis

Impact of a Third Party Candidate?
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Third Party Challenge

• Chance and impact of 3rd party challengers?
• No chance of winning but take votes away from
  whom?

Nader
Gore
Naders Green Party had a major effect on Gore
during 2000 election
Why?
Nader took most votes on his left from ?
shifted center to the ?
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U.S. Two-Party System versus Multiparty Systems
Single Member Plurality Electoral System
A system in which each district elects a single
member as its representative the winner in each
district is the candidate who receives a
plurality of the vote.
Single district Rep.gt winner take all gt
impact?
?__________s Law limited voter choice
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Duvergers Law

• The generalization that if a nation has a
  single-member, plurality (or who gets most votes)
  electoral system, that nation will develop a Two
  Party system.
• Impact of Two Party system?
• Voters really have only ?____ choices based on
  who each Party nominates as their candidate to
  run in the General Election
• Partys Nominee is determined by who votes in the
  Partys (Democrat or Republican) ?___________
  Primary
• Invariably decided by Party Activists who take
  the time to vote in their Partys Primary
  Election

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Proportional Representation System
A system in which legislators are elected at
large (nationally) and each party wins
legislative seats in ?_______________ to the
number of votes it receives. National parliament
Of the two types- which party system does the US
have?
?______ Party System
In a National parliament gt proportional seats
are assigned
Impact more minor party challenges greater
voter choice- why?
?_______ Parties to extreme ?___ or ?___ have
some chance of attracting votes from a minority
of voters who agree with them (Fascists,
Monarchists, Green Party, Socialists, Communists)
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Spatial Model Applied to Real Politics

• An attempt to explain shift of different voter
  groups
• 1956 Party platforms on Brown v. Board of Ed.
• Democrats waffled while GOP accepted Courts
  decision Why?
• Democratic Party attempted to avoid alienating
  its ?___________________ base
• 1960 civil rights movement
• JFK seen as symbolically supportive (phoned call
  to Ms King)
• Southern voters began to reassess their party
  loyalties as result
• 1964 civil rights act gt LBJ vs. Goldwater (GOP)
• Parties positions on Civil Rights? gt impact on
  voters?
• Since 1968 gt Nixons Southern Strategy was
  applied
• Southern white voters abandoned Democrats
  shifted to GOP
• African Americans abandoned GOP aligned with
  Democrats

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Reassessment of Partys Direction

• Debate of the losers over direction of Party on
  the most contentious issues
• Debate Back toward center or move closer to
  Partys roots?
• Similar debate goes on today in both Parties
• Spatial Theory model limitations gt
• Over-simplification of influencing criteria (i.e.
  The Center)
• Ignores party in powers performance, scandals,
  wars,
• Reality too many variables affect models
  ability to describe the real world their
  potential impact on the voters
• Value of theory lies in its providing a model for
  conceptual understanding of a very complex theory
  
• Lets examine how the Political Parties evolved

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History of U.S. Parties Elections- An Overview
2004 Bush Nader (alone)
Kerry 2004
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First Party System 1796-1824
Federalists
Democrat- Republicans

• Led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams
• Sought a strong central government

• Led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
• Sought a weak federal government

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Second Party System 1828-1856
Democrats
Whigs

• Led by Andrew Jackson
• Used party organization to mobilize voters
• Used new convention system to select party nominee

• Built a coalition of Northern Industrialists and
  rich Southerners (mostly anti-Jackson)
• Led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster at various
  times

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Third Party System 1860-1892
Democrats
Republicans

• Most Democrats were from the South anti-Lincoln
  GOP (J. Davis)
• Following the Civil War they fought many close
  elections with the Republicans

• Sought to give a clear anti-slavery choice to the
  voters
• Abraham Lincoln won the White House in 1860gt led
  North to victory in Civil War

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Fourth Party System 1896-1928
Democrats
Republicans

• Blamed Democrats for economic problems
• Nominated McKinley who won by landslidegt TR
• GOP dominated the White House during this time
  (TR) (exception WW- 1912-1920)

• Cleveland in office during 1893 depression
• William Jennings Bryan, running on populist
  platform was nominee
• Advocated inflationary policy based on silver

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Fifth Party System 1932-1980s
Democrats
Republicans

• Franklin D. Roosevelt elected by landslide
  launches New Deal
• Southerners remained loyal to party until 1968
• Democrats dominate Congress until late 1960s

• Upper and middle class elsewhere moved towards
  Republicans- elect Ike
• GOP starts to make election inroads during the
  1950s 60s
• Cold War Civil Rights (1960s) play key roles

Theory that attempts to explain Party System
changes?
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Key Elections and Party shifts

• Disruption causing changes in basic party
  coalitions called?
• ?_______________ Elections gt
• Occurred during the 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932
  elections
• Result parties their members become more
  ideologically polarized
• Voter turnout significantly increased
• Blocks of voters switched Parties in reaction to
  their dissatisfaction with their former Partys
  platforms
• Name scholars give this shift in party
  coalitions?

Party ____________________
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Conflicting Theories

• Two theories describing causes of shifts
• 1. Parties fail to respond to , social,
  political tensions
• Example impact of rapid industrialization after
  Civil War
• Democrats moved closer to pro-business centergt
  labor leaves
• 2. Party straddles major issue cutting across
  party lines
• Whigs straddled slavery issue Republicans win
  the election
• 2nd Theory's Thesis If the Party fails to adapt
  to major social, economic, or political changes
  or
• Fails to offer its members new choices
• Discouraged voters quite their old party (or stay
  home)
• Realign themselves with the party that meets
  their needs

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From Realignment to Dealignment?

• Historically, realignments occur every 35-40
  years gt
• (Its been over 70 years since the last one)
• This disruption in cycle raises several
  questions
• Whats the problem? Are we already in
  realignment?
• Recent growth in no party identification gt
  Independent
• Trends in ticket spitting (Figure 9-3)
• Are these indications of a new trendgt party
  dealignment?
• Also signs of a 6th party realignment forming
• Recent shift of South Rocky Mountain West to
  GOP
• NE Midwest Voters shifting to Democratic Party
• Party Dealignment or start of 6th Party
  Realignment?

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Earlier Signs of Party Dealignment Split Ticket
Voters Independents
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Back to the Future?

• Nobody knows for sure whats going on gt
• Evidence of both realignment dealignment
  occurring But
• Several theorists believe Sixth Party System
  began back in the 1980s
• Current balance of power now favors Democrats
• Contentious 2000 election 2004 election were
  divisive
• Trend toward social cultural division and
  Polarization
• Electorate appears to be leaning back toward the
  center following the 2006 Midterm Elections
  upcoming one
• The main issues used by Democrats to return to
  power?
• Iraq War state of economy

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GOP Problems 2006 Midterm Election

• GOP problems
• Accusations of corruption plagued GOP leaders
  incumbents
• Resignations, indictments, and/or convictions of
  House members tied to corruption or sexual
  misconduct
• Katrina and FEMAs mismanagement of the Federal
  response
• Rising oil prices Iraq War are major drags on
  the economy
• Questions of progress in Iraq Afghanistan now
  is topic A
• Democrats seized opportunity in 2006 midterm
  elections
• They are also reassessing partys direction to
  take advantage
• Two options Back towards the center (spatial
  theory)? or
• Return to core party values to rejuvenate their
  base supporters?
• Recent trend toward problem solving away from
  establishment politics (Obamas slogan Change
  we can believe in)

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Modern Party Organization

• Formal Party Structure
• (see Figure 9-4)
• Parallel the different levels of government
• City (local), State, and National Governments
• All pursuing shared goal of electing partys
  candidates
• Each level with different focus, priorities
  functions

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Local Party Organizations

• Political power of Local Organizations
• Depended on the role power of the
  party machine
• Based on maintaining loyalty through provision
  of benefits to party
  supporters (and voters)
• What kind of benefits?
• Local Party offered Selective benefits
• (benefits only available to loyal members of the
  Party)
• These included Material benefits - like what?
• ?__________________ jobs (the spoils of war)gt
• Given as reward for loyalty to the party
  
  (example city bureaucrat)
• Loyal Party workers were rewarded with
  political
  appointments (jobs) city contracts ()
• What reduced the political power of the party
  machine?

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Impact of Progressive Reforms

• Major progressive reforms that reduced the
  power of the
  party machine?
• ?__________________ ballot
• ?_________________ Primary
• Merit civil service system gt
  
• Pendleton Act of 1883
• (Garfields assassination)
• Impact as spoils system declined so did party
  machines power
• Recent changes Candidate centered campaign
  FECA
• Result Political Parties relegated more to a
  support role
• Organize fundraising campaign rallies social
  events
• Distribute literature operate phone banks
  conduct surveys
• Door to door canvassing (very effective) other
  activities

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State Organizations

• State party chair, party central committee very
  small staff to administer its functions
• Lack any significant political power not enough
  
• Main job support candidate selected in primary
• Raise distribute small amounts of funds
• Run voter registration get out vote drives
• Conduct public opinion surveys polls
• Role of State governor in state party
  organization?
• Party chair manages Governor's patronage
  appointments
• Gives Governor his party some leverage
  political power

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National Party Organizations

• Focus National Politics
• National Party Convention
• Convenes every 4 yrs
• Nominates president vice president
• (Now based on Direct Primaries results)
• Writes party platform party rules (for next
  time)
• National Party Committee
• Little power (but recently growing status
  power)
• Assist in presidential campaign of Partys
  nominee
• No control over nomination few resources

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Next Class Assignment

• Next Class Chapter 10
• Interest Groups (LO 1-9)
• Thursday to be handed outgt
• MTX essay preparation review (hand out)
• Provides source for 5 potential essay questions
  to be used in MTX essay section
• Also- Quiz II (Part 2) Take home MTX Review
• Key Terms - Part II (Chapters 6-10)

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KEY TERMS Political Parties

• Australian ballot A government-printed, secret
  ballot.
• Blanket primary A direct primary in which voters
  may cast ballots for candidates of any party, but
  may only vote once for each office.
• Candidate-centered campaigns Campaigns in which
  candidates set up campaign organizations, raise
  money, and campaign independently of other
  candidates in their party.
• Caucus/convention system A nomination method in
  which registered party members attend a party
  caucus, or meeting, to choose a nominee. In large
  districts, local caucuses send delegates to
  represent them at convention.
• Centrist parties Parties close to the political
  center.
• Closed primary A direct primary in which voters
  must register their party affiliations before
  Election Day.
• Critical elections Elections that disrupt party
  coalitions and create new
• ones in a party realignment.
• Direct primary An election in which voters and
  not party leaders directly choose a partys
  nominee for political office.
• Duverger's Law The generalization that if a
  nation has a single-member, plurality electoral
  system, it will develop a two-party system.
• Median voter hypothesis The theory that the best
  possible position for a politician who cares only
  about winning elections in the centerthat is, in
  the position of the median voter.

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KEY TERMS Political Parties

• New Deal coalition The Democratic Party
  coalition that formed in 1932. It got its name
  from President Franklin Delano Roosevelts New
  Deal policies.
• Open primary A direct primary in which voters
  may choose which party primary they will vote in
  on Election Day.
• Party dealignment A trend in which voter
  loyalties to the two major parties weaken.
• Party machine A party organization built on the
  use of selective, material incentives for
  participation.
• Party platform An official statement of beliefs,
  values, and policy positions issued by a national
  party convention.
• Party realignment A long-term shift in the
  electoral balance between the major parties.
• Patronage job A job given as a reward for loyal
  party service.
• Political cleavages Societal divisions that
  parties organize around.
• Political party A coalition of people seeking to
  control the government by contesting elections
  and winning office.
• Proportional representation system A system in
  which legislators are elected at large and each
  party wins legislative seats in proportion to the
  number of votes it receives.
• Selective benefit Any benefit given to a member
  of a group, but denied to nonmembers.
• Single-member, plurality electoral system A
  system in which each district elects a single
  member as its representative the winner in each
  district is the candidate who receives a
  plurality of the vote.
• Two-party system A political system in which two
  major parties dominate.

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Back-up Slides
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Other Progressive reforms

• Other Progressive reforms their consequences
• Club movementgt parallel formal party
  organization
• Response to new rules weakening parties
  (California)
• Candidate centered campaign gt independent of
  Parties
• Impact of TV radiogt eliminate middle man (The
  Party)
• FECA campaign limits 1000 5000(PACs)gt
  impactgt
• Candidates forced to conduct mass fundraising
• Use Computer technology and mass mailing lists
• Organize independent fundraising operations apart
  from Party
• (Candidates use of internet during 2004
  election)
• Result parties relegated to support role (less
  power)
• Organize fundraising campaign rallies social
  events
• Distribute literature operate phone banks
  conduct surveys
• Door to door canvassing (very effective) other
  activities

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The History of U.S. Parties Elections

• The First Party System (17961824)
• Federalists
• Strong central government economic policy
• Northeast sectional concentration
• Democratic-republicans
• Weak central government w/rural agrarian
• Attract South Western states
• Federalist overreach themselves War of 1812
  stand
• Dem-republicans take overgt
• Dominate government power during era of good
  feelings
• Key Points to remember about First Party System

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The Second Party System (18281856)

• Jackson nations first mass political party gt
• Democratic Party evolves
• Rules expanding right to vote to all males 21
  years
• Jackson builds popular base of support across
  nation
• President/VP candidates nominated at Conventions
• Whig party formed in opposition to Democrats
• (Primarily in opposition to King Jackson)
• Formed from diverse coalition
• Northeastern industrialist Rich Southern elite
• Key Points to remember about 2nd Party System

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The Third Party System (18601892)

• Slavery issue became more contentious by
  mid-1850s
• Whigs attempted to hold their North-South
  coalition together
• Avoid clear party position on slavery issue as
  result
• Republican party (GOP) formed
• GOP made clear its anti-slavery aim
• 1860gt Lincoln electedgt South secedes from Union
• Civil War foughtgt Union Victory (GOP) by 1865
• Reconstruction to 1877gt solid Democratic South
• Series of close presidential races follow
  (1876-1892)

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Political Party Developments

• Lately Political Parties status have improved
• Based on 1996 Supreme Court ruling
• Allowed unlimited uncoordinated Campaign
  contributions to Party (AKA Soft Money)
• Result poured into the Parties (especially
  GOP)
• Used to improve expand staffs services to
  Party nominee
• Registration get out the vote drives
• Polling issue research candidate schooling
• Limited cash donations TV mass mail ads
• Parties gained more influence nation wide
  campaigns
• Recruit candidates to challenge weak incumbent
  opponents
• Branched out to states cities (GOP in 2002 in
  Texas- Tom Delay)
• (Recent Congressional action (McCain-Feingold)-
  impact TBD)
• Relationships among other levels of Party
  Organizations?
• No formal control gt cooperation is strictly
  voluntary
• But all levels share common goal get Partys
  candidate elected

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The Fourth Party System (18961928)

• Democrat Cleveland is President (1892-1896)
• Presided over severe economic depression of 1893
• William Jennings Bryan nominated by Democrats
• Cross of Gold speechgt Populace Ideology
• Advocates expansion of money supply based on
  silver
• Potential benefit to barrowers (inflated to
  pay debts)
• Potential losers if Democrats win Presidency?
• Bankers Financial Institutions (lenders) from
  NE
• GOP blames poor economy on Cleveland
• GOPs nominee McKinley wins landslide victory
• Begins 32 year GOP control of presidency
• W. Wilson only exception- 1912 election-TRs 3rd
  Party

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The Fifth Party System (19321980s)

• 1929 Stock Market Crashgt Great Depression
• GOP Hoover offers balanced budget as solution
• Nations unemployment rises to 25
• Nation (voters) demands jobs bold Federal
  action
• GOP fails to produce credible plan for rapid
  recovery
• FDRs landslide New Deal coalition begins major
  party shift of voters from one party to the
  other- primarily by economic class
• Poor, working class unions align with Democrats
• Upper middle class wealthy elite align w/GOP
• Above alignments cut across sectional lines
• (In contrast to previous sectional alignment of
  past party systems)
• Only exception?gt The Solid South (why?)
• Democrats would dominate Congress as majority
  until 1960s
• New Deal coalition would start to weaken from
  then on
• Ended sometime in the 1980s

Civil War Reconstruction