POLITICAL PARTIES

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POLITICAL PARTIES
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Basics of Political Parties

• What are political parties?
• Any group of like-minded individuals who seek to
  win elections in order to control government and
  shape public policy
• Parties develop platforms
• GOP hones its agenda
• Democratic Party Platform

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Basics of Political Parties

• Political parties are not mentioned in the
  Constitution
• President Washington warns against political
  parties in his farewell address
• Others, such as James Madison, spoke of dangers
  political factions
• However, the Framers believed something like
  todays political parties were inevitable

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Basics of Political Parties

• Warning to avoid political parties
• Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and
  warn you in the most solemn manner against the
  baneful effects of the spirit of party generally
  This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from
  our nature, having its root in the stormiest
  passions of the human mind. It exists under
  different shapes in all governments, more or less
  stifled, controlled, or repressed but in those
  of the popular form it is seen in its greatest
  rankness and is truly their worst enemy...
• George Washington, Farewell Address 1796
• Nonetheless Political parties have become an
  essential part of our system of government!!

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Importance of parties

• Parties help modern democracy work better
• Help focus the issues for the voters
• Gives some predictability to the candidates

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Importance of parties

• The minority party watch dog over the majority
  party
• Criticize offer alternative policies / solutions
• Democrats offer alternative policies

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Parties in Congress

• The party in power (majority) shapes the
  direction of public policy
• Majority party controls congress by controlling
• The legislative agenda
• Committees and leadership (Speaker)

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Parties in Congress

• Example
• Senate split 50/50
• Republicans held majority
• Jim Jeffords breaks from the Republican party
• Control of Senate was thrown to Democrats
• 2002 election, brings power back to the
  Republicans
• Republicans once again control key committees

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Parties in Congress

• Example cont.
• 2004, Republicans strengthened their control of
  congress
• 2006 mid term elections The Democrats took back
  control of both House and Senate
• Democrats can now set the agenda

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Party Systems

• One-party systems
• Two-party systems
• Multi-party systems

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One-party system

• Only one party is allowed to exist
• Usually one candidate on the ballot.
• Found in authoritarian systems

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Multi-party systems

• In European Democracies, more than two parties
  have power in government
• Ex Italy currently has 13 political parties in
  parliament
• These range from the Communist Party to the
  Christian Democratic Center Party

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The Two-Party System

• In a two-party system, government and politics
  are dominated by the two major parties
• The U.S. is one of the few nations to have a
  lasting two-party system

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Development of Political Parties

• When did political parties first develop?
• Parties developed early in our nations history
• Two opposing parties, the Federalists and the
  Jeffersonian-Republicans emerged only years after
  the birth of the nation

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Development cont.

• The Democratic party was organized by Andrew
  Jackson in the 1820s
• By the 1850s the issue of slavery split the
  Democratic party
• The Republicans started as a Third Party on an
  anti-slavery platform
• Many Northern Democrats joined the anti-slavery
  Republicans
• The election of Republican nominee Abraham
  Lincoln in 1860, ushered in the Civil War

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Development cont.

• In the years following the Civil War our current
  two-party system, with Republicans and Democrats,
  was established

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The Two-Party System

• Why does the U.S. have a two-party system?
• Why do two particular parties dominate?

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The Two-Party System

• Why does the U.S. have a two-party system?
• U.S. system has plurality the winner-take-all
  features
• Proportional system (Europe)
• Ross Perot won 19 of the popular vote in 1992,
  but won NO electoral votes.
• Wasted vote principle

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The Two-Party System

• Why two-party system cont.
• There are also substantial barriers for
  third-party candidates
• Ballot access (Naders efforts story 2)
  Video
• Raising money
• Third parties tend to be extremeNo dynamic
  third party leaders.

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The Two-Party System

• Why do two particular parties dominate?
• Democrats and Republicans have become
  institutionalized
• Both parties have done reasonably well at
  adjusting their positions on issues

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Party Organization

• National Convention
• RNC
• DNC
• National Committee
• Congressional Campaign Committee
• National Chair

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Party Organization

• Parties are NOT run from the top down
• Example Michigan, Florida, and South Carolina
  primary delegates stripped
• National parties have become National Consulting
  Firms
• as opposed to working at the grass roots level
• Recruit candidates, legal and financial advice,
  voting trends, and advertising campaigns
• Republicans have become well-financed,
  bureaucratized
• Democrats have become factionalized

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Party Balance

• The two parties have been relatively balanced
• Republican presidential advantage (1888-2004)
• Democratic congressional advantage
• Republicans more unified
• Republicans raise more money

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Party Balance
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Party Balance
2004-2006
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Party Balance, 2006-2008
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Party Balance, Current
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Party Balance
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Party Balance

• Majority party in a precarious position
• Get blamed for everything
• Theory American electorate intuitively wants
  balance
• Realignment
• Third party takes place of a major party
• The major parties change place as the dominant
  party
• Regional shift

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Third Parties
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Third parties

• What are the major types of Third Parties in
  U.S.?
• Single issue parties
• Ideological Parties
• Splinter parties
• What effect do third parties have?
• Who are some of the top 3rd party leaders?

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Effects of third parties

• Influence the issues that are debated
• Forces the two major parties to be more
  responsive
• Potentially swing elections
• Teddy Roosevelt and the Bull Moose party (1912)
• Ralph Nader and the Green party (2000)

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Third Party Candidates
The Green Partys PLATFORM
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Political Parties Elections

• Primary elections
• Primary season Jan.. June
• General Elections

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2004 Primaries

• Howard Dean. Yeaaahhh

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2008 Primaries

• Elections 101 (CNN)

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2008 Primaries

• Jason Chaffetz unseated incumbent Chris Cannon in
  the 2008 Utah primaries

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National Conventions

• Each party organizes a national convention.
• 2004 Republicans New York City, August
• 2004 Democrats Boston Mass. July 26-29
• Delegates attend the convention and vote for
  the candidates