Political Parties

1
Political Parties

• Definition a group that seeks to elect
  candidates to public office by supplying a label
  to the electorate
• Three Arenas of Political Parties
• Party-In-Electorate (Party ID)
• Party-In-Government (Congress)
• Party Organizations (RNC, DNC)

2
Political Parties US vs Abroad

• Key Differences
• nominations
• campaigns
• voters

• Explaining Differences
• primary elections
• federalism
• executive of govt

3
Historical Evolution

• I. Founding to 1820s
• weak party system, factions are bad
• II. Jacksonians
• Party Conventions to choose nominees
• III. Civil War Period To 1890s
• GOP, Sectionalism

4
Historical Evolution

• IV. Party Reforms
• Party Machines
• Progressives
• V. Specific ReformsWeakened Parties
• initiative/referendum/recall
• primary elections
• strict registration requirements
• non-partisan elections

5
National Party Structure Today

• I. Party Entities
• DNC, RNC, state parties
• Hill Committees
• II. Party Conventions McGovern-Frasier Reforms
• party base vs. party leaders
• superdelegates

6
Persistence of the Two Party System

• I. Electoral Balance
• II. Key Explanations
• Plurality Voting/Winner-take-all
• Voters Attitudes
• Laws

7
Third Parties

• I. Ideological Parties
• comprehensive critique of US, far from
  established parties
• Socialist, Libertarians
• II. Single-Issue Parties
• Free Soils, know-nothings, Right-To-Life Party

8
Third Parties

• III. Economic Protest Parties
• regionally-based opposition to economic
  conditions
• Populist Party
• IV. Factional Parties
• break-away parties from the major parties
• Bull Moose, States Rights, Reform Party

9
Two-Party System

• 1787 Federalists
  Anti-Federalists
• (no organized parties)
• 1796 Federalists
  Democratic-Republicans
• 1824 Natl Republicans
  Democrats
• 1836 Whigs
  Democrats
• 1852 Republicans Whigs
  Democrats
• 1860 Republicans
  Democrats (split)
• 1896 Republicans Natl Democrats
  Byron Democrats

10
Two-Party System

• 1912 Republicans Bull
  Moose Democrats
• 1924 Republicans Democrats
  Progressive
• 1932 Republicans
  Democrats
• 1948 Republicans States Rights Democrats
  Progressive
• 1964 Republicans Wallace Democrats
  Democrats
• 1980 Republicans Anderson Independents
  Democrats
• 1992 Republicans Perot Independents
  Democrats