Political Parties in U'S'

1
Political Parties in U.S.

• Chapter 8

2
Political Parties

• What are political parties?
• - organizations that try to win control of govt
  by electing people to public office
• - a group of activists who organize to win
  elections, to operate the government and to
  determine public policy

3
Functions of Political Parties in the U.S.

• Recruiting candidates for public office
• Organizing and running elections
• Concentrate on winning elections
• Presenting alternative policies to the electorate
• Accepting responsibility for operating the
  government
• Acting as the organized opposition to the party
  in power

4
2 major U.S. Parties Today

• Two- Party System
• - system in which only two parties have a
  reasonable chance of winning
• Democratic supporters
• - general electorate / minority women
• Republican supporters
• - general electorate / upper-income
  conservative churchgoers
• Most politicians are associated with either
  democrats or republicans
• Independent candidate
• - does not identify with a political party

5
Economic belief of parties

• Democrats
• - govt assistance, programs taxes
• - big govt
• Republicans
• - self-reliance / private marketplace
• - less emphasis on social programs
• - Reaganomics
• Whos the big spender?
• What factors help shape one into a republican or
  democrat?

6
The Three Faces of Party

• party-in-the-electorate members of the general
  public who identify with a political party or who
  express a preference for one party over the other
• - loyalty/ emotional tie (i.e. sports)
• party organization the formal structure and
  leadership of a political party, including
  election committees local, state and national
  executives and paid professional staff
• - recruit, identify, organize
• party-in-government all of the elected and
  appointed officials who identify with a political
  party

7
Role of third or minor parties in U.S.

• Why do we have 3rd parties?
• Dissatisfied / split-off
• Particular interest or message
• Media coverage / candidate
• 3rd parties can swing an election
• Roosevelts Progressive Party (28 in 1912)
• Perot- Independent Party (19 1992)
• Nadar- Green Party (2.8 million votes in 2000)
• Do third parties ever win?

8
Why are political parties important?

• The party in power ends up with most of the
  important leadership positions in Congress.
  Therefore, a political partys electoral success
  may lead to new laws and regulations that affect
  your daily life. You may pay higher or lower
  taxes, face greater or fewer employment
  opportunities, or experience changes in the
  social environment around you- all depending on
  which political party prevailed in the last
  election. Political Scientist Barbara A. Bardes