Political Parties

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Chapter 9

• Political Parties

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What is a political party?

• a group of activists who organize to win
  elections, to operate the government and to
  determine public policy

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Functions of Political Parties in the U.S.

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

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Parties in U.S. History

• 1789-1812 the creation of parties
• 1816-1824 the era of one party rule
• 1828-1860 two era of national two party rule
• 1864-1892 the post Civil War period
• 1896-1928 the Progressive era
• 1932- present the modern era

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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
• Party Organization the formal structure and
  leadership of a political party, including
  election committees local, state and national
  executives and paid professional staff
• Party-in-Government all of the elected and
  appointed officials who identify with a political
  party

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Why Do We Have a Two-Party System?

• historical foundations of the system
• sectional politics
• class politics
• self-perpetuation of parties
• commonality of views among Americans
• the winner-take all electoral system
• state and federal laws favoring the two party
  system

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Minor Parties in the U.S.

• most successful minor parties have been splinter
  parties, parties that broke from a major party
• Examples
• Bull Moose Progressives (from the Republicans0
• the Dixiecrats (States Rights) Party (from the
  Democrats)
• often, minor parties platforms are adopted by
  major parties
• sometimes minor party candidates can have an
  impact on the outcome of an election

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