POLITICAL PARTIES

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POLITICAL PARTIES
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What are Political Parties?

• A group of people who seek to control government
  through the winning of elections and the holding
  of public office.
• A group of persons, joined together on the basis
  of common principles, who seek to control
  government in order to affect certain public
  policies and programs.

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IDEOLOGY

• An ideology is a systematic set of values that
  enables a person to view public policy issues in
  a consistent way.

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Political Spectrum
Most Americans consider themselves here
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FUNCTIONS

• Nominating
• Informer Stimulator
• Bonding Agent / Seal of Approval
• Government
• Watchdog

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Five Functions of
Political Parties
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Two-Party System

• In a typical election, only the Republican or
  the Democratic Partys candidates have a
  reasonable chance of winning public office.
• Historical Tradition
• Force of Tradition
• Electoral System
• American Ideological Consensus

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REPUBLICAN PARTY

• Today, the Republican Party supports a strong
  pro-business platform, with further foundations
  in economic libertarianism, nationalism, and a
  brand of social conservatism.
• Traditionally Republican Conservative

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(Uni
ted_States)
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DEMOCRATIC PARTY

• In recent years, the Democratic party has pursued
  centrist economic policies combined with a
  liberal social agenda.
• Traditionally Democrat Liberal

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(Uni
ted_States)
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DOMINANCE OF 2 MAJOR PARTIES
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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Minor ( Third) Parties

• IDEOLOGICAL PARTIES
• Based on a particular set of beliefsa
  comprehensive set of social, economic, and
  political matters.
• Most of these have been build upon Marxist
  thought
• i.e. Socialist Party, Communist Party, Socialist
  Worker Party, Socialist Labor Party.
• Some others have been long-lived
• Libertarian Party

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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Minor ( Third) Parties

• SINGLE ISSUE PARTIES
• Focus is on one public-policy matter
• Free Soil Party
• Know-nothings
• Fade away as
• events pass them by
• Themes fail to attract voters or
• Major parties adopt issue as their own

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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Minor ( Third) Parties

• ECONOMIC PROTEST PARTIES
• Rooted in terms of economic discontent
• Often sectional parties
• Disappeared as economy improved
• Greenback Party
• Populist Party

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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Minor ( Third) Parties

• SPLINTER PARTIES
• Split away from one of the Major Parties
• Usually form around a strong personality
• Bullmoose Progressive Party( Republicans)
• Teddy Roosevelt
• American Independent Party( Democrats)
• George Wallace

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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Minor ( Third) Parties

• IMPORTANT ROLES
• Critic
• Spoiler
• Innovator
• Progressive income tax
• Women suffrage
• Old-age pensions
• Railroad/Bank regulations

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Minor ( Third) Parties
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Other Terms to Know

• Partisan
• Bipartisan
• Platform
• Caucus
• Coalition
• Interest Group
• Lobbyist
• Check for definitions in Magruders text