Political Parties

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Political Parties

• Functions

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Political Parties

• Today many Americans take pride in their status
  as independent voters
• Some see parties as lacking a vision for the
  country

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Political Parties

• Since many people think that each of the major
  parties only cares about defeating or humiliating
  the other, they avoid identification as a loyal
  Democrat or a staunch Republican

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Political Parties

• These negative attitudes toward parties are
  rooted in the roles that political parties play
  in American politics

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Political Parties

• In most democracies political parties are
  important institutions that link citizens to
  their government

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Political Parties

• The founders of the U.S. political system hoped
  to avoid the mischief of political factions
  when they envisioned a government with enough
  points of influence to make parties necessary

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Political Parties

• James Madison reflected this in Federalist 10
• Political factions are necessary evils to be
  controlled by federalism and separation of powers

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Political Parties

• Founders still believed that political parties
  such as those that dominated British politics
  could and should be avoided at all costs

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Political Parties

• Political parties appeared almost as soon as the
  new government was created with their origins in
  the disagreements between two of Washingtons
  cabinet members
• Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton

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What are the functions of political parties in
the American political system?
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Functions of Parties

• (1) Connecting citizens to their government
• (2) Running candidates for political office
• (3) Informing the public
• (4) Organizing the government

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Connecting Citizens to their Gov

• Parties are one of several linkage institutions
• Connect people in a large democracy to the
  government

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Connecting Citizens to their Gov

• In any country with a population large enough to
  form a representative democracy, institutions
  that link people to government are a necessity

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Connecting Citizens to their Gov

• Party ideology and organization increase
  political efficacy
• Helps citizens to make sense of government
  decision processes makes people feel that
  government listens to them

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Connecting Citizens to their Gov

• Modern linkage institutions include
• Interest Groups
• Media
• Elections
• Political Parties

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Running Candidates for Political Office

• Parties pick policymakers and run campaigns
• Most elected officials (local, state, national
  level) run as nominees of a major political party

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Running Candidates for Political Office

• Whereas wealth certainly helps, most candidates
  rely on the party organization to coordinate
  fund their political campaigns

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Informing the Public

• Parties articulate policies
• Give cues to voters

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Informing the Public

• Although both major parties are by necessity
  broadly based, they each convey an image
  endorse policies that help voters decide which
  candidates to support

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Organizing the Government

• Parties often coordinate government policymaking
  that would be more fragmented among the three
  branches the local, state, and federal levels

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Organizing the Government

• Informal relationships between officials in
  different parts of government but with similar
  partisan ties can make policymaking go more
  smoothly

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Review Questions

• In Federalist 10, what system did James Madison
  advocate in order to control factions?
• What are the 4 functions of American political
  parties?