Quick Survey

1
Quick Survey

• Do you agree or disagree with the following
• Parties do more to confuse the issues than to
  provide a clear choice on issues.
• The best way to vote is to pick a candidate
  regardless of party label.
• It would be better if we put no party labels on
  the ballot at all.

2
The Definition of Party

• organizations that recruit and sponsor candidates
  for public office under the organization's name.
  
• The aim of parties is to establish control of
  government at a particular level.

3
Functions of Parties

• organized critique of the party in power
• a choice of leaders and programs
• recruit and nominate electoral candidates
• Provide cues to voters
• Mobilize voters

4
Characteristics of the American Party System

• Federalism ? highly fragmented and localism
  parties
• most elections are at local level
• 50 state party organizations governed by state,
  not national, laws
• National party only during presidential elections
• New Deal Coalition- farmers, labor, blacks, and
  south?

5
The Democratic Parties

• Democratic National Committee
• Senate Democratic caucus, House Democratic Caucus
• NY Democratic Party
• NY Assembly Democratic Caucus
• NY Senate Democratic Caucus
• Saratoga County Democratic party
• Saratoga Springs Democratic party

6
Nominating Candidates
7
Primary General Elections
Primary Election ? Intraparty, nomination General
Election ? Interparty, election
Democratic Primary
Republican Primary
General Election
8
Two Party Duopoly
9
How Many Political Parties?
10
Why 2 Parties?
Duvergers Law
Plurality Rule ? 2 Parties Proportional
Representation ? Multiple Parties
2000 Election Dem 48.3 Rep 48.0 Green
2.6 Reform .4
Why? 1) Psychological Effect 2) Mechanical Effect
Note FEC, ballot access laws, party funding
rules, debate criteria etc.
11
2 Party System-Why

• United States
• Electoral system
• Winner take all
• Ballot access laws/campaign finance system
• France- 2 rounds
• First round, all parties participate
• Runoff election between 2 top parties

12
Single Member Simple Plurality

• SMSP System
• GOP 40 Winner
• Dem 35
• Green 25
• Proportional System
• 40 seats GOP, 35 Dem, 25 Green
• SM majority system, runoff elections
• 2nd election between GOP and Dem candidate

13
Societal Consensus

• United States--Less ideological/religious
  cleavages
• Separation of church and state
• Desirability of capitalism, free markets
• France
• Desirability of revolution
• Desirability of capitalism
• Desirability of religion
• Desirability of centralization Paris v. Regions
• Communists v. Socialists
• RPR v. Free Republic v. National Front

14
Third Parties

• Third parties rarely last
• Electoral system- wasted votes
• Main parties absorb issues
• Perot and budget deficits
• Nader and campaign finance reform?

15
Evolution of Parties

• Up until 1952, parties dominate American politics
  
• Party workers mobilize voters
• Dominate citizens conceptions of politics
• But are weakening in face of progressive reforms

16
Demise of Parties

• Civil service reform
• Nonpartisan local elections, reliance on
  experts
• The new intelligent and independent voter
• Changes in technology

17
Rise of Consultants

• Polling Al DAmato
• Direct Mail fundraising
• TV advertising
• Change from politics dominated by parties to one
  dominated by technology and consultants
• Capital not labor intensive

18
Rise of Consultants

• Polling
• Direct Mail fundraising
• TV advertising
• Capital intensive

19
Party Identification

• Democratic dominance gives way to Independents
• More split-ticket voting and divided government

20
Declining Party Identification
21
Who are the Partisans?

• Democrats
• Minorities esp. blacks
• Least and most educated
• Lowest income
• Northeast
• Single and female
• Unionized
• Jewish and nonreligious
• Liberal

• Republicans
• White
• Higher incomes
• Married with children
• South
• Male
• Protestant and religious
• Conservative

22
Emerging Democratic Majority

• economic, demographic, and ideological changes
  favor national Democratic majority