POLITICAL PARTIES

I. ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES

A. Political party – group of citizens who want to influence/control government by getting their members elected to office

B. Five Roles of Political Parties1.Nominate candidates for public office2.Influence policy

• Should support the party’s platform – statement of the party’s official stand on major public issues

3.Unite government• Links members at different levels of

government

4.Create balance• Minority party works to make sure their voice

is heard

5.Inform citizens

II. HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES

A.First political party = Federalists1.Led by Alexander Hamilton2.Supported a strong national

government3.Power declined in the early 1800s

B.Rival to Federalists = Democratic-Republicans1.Led by Thomas Jefferson2.Opposed strong national government3.Turned into Democratic Party in 1828

C.1820s: Democrats replaced Democratic-Republicans

D.1834: Whig party replaced the Federalists

E.1854: Current 2-party system emerged1.Republican Party replaced the Whigs

• Formed by groups opposed to slavery• Abraham Lincoln = 1st Republican president

• Was the majority party until the 1930s2.1932: Election of Franklin Roosevelt shifted

power back to the Democrats

III. ROLE OF THIRD PARTIES

A.Usually emerge during electionsB.Rarely win major elections but

can change the outcome• 2000: Ralph Nader won many votes

that likely cost Al Gore the election

C.Can bring up new ideas• 1992: Ross Perot focused on the

national debt causing other candidates to talk about the problem

D.Famous Third Party candidates• 1860: Abraham Lincoln• 1912: Teddy Roosevelt

IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF TODAY’S PARTIES

A.Party organization• Have local, state and national organizations

B.Maintaining party strength1.System of patronage – system

in which party leaders perform favors for loyal supporters of the party

2.Help candidates campaign

3.Voter loyaltya. Some vote a straight ticket – ballot

cast for all the candidates of one party

b. Some vote a split ticket –voting for candidates of more than one party on the same ballot

c. Some are independent voters – people who don’t support a particular political party

• Highest among young voters

PARTY IDENTIFICATION IN THE US, 1952 – 2000

YEAR DEMOCRATS INDEPENDENTS

REPUBLICANS

1952 48.6% 23.3% 28.1%

1956 45.3 24.4 30.3

1960 46.4 23.4 30.2

1964 52.2 23.0 24.8

1968 46.0 29.5 24.5

1972 41.0 35.2 23.8

1976 40.2 36.8 23.0

1980 41.7 35.3 23.0

1984 37.7 34.8 27.6

1988 35.7 36.3 28.0

1992 35.8 38.7 25.5

1996 39.3 32.9 27.8

2000 34.8 41.0 24.2

V. CHOOSING CANDIDATES

A.Nominating candidates1.Self-nomination – declaring that

you are running for office2.Write-in candidate – one who

asks voters to write his /her name on the ballot

B.Caucus- meeting of party leaders to discuss issues or to choose candidates

C. Primaries1.Direct primary – an election in which

voters of a political party choose candidates to run for office for that party

2.Closed primary – voter must be registered as a party member and may vote only in that party’s primary

3.Open primary – voter doesn’t need to declare a party before voting but they may vote only in one party’s primary

D. Choosing presidential candidates

1.Paying for a campaigna. Most $ comes from individual

donations• Individuals may contribute $2,000

to each candidate/election

b. Public financing – government will match individual donations to a candidate

2.Choosing delegatesa. Through a presidential

preference primary electionb. Or through a statewide caucus

or convention process

3.National conventionsa. Held by political parties in

presidential election yearsb. Officially choose candidates

who then give acceptance speeches