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Political Parties
Chapter 5
Parties and What They Do
• “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”– Vince Lombardi
• “If you aren’t cheating, then you aren’t trying.”– Anonymous
What is a party?
• A group of people who seek to control government through winning elections and holding public office– Like minded – Similar goals– Joined together on common principle
• Want to bring about the adoption of public policy
2 Major Parties – “Big Tent”
• Republicans– Conservative– Closer ties to business– Personal
Responsibility– Limited Government– 2 schools of thought
• Western – limited gov’t• Southern – moral
issues
• Democrats– Liberal– Free Enterprise– Civil Liberties– Equal Rights /
Opportunities– Big Government– Progressivism
Major Parties
• NOT issue oriented
• Election oriented– Each major party is a coalition – Many, many, many, many, different ideologies
What do parties do?
• Political parties serve as a vital link between citizens and government
• Modify and compromise opposing views
• Soften the impact of extremists
Nominating Function
• Brining forth their cream of the crop to run for office
• The one function that sets them apart
Informer-Stimulator
• Inform and stimulate votes
• “Educational” process
• Prove their side is right / Provide some doubt in the opposition
“Seal of Approval”
• Grants approval to candidates
• Tries to ensure good performance from its candidates
Governmental Function
• Government is organized on party lines
• Serve as channels of communication– Executive Legislative – Legislative Executive
• Informal amendments
Watchdog Function
• “Throw the rascals out”
• “The loyal opposition”
• Watchdogs of the opposing side
• Watchdogs of themselves
2 Party System
• Minor party – less widely supported (list in section 4)– Too idealistic? Not broad enough?
• The two major parties dominate American politics
Reasons
• The Historical Basis:– The framers were opposed to parties– The ratification of the Constitution saw the
creation of parties– Unavoidable?
Force of Tradition
• Because there has always been one (TPS)– “In other words, America has a two-party
system because America has a two-party system.”
Electoral System
• Winner take all elections
• The winning candidate has a plurality (more votes)
• Is a vote for a minor candidate a wasted one?
• Let’s find out!
Electoral System
• Considered lucky if you make it on a handful of the national ballots
Ideological Consensus
• Americans: same ideals, principles, patterns of belief (most)
• There is a general agreement on fundamental matters
• America is free of disagreements that plague other societies
• Is the political struggle one of personality or one of competing ideas?
• “Middle of the road”
Multiparty Systems
• Argument for: it’s a more representative sample– Voters would now have a “real choice”
• Majority may become a forgotten concept
• Coalition of power
One-Party Systems
• Dictatorships – only one party is allowed– No contrasting views
• Similar things have happened in America
Party Membership
• Parents affiliation
• Major events in history – Wars, depressions
• Higher income groups – GOP
• Lower income – Dems
• Other Factors:– Education, residence, work environment, etc.
Section 5: The Organization of Political Parties
• Both major parties are highly decentralized and fragmented
The Reality of Political Parties
• There is no chain of command in federalism– Local parties are more often independent
Role of the Presidency
• The President’s party is most often more organized– He is the leader of his party, asserts this in
various ways
• No one of the other party is comparable to the President– A loose mix of personalities
The Impact of Federalism
• Half a million elected offices in U.S.
• Major parties are highly decentralized– Main goal is to win seats, be in control
The Role of the Nominating Process
• Candidate selection is an intraparty process
• This process can be highly divisive – Causes fragmentation
National Party Machinery
• 4 Elements drive the national party– National Convention– National Committee– National Chairperson– Congressional Campaign Committees
National Convention
• Meets in the Summer of every Presidential election year– Nominate presidential and vice presidential
candidates– Also, party rules and writing of platform
National Committee
• Most of its work centers on the Convention
• Party’s affairs are handled by this committee between conventions
National Chairperson
• Head of national committee
• Work to strengthen the party in various ways:– Raise money– Promote unity– New voters– Prepare for next election
Congressional Campaign Committee
• Work to reelect incumbents
• Also take a hand to unseat incumbents of other parties
• Chosen by colleagues for 2 years
State and Local Machinery
• State:– Built around state central committee and its
chair– Work to further the party within the state
• Unity, funds, find candidates
– Fragmentation
State and Local Machinery
• Local:– Mostly inactive except for the months
surrounding election time• Ward – unit into which towns are divided for
election of city council• Precinct – voters that report to an individual polling
place» Breakdown can be as small as city blocks
– Many “insignificant” offices to be filled on local level
Three Elements of Party
• 1. Punch
• 2. Snacks
• 3. Music and Games
Three Elements of Party
• 1. The party organization
• 2. The party in the electorate
• 3. The party in government
Future of Major Parties
• Period of decline and split interest– Party identification– Split-ticket voting– Reforms (conflict and disorganization)– Technology of campaigning– Single issue organization growth
• The rise of PAC’s