Political PartiesChapter 8

How Strong are They?

Political Party Defined

Group of People

General Agreement on Issues

Main Goal is Electing Officials

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3 General Roles of Parties

• Party in the Electorate

• Party as an Organization

• Party in the Government

Big Picture Reminder• Formal Institutions

– Executive Branch– Legislative Branch– Judicial Branch

• Linkage Institutions– Media– Political Parties– Elections– Interest Groups

Party ChecklistRecruit Candidates

– Impact of PrimariesRun Campaigns

– Impact of TelevisionCue Voters

– Still #1 identifier in voting

Articulate Policy– Platforms

Coordinate Policy-Making– Partisan support

Party in the Electorate• Label

– 35%, 40%, 25%

• Rise of Independents

• Ticket Splitting

– On the rise

• Divided Government

– More often than not

– Impact

Party OrganizationFragmented and Decentralized

• National Committee

–National Convention and Platform

–National Committee and National Chairperson

RUN

Fragmented and Decentralized?

National Convention

Party OrganizationFragmented and Decentralized

• State Organization

–Some states strong, some weak

–Power in running elections

• Closed Primary

• Open Primary

• Blanket Primary

–Types of Ballots

Party OrganizationFragmented and Decentralized

• Local Organization–Party Machines

• Tweed• Daley

No longer powerful

Party in the Government• Nominate Candidates…Or Do They?

• Therefore- less dedication to the Party once elected

• Parties are still judged by performance

Do Promises and Platforms Become Policy?

Who Said This?• “I will not send American boys

to do an Asian boy’s job”• Promise to Balance the Budget

by 1984• “Read my lips—no new taxes.”

Party History

• Party Era

• Critical Election

• Party Realignment

• 1796-1824• Federalists

– New England Merchants– Advocates of a Strong Central Government– Loose Constructionists

• Jeffersonian Republicans– Farmers– States’ Rights– Strict Constructionists

Political Notables, Congressional Caucus.

First Party System

Second Party System• 1828-1846• Critical Election 1828• Democrats

– Common Man– Laissez Faire

• Whigs– Anti-Jackson– Government support for Commerce

Van Buren View of Parties

Third Party System• 1860-1928• Critical Election 1860• Democrats

– The South• Republicans

– The North

Election of 1896- New CoalitionsRepublicans- Business interest and NorthEastDemocrats- Farming Interest West and South

Fourth Party System• 1932-1964• Critical Election 1932• Democrats (New Deal

Coalition)– Urbanites, Labor Unions,

Catholics, Jews, poor, Southerners, African Americans, Intellectuals

• Republicans– Business Interests, Upper

Class

Current Party System• 1968-Present• McGovern-Frasier Commission• Divided vs. Unified Government• Party Dealignment, Party Neutrality• Floating Voters• Reagan Democrats• Current Republicans, More

Divided Government

Who is Who Today?

The Two Party System

1)Winner Take All

2)Plurality vs. Proportional voting System

Winner-Take-All vs. Proportional Systems

The state of Cougarville has 10 seats in the country’s national legislature. It also has 10 voting districts. There are five political parties vying to fill the 10seats. The following table represents how voters in each district voted for the candidates of each party. Who will actually get to represent the state?

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9District

10Total forthe State

Conservatives 35% 40% 35% 55% 50% 30% 55% 30% 25% 45% 40%

Liberals 40% 35% 20% 25% 30% 40% 20% 35% 35% 30% 31%

Reformers 20% 15% 25% 15% 10% 25% 15% 15% 20% 20% 18%

Socialists 5% 10% 15% 5% 5% 5% 10% 20% 15% 5% 9.5%

Nuts 0% 0% 5% 0% 5% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 1.5%

If the state uses winner-take-all system in each district to decide who will represent that district, how many representatives from each party will therebe? Fill in the pie-chart in the space to the right to reflect the percentage of the Cougarville delegates from each party.

Conservatives:Liberals:Reformers:Socialists:Nuts:

If the state uses the total state votes to allocate the 10 seats proportionally, how many representatives from each party will there be? Fill in the pie-chartin the space to the right to reflect the percentage of the Cougarville delegates from each party.

Conservatives:Liberals:Reformers:Socialists:Nuts:

3) Laws Preventing Third Party SuccessUnder Montana law, independent and minor-party candidates can appear on the general election ballot only if they submit the signatures of 5% of the total votes cast for the successful candidate for the same office in the last general election. A 2007 state law also added a filing fee and moved the petition deadline from June to March - more than 200 days before the election. Major-party candidates, by contrast, do not have to submit any signatures in order to appear on the primary ballot, and they appear on the general election ballot automatically when they win a primary election.

Minor Parties-Types

• Single Issue– Prohibition

• Ideological– Libertarian

• Splinter– Bull Moose, States’ Righters, American

Independents, – Anderson, Perot, Nader

Minor Parties-Role• Bring New Groups into the Electorate

• Serve as a Safety Valve

• Create New Ideas that are adopted by other one of the Big Two parties

Responsible Party Model?1. Parties Must be Distinguishable

• Are they?

2. Party Candidates must be Committed to the Program

• Incentive to be committed?

3. Majority Party Implements, Minority Party Critiques and Offers Alternatives

• Okay

4. Majority Party Accepts Accountability• Hmmm…

Don’t Dis the Parties

• Parties still active in the elections.• Still play an important role in organization—

especially of Congress.

Are Weakened, But Will Not Go AwayThe Party Is Not Over

Political Parties will Survive

Political Party Song

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