Political Parties

Now Chapter 8

Political Parties

• Political Parties are organizations that recruit, nominate, and elect party members to office in order to gain control of the government.

• Today there are two major parties: Republican and Democratic

Defining the Political Party

• 1st Run candidates under their own label, or affiliation.

• 2nd Political parties run a candidate to gain political control.

• 3rd Political parties have broad concerns and focus on many issues/ ex) Platform

• 4th Political parties are quasi-public organizations with special relationships to the government.

Political Parties

• They have stopped segregating and now embrace diversity.

• They provide structure for grass root people to get involved in politics.

• At the local level political parties can fundraise, promote activities, and recruit candidates.

• Brings groups together to support issues.• They also make sure the political machine is

running smoothly by having majority and minority parties work together.

• Promote voting and civic duty.

• Responsible party model- Political scientists view that the function of a party is to offer a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances different from those of rival parties.

The Three Faces of Parties

• Party in the Electorate-individuals who identify with or tend to support a party

• 1. Measuring the party in the electorate

• 2. Determining who belongs to each political party

• 3. Differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Measuring Electorate

• Party identifier- individuals who identify with or tend to support a party.

• Independent- often used as a synonym for an unaffiliated.

Determining who belongs

• See the chart on pg 285

Differences

• We can trace the ideology back to the Great Depression between 1929 and 1939

• Democrats were for expanding the government role and civil rights. Today it is focused on Gay rights, Abortion, and Environmental issues.

• Republicans were for a smaller government at the time but today they believe in government involvement in regulating traditional morals.

• Modern time for choosing a party were based on the war in Iraq.

Party Organization

• The formal party apparatus, including committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers.

• County and local parties are loosely organized.• Every four years the national parties meet in a

convention to determine their party’s nominee for president.

• DNC and RNC• National chair tends to be the party’s pick for president• If the parties chair is not selected then they usually

become a loyal opposition.• Loyal opposition- a role that the party out of power

plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the government in power

State Parties

• State parties are made up a few people from the surrounding counties.

• At one time they selected the Senators for the state to rep them in DC.

• Buckley v. Valeo• The ruling on this case created soft money

loophole, meaning the party can raise unlimited funds for party building activities.

• The Bipartisan Campaign Reform act of 2002 end this process.

County and Local Parties

• They are the foot soldiers/ Grassroots

• They are the ones that hit the streets and get campaign funds, recruit candidates, and mobilize voters.

The Party in Government

• The partisan identifications of elected leaders in local, county, state, and federal government.

• In most towns the President of the city council hails from a major political group.

• Other positions are awarded to people by the majority party.

• State legislatures are organized around political parties.

• Federal level the President rewards his closest followers with cabinet positions.

Divided Government

• There are checks put on the majority party by the minority party.

• Divided government- the situation that exist when congress is controlled by one party and the president is in the other party.

• President Clinton and Bush

Political Parties in US History

• Party System- the categorization of the number and competitiveness of political parties in a policy.

• First parties- Federalist and Anti- Federalist.

First Party System 1789-1828• Washington opposed political parties but Alexander

Hamilton the Treasure rounded up a small group and made the Federalist who favored a strong national gov.

• Thomas Jefferson, Washington’s first secretary opposed the Federalist and but stuck it out for the term to support the new gov.

• Adams won the election against Jefferson in 1796 but beat him in 1800 by building a strong bases for his Anti-Federalist that supported strong state governments.

• The Jeffersonian-republicans later known as the Democratic republicans which turned into the modern day democrats

• Era of Good Feelings- Madison, Monroe, John Q. Adams

The Second Party System 1828-1860

• 1828 dissension among the Jeffersonian Republicans occurred.

• Andrew Jackson separated from the party and created the Jacksonian Democrats.

• They espoused populism- which supporting the rights of the masses as they opposed the elite and the spoil system- which is the practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs.

• People mobilized and put Jackson in the Presidency. More than 1 million Americans came out to vote.

The Second Party System 1828-1860

• Jackson extended voting rights to all white males.

• Changing it to the popular vote, instead of state legislation voting.

• Women's suffrage expanded under Jackson as well at Seneca Falls.

• Southern Plantation owners and Northern Industrialist became concerned with the Democrats and formed a new party to oppose them the Whig party. Harrison and Taylor

Third Party System 1860-1896

• The rise of the Republicans• Slavery became the main issue between Whigs and

Democrats.• The Whigs were split on the slavery issue thus those

against formed the GOP( Grand Old Party) which is the Republicans.

• Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican President.• After that the Republicans gained massive support

from the new African American voters.• Even though there were restriction in the South the

Republicans of the North experienced success.• The Party of Lincoln would have success for decades

Political Machines

• Big City organizations that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly reward supporters.

• They were headed by “bosses” and party leaders.

• Patronage- system in which party leader rewards political supporters with jobs or gov. contracts in exchange for support.

• Ex: Richard Croker and William Tweed/ Tammany Hall.

Fourth Party System 1896-1932• Republican Dominance• William Jennings vs. William McKinley• McKinley won because of the backing of industry.

Teddy Roosevelt replaced him after McKinley was assassinated.

• Roosevelt ran as an Progressive to limit the political boss power and have reform.

• The Republicans split between Taft regular Republicans and Roosevelt's progressive, thus Woodrow Wilson won the Presidency for the Democrats.

• Wilson actually enacted many of the Progressive ideals and was elected for two terms and then the Republicans regain control through the 1920’s.

Fifth Party System 1932-1968Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for his new program

called the New Deal.This was possible through the New Deal Coalition.

Catholics, African Americans, Blue collar workers, and women gave FDR the Presidency four times.

Truman took over after FDRs death and then was elected on his own.

Republican D. Eisenhower won the Presidencyin 1952 and then in 1956.Then JFK and LBJ held the presidency through the

1960’s which was in havoc with Vietnam and the rights movement.

New Party System• Between 1968-2008. Republicans held the Presidency

all but for Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 and Bill Clinton 1993-2001

• The dominance the Republican Party can be attributed to the Southern Whites. This population use to vote for Democrats but switched.

• Intense party competition (ex: 2000 election)• Dealignment: third party identification• Ticket Splitting• Candidate committees- org. that candidates make to

support themselves.

Two Party System• Historically many public issues have been two

sided

• The electoral system encourages a two party structure.

• Individuals are socialized to belong to one of the two parties thus the two party system continues.

• Election laws favor the two political parties.

Party’s Over

• Some believe political party support is dying do to its no longer a civil patronage and reward their followers.

• Social welfare programs are to blame as well.• Primary elections- Candidates are no longer in

debt to fulfill parties obligations because the voters choose now.

• Media• Candidate Centered Campaigns

Party’s Just Begun

• Record breaking turnouts

• Two party system still in full force

• Both parties have survived trials and tribulations.

Third Parties

• These parties are usually supported by people that are frustrated with the two dominating parties.

• Data has been showing that are a growing number of Americans siding with third parties.

• 2000 election and Ralph Nader because he took 3% if the votes

• 1912 election Wilson and Roosevelt

Types of Third parties

• Issue advocacy parties: Green party- environment issues

• Ideologically oriented parties: Libertarian Party- the gov. should not interfere with individuals social, political, and economic rights.

• Splinter party: The Dixicart party