Reminders/Updates Mid-Term Grades will be turned in by Thursday morning. I will not accept take home tests after Wednesday 12 midnight. Two tests will

Parties Help Organize Government

Congress: political party with most votes in each house will:

1. elect officers (party leaders) 2. select chairpersons for

committees 3. party has a majority of

members in all standing committees.

Copyright 2006 Prentice Hall

The Party That Controls White House…

Selects officials such as: cabinet members federal judges justices of supreme court


This creates the Spoils System: Loyalty to your party at whatever

cost!

Civil Service System

Party: Policy and Opposition

Party will translate preferences into policy once their candidate/s have won.If the party loses, it provides for loyal opposition. How? Honeymoon (1st 100 days for newly elected pres.) policies are constantly challenged.



The Nomination of Candidates

Closed Primary System

Only registered members of the party are allowed to

vote in the primaryOpen Primary SystemVoters are allowed to participate in the primary election without

declaring membership in a party.In Texas: March

Last year many Republicans voted for Hillary Clinton

Party Convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on

matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for

public office

Texas: 2008 PrimaryTwo Ballots (Dem. or Rep.)Polls closed at 7:00 p.m. and you could vote again when you attended the caucus at your precinctPrecinct chair and secretary were chosen by majorityGroup divided into two; each group selected % of people to attend county convention. (formula)30 days later (County Convention held at TAMIU); at this convention you voted for delegates to attend the state convention in AustinState Convention (select delegates to go to national conv.)National Convention (delegates vote for the official nominee to run against opposing party) for president…


$$$$$$$: War ChestSoft MoneyPolitical Parties would raise unlimited amountsWho gave? Individuals, labor unions, corp., etc..2003-2004 (BCRA by McCain & Fiengold /Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) made soft money illegal at the federal level.

Hard MoneyUnder BCRA: contributions for individuals went up from 1,000 to 2,000.The maximum in an election cycle to a candidate or party by an individual up from 50,000 to 95,000.Unlimited (out of pocket)

(Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. Federal Elections Commission)


2008 Contributions

Obama744 millionIndividual (656,357,601)PACsParty

McCain346 millionIndividual (199,404,373)PACsParty



Minor Parties: Persistence and Frustration

Libertarian Party: 34 million raised 2008 election

Green Party

Reform Party

Brief History of Political Parties


Hamilton vs. Jefferson

Political parties first emerged when followers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagreed over major issues on the Constitution and government. Jefferson’s group took the name Democratic-Republicans. Due to experience with Britain, they feared a powerful central government. They wanted the states to hold greater power.Hamilton championed a strong national government with a powerful chief executive. His followers called themselves Federalists, after those who supported the Constitution.

Realignment Elections

Turning points that define the agenda of politicsThere is intense voter involvementThere is a unique disruption of the traditional voting patternsThere is a formation of a new and durable electoral grouping/s




Twentieth-Century Third-Party Presidential Votes


The 2000, 2002, 2004,2006 Elections: Into the New Century

2000

50-50 partisan tie in the Senate, slim Republican majority in House and contested presidential

vote count

2002

President’s party gained seats in the House and

Senate

2004

Bush reelected and his party picked up seats in

Senate and House

2006Democrats win majority in both House

and Senate2009

Democrats hold majority in House, Senate & President

Let us revisit the power of committees…

scsoal.pdf

Committee on Appropriations.doc



Parties as Institutions

National party leadership

(meets every 4 yrs.)

Party platforms

Parties at the state and local levels



Parties in the Electorate

Party Registration

The act of declaring party affiliation;

required by some states when

registering to vote

Party Activists

Party Regulars

Candidate Activists

Issue Activists

BOTAS AND GUARACHES.docxpatronformat this article to print.docxFS_08_primary_summary.pdf


Following The Party LineA one-party system cannot exist in a democracy. There is no choice of candidates in the elections. Opposition parties are usually banned.Communist China, Cuba, and North Korea operate under one-party systems. One-party systems may be based on other ideologies such as religion. Iran's Islamic Republican Party has established a Muslim state. This type of religion-based government is called a theocracy.

Communist Party Congress, China

Currently…Salaries (Justices & Congress) Why

the Pens?The table below shows the current Justices of the Supreme Court.docNews.docx WASHINGTON.doc


Video Clip (Christian Coalition)


Documents

Reminders/Updates Mid-Term Grades will be turned in by Thursday morning. I will not accept take home tests after Wednesday 12 midnight. Two tests will