POLITICAL PARTIES

1
POLITICAL PARTIES
2
Political Parties

• A group of people who seek to control government
  through the winning of elections and the holding
  of public office in order to achieve common
  political goals.

3
(No Transcript)
4
Political partys characteristics

• Shared Beliefs
• Must have the same political philosophy/goals.
  Basically, there will be a difference of opinion.
• Program
• That will translate their beliefs into law once
  they have obtained political office.
• Chance of Success
• Must have a REALISTIC chance of winning an
  election or implementing its programs.

5
(No Transcript)
6
5 functions

• Nominating Function
• The major function is to select and present
  candidates to the voters.
• Parties are the best way to concentrate support,
  recruit and sell a candidate.
• Informer Function
• Keeps the people informed and attempts to create
  interest in public affairs
• Bonding Agent Function
• monitors the qualifications, performance of its
  candidates and office holders by making sure they
  are both qualified and of good character.

7
5 functions, cont.

• Government Function
• Government in the U.S. may be described as
  government by the Party.
• Watch-dog Function
• Main function of the Party out of power.
• criticizes the policies and behavior of the
  controlling Party
• makes the "ins" more responsive to the people.

8
Why a Two-party System?

• Historical Basis
• started that way
• Tradition
• what weve always had

9
Why a Two-party System?, cont.

• The Electoral System
• Single-member district
• Most prominent feature in support of current
  system.
• Where only one candidate is chosen by the voters
  to each office.
• The winner is the candidate with a plurality
  (largest Number) of votes.
• Election Law
• It is more difficult and expensive for 3rd
  parties to be listed on the ballots.

10
Why a Two-party System?, cont.

• American Ideological Consensus
• The American people pretty much share the same
  ideals and basic principles.

11
Multi-Party Alternative

• much more representative form
• there is more of a choice to be made.
• Parties have special interests
• tends to produce instability in government.
• The power to govern is shared among a number of
  parties.

12
(No Transcript)
13
One-Party System

• Most dictatorships allow only one-party
• actually a no-party system exists.

14
Historical Development of Political Parties

• The 1st party to appear was the Federalist Party
  (Republican Party)
• They formed around Alexander Hamilton
• formed a party of the "rich and well-born".
• the 2nd Party to appear The Anti-Federalist,
  (Democratic Party)
• formed around Thomas Jefferson in opposition to
  the Constitution.
• They were sympathetic to the "common man

15
(No Transcript)
16
History of One-Party Domination

• 4 main periods where one party regularly held the
  Presidency and usually both Houses
• The Era of the Democrats - 1800-1860
• Jeffersonian-Republicans until 1820
• By the 1850's the Democratic Party split into 2
  camps, North and South, because of the growing
  crisis over slavery

17
The Era of the Republicans - 1860-1932

• Due to the split of the Democrats, the
  Republicans dominated the next 75 years
• Born in 1854, made up of Anti-Slavery Democrats.
• It became the only party in history to make the
  Jump from 3rd party status to major party status.

18
The Return of the Democrats 1932 - 1968

• Democrats won 7/9 Presidential Elections
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, 4 terms
• Harry Truman, 1 term
• Dwight Eisenhower, 2 terms
• John Kennedy, 1 term
• Lyndon Johnson, 1 Term

19
Era of the Republican II1968 - ???

• Republicans won 7 of 10 Presidential Elections
• Republicans are making progress in traditional
  Democratic strongholds.
• Richard Nixon, 2 terms
• Gerald Ford, 2 years
• Jimmy Carter, 1 term
• Ronald Reagan, 2 terms
• George Bush, 1 term
• Bill Clinton, 2 terms
• George Bush, 2 terms

20
Party Membership

• Joining a Party is purely voluntary.
• The two major parties are broad-based.
• Each is made-up of a cross-section of society.
• certain segments do align themselves with one or
  the other more solidly.
• Democrats
• Lower income groups, Minorities, Women,
  Catholics, Jews, Labor Union members.
• Republicans
• Upper income groups, white males, Protestant, and
  the business community.
• However, never has any one group aligned
  themselves permanently or indivisibly to one
  group or the other.

21
Reasons why a person joins a Party

• Inherit party preference from our parents.
• Major events influence the selection
• Depression-against the Republicans,
• Watergate-against the Republicans,
• Vietnam-against the Democrats
• Economic Status
• Other possible factors
• age
• working environment
• geographic area of residence,
• level of education
• gender

22
Party Organization

• Both major parties appear to be "close-knit",
  united
• actually often divided over issues and are
  considered to be decentralized, fragmented.
• fight over the party's nomination.
• The incumbents party is usually more united.
• Federalism
• the governmental system is decentralized
• many powers given to many different local
  governments

23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
National Party Machinery

• 4 major elements in party structure
• The National Convention
• Meets every 4th year
• Described as the Party's national voice.
• nominates President and V.P. candidates
• Adopts Party rules
• Adopts Party platform
• Party's stand on the issues of the day
• Designed to win over votes.

27
(No Transcript)
28
National Party Machinery, cont.

• The National Committee
• Handles Party business between conventions.
• Made Up from Party members from each state.
• The National Chairperson
• Heads up the National Committee
• manages the Party HQ.
• Congressional/Senate Campaign Committees
• works to re-elect incumbents and to save seats
  that is being given up by retiring members.

29
State and Local Party Machinery

• At these levels Party structure is set by State
  law.
• At the State Level
• built around the State Central Committee.
• They are expected to further Party's interest in
  the State.
• At the Local Level
• precinct-smallest geographical unit
• This is considered to be the "life-blood of the
  Party" because it is made up of VOLUNTEERS.
• The grassroots the average voter

30
(No Transcript)
31
The Three main Elements (roles) of the Party

• The Party Organization
• All those who work to further the cause of their
  Party.
• The Party in the Electorate
• the party voters those that vote
• "straight party ticket".
• The Party in the Government
• Party's officeholders

32
Parties and the Future

• Parties are not very respected. (mixed
  emotions)
• regarded as necessary, but are closely watched
  and controlled
• Considered to be a necessary evil.
• They perform a number of necessary functions that
  the voter would not
• Not very popular today and have been on the
  decline since the 1960's due to
• voters not willing to identify with either party.
• Increase in split-ticket voting
• Political Parties are here to stay, although not
  necessarily the two we currently have.

33
Minor Parties
34

• Generally they are unsuccessful, short-lived
• Base a platform on a single issue or idea
• Although largely overlooked
• could have an impact on the political system.
• generally their ideas are borrowed by the major
  parties

35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)
37
Impact of Minor Parties

• strong 3rd party can be a "spoiler" in an
  election.
• few of the minor parties have been successful at
  the State level or at the Local level.
• More likely to be critical or innovative.
• They are willing to take a stand on controversial
  issues
• may force a major party to address the issue and
  adopt a stand.
• In 1831, a minor party (Anti-Masons)
• used a national convention to pick its nominee
  for the Presidential Election.
• The next year and ever since the major parties
  have done the same.

38
(No Transcript)
39
VOTERS AND VOTER BEHAVIOR
40
History of Voting Rights

• Marked by two long term trends
• expansion of the electorate (voting population)
• State power of extending right to vote being
  assumed by U.S. Government

41
(No Transcript)
42
History of Voting Rights, cont.

• Growth has come in stages
• 1789, right to vote restricted to white, male
  property owners over 21
• early 1800s States dropped property owners, now
  white males over 21 able to vote
• 1870-15th amendment
• States cannot deny the right to vote to anyone
  based on race/color
• former slaves

43
History of Voting Rights, cont.

• 1920, 19th amendment
• women given the right to vote
• Civil Rights Act 1957
• outlawed any form of discriminatory voter
  registration practice
• Civil Rights Act 1964
• emphasized use of an injunction to restrain
  discrimination
• court order
• violate a court order is contempt of court
  punishable by a fine or imprisonment

44
History of Voting Rights, cont.

• 1964, 24th amendment
• Poll Tax eliminated
• 1965 Voting Rights Act
• really made 15th amendment effective
• gave Federal Officers right to oversee elections
  and to help register voters
• States can make no new election laws without
  Justice Dept. clearing them
• first-known as preclearance
• 1970 Voting Rights Act
• taking Literacy Test eliminated
• 1971, 26th amendment
• reduces minimum age to 18

45
verifies qualifications Name will be added to
voter rolls county must purge these rolls every
2-4 years remove names of deceased or no longer
eligible people
46
Persons denied the right to vote

• people in mental institutions/declared mentally
  incompetent
• convicted felons
• 2-5 years after their parole date/release date
  they may reapply for voting rights , depending on
  the State

47
Voter Behavior

• Non-Voters
• in many elections more then half of registered
  voters do not vote, sometimes even less
• Ancient Greeks had a special word for their
  citizens that did not vote Idiotes

48
Why people dont vote

• some do not qualify
• mentally ill, legal aliens
• convicted felons (within their 2-5 year period)
• traveling unexpectedly
• hospitalized
• Lack of Interest
• chief excuse
• dislike candidates
• dont trust politicians
• convinced it doesnt make a difference
• too busy/no time off

49
(No Transcript)
50
(No Transcript)
51
(No Transcript)
52
(No Transcript)
53
(No Transcript)
54
(No Transcript)
55
(No Transcript)
56
(No Transcript)
57
Millions do vote, why?

• sociological factors
• income, age, occupation, education
• psychological factors
• party identification, issues

58
(No Transcript)
59
(No Transcript)
60
(No Transcript)
61
(No Transcript)
62
ELECTION PROCESS
63
(No Transcript)
64
The Nominating Process

• important because it sets limits to the amount of
  choices voters have
• 5 methods used
• self-announcement
• oldest form
• the caucus
• like-minded group meet to select candidates
• used mainly in local politics
• the convention
• took the place of the caucus on the national level

65
ELECTION PROCESS, cont.

• Direct Primary
• election held within a Party to pick a candidate
• closed primary-only Party members (38)
• open primary-any voter can vote (12)
• run-off primary
• no candidate received 50 of the vote/top two run
  again
• criticisms of Primaries
• voters resent declaring Party preference in
  closed primaries
• open primary voters resent voting in only one
  primary
• long ballots are typical in Primaries
• can divide Party

66
(No Transcript)
67

• Petitions
• most widely used on local level
• candidates are nominated by petitions signed by a
  certain number of voters

68
The Election

• Detailed procedure that govern the casting of
  votes for elected officials that help ensure a
  democratic way of life
• regulated by each State according to the
  Constitution of the U.S.
• when are national elections to be held?
• 1st Tuesday following the 1st Monday in November
  in even-numbered years
• also used for some State offices
• local elections are generally held the following
  Spring

69
(No Transcript)
70
Voting takes place in voting districts

• Precincts
• 500-1000 voters assigned to a polling place where
  votes are cast

71
Voting is done on a Ballot

• States require their choices to be secret
• Australian Ballot (1856)
• 4 features
• printed at public expense (taxes)
• lists all candidates eligible in your State
• given only at polls/1 per voter
• marked in secret
• office-group ballot
• candidates grouped together by office in random
  order
• encourages split-ticket voting
• party-column ballot
• candidates listed by Party
• politicians prefer this method
• encourages straight-ticket voting

72
(No Transcript)
73
Bedsheet Ballots

• Lengthy, lists so many candidates, offices
• too many non-policy making offices
• clerks, coroners, tax-collector
• confusing to voters
• Solution
• elect only policy-makers
• appoint all others
• sample ballots available before elections
• mailed to voters
• appear in newspapers

74
(No Transcript)
75
Voting machines/innovations

• 1st voting machine
• 1892-Thomas Edison
• typical machine serves as its own booth
• does away with ballot mutilation, fraud, counting
  errors
• no one counts the votes
• Electronic Machines
• punch card ballots
• most widely used
• touch screen system

76

• On-Line Voting??
• might become widespread
• would increase participation
• more convenient
• reduce costs of elections
• does have it possible problems?
• blocked access
• hackers
• virus
• not everyone owns home PC

77
Money and elections

• Money plays a key role
• presents serious problems to democratic
  government
• acquiring/spending can corrupt political process

78
(No Transcript)
79
Regulating Campaign Finance

• Federal Election Commission (FEC)
• regulates campaign finance
• requires timely disclosure of finance data
• place limits on contributions/spending
• provides public subsidies Presidential Elections

80
(No Transcript)
81
Loopholes in the Law

• soft money
• not limited
• not reported
• contributions for Party building activities
• voter registration, mailings, ads
• hard money
• directly for the candidate
• must be reported

82
Independent Campaign spending

• no connection to a Party/candidate
• no limit on spending
• primarily used against a candidate
• Issue Ads
• deals with controversial issues without
  mentioning any names
• voters have little trouble connecting the ad with
  a candidate

83
INTEREST GROUPS
84
Interest Groups

• private organization whose members share views
  and tries to persuade people to respond to its
  members shared attitudes
• also called pressure groups because they put
  pressure on government to affect policies
• Found on all levels of government
• are most interested in influencing specific
  public policies
• Offers Americans a means of influencing U.S.
  public policy and participating in politics

85
(No Transcript)
86
(No Transcript)
87
Formation of Public Opinion

• what is it?
• attitudes of a significant number of people about
  public affairs
• matters of government
• political socialization
• process which people learn ideas and develop
  opinions
• misleading because Americans belong to many
  different groups
• the public holds many different and often
  conflicting views on nearly every public question

88
(No Transcript)
89
Mass Media

• Media is plural for medium
• a means of communication
• Media has become our most important sources of
  political information
• limitations though
• few people actually follow carefully political
  issues
• people tend to watch/read/listen to favorite
  sources rather than ones that are contrary
• Plays a large part in setting public agenda
• focus the peoples attention on specific issues
• issues that people think/talk about

90
(No Transcript)
91
Types of Interest Groups

• Formed around many issues, such as
• public interest
• works for public good
• try to represent all people on particular issues
• private interest
• pursue more narrow policies, interests

92
(No Transcript)
93
(No Transcript)
94
(No Transcript)
95
Interest Groups at work

• heavily involved with propaganda
• persuasive techniques used to influence people
• may be true/false/partly true
• group pressures are applied to all aspects of the
  public policy making process
• influence passage of a bill
• form Political Action Committees (PAC)
• try to influence Party candidates/help raise
  campaign funds
• political arm of an interest group
• engage Lobbyists to influence public policy
• pressures politicians to make certain policies
• they work within the government process

96
What Lobbyist do

• Making direct personal contact with legislators .
• Contributing money to politicians is the best way
  to ensure personal access to legislators.
• entertaining at parties, lunch, award ceremonies,
  and other events.
• campaign contributions.

97
(No Transcript)
98
(No Transcript)
99
(No Transcript)
100
(No Transcript)
101
(No Transcript)