American Government and Politics Today

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American Government and Politics Today

• Chapter 8
• Political Parties

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What is a Political Party?

• A group of political activists who organize to
  win elections, operate the government, and
  determine public policy
• Parties versus interest groups

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Functions of Political Parties

• Recruit candidates to run for elective offices at
  all levels of government
• Organize and run elections
• Present alternative policies to the electorate
• Bear the responsibility of operating government
  at all levels
• Provide organized opposition to the party in power

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A History of Political Parties in the United
States

• The formative years - Federalists and
  Anti-Federalists
• The era of good feelings
• National two-party rule - Democrats and Whigs
• The Civil War crisis
• The post-Civil War period
• Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion
• The Triumph of the Republicans

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A History of Political Parties (continued)

• The progressive interlude
• The New Deal era
• A period of divided government
• After 1968, the pattern was often a Republican
  president and a Democratic Congress
• The 2000 presidential election (red state/blue
  state)

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Election 1896
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Election 2004
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The Two Major U.S. Parties Today

• The parties core constituents
• Economic beliefs
• Economic convergence?
• Republican and Democratic budgets
• Democrats have the reputation of supporting the
  poor and the working class
• Republicans have the reputation of supporting the
  rich and big business

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The Two Major U.S. Parties Today (continued)

• Cultural politics
• . . . and socioeconomic status
• The regional factor in cultural politics
• In the 2004 elections, cultural issues took a
  back seat to economics and national security

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The Three Faces of a Party

• Party-in-the-electorate the people who identify
  with the party or who regularly vote for the
  candidates of the party in general elections
• Party organization
• National
• Convention delegates
• National committee
• National chairperson

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The Three Faces of a Party (continued)

• State party organization
• Local organization (at the grassroots level)
• Patronage and city machines
• Local party organizations today
• Party-in-government all of the elected and
  appointed officials of a party
• Divided government
• The limits of party unity
• Party polarization

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Why Has the Two-Party System Endured?

• Historical foundations - issues facing the young
  nation often had two sides (supporters and
  detractors of the Constitution) and this
  dichotomy supported a two-party system
• Political socialization and practical
  considerations
• The winner-take-all electoral system
• Presidential voting
• Popular election of the governors and president
• Proportional representation
• State and federal laws favoring the two parties

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The Role of Minor Parties in U.S. Politics

• Ideological third parties
• Splinter parties
• The impact of minor parties
• Influencing the major parties
• Affecting the outcome of an election

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Most Successful Third-Party Campaigns
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Mechanisms of Political Change

• Realignment a process in which a substantial
  group of voters switches party allegiance,
  producing a long-term change in the political
  landscape
• The myth of dominance
• The myth of predictability
• Is realignment still possible?
• Dealignment a major drop-off in party loyalty
• Independent voters
• Not-so-independent voters
• Tipping - in Massachusetts or California

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Party Identification 1937-Present
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Questions for Critical Thinking

• Do democratic governments need political parties?
  If a democratic government has political parties,
  will the structure always be a two-party system?
• What factors influence how many political parties
  will exist?
• Is party identification a major factor for voters
  in presidential elections?

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Questions for Critical Thinking

• Why is it difficult for independent candidates or
  minor party candidates to get elected to
  Congress?
• What inferences can be made about the voting
  population through the closely divided elections
  of 2000 and 2004?