Title: American Political Parties
1American Political Parties
2What are Political Parties?
- A political party is a group of voters,
activists, candidates, and office holders who
identify with a party label. - Parties recruit and run candidates for public
office under the party label. - Parties try to organize and coordinate the
activities of government officials under the
party name.
3The Role of Political Parties in a Democracy
- Many political scientists believe that parties
are essential to democracy. - The political party is seen by some as the main
instrument of popular sovereignty and majority
rule. - Parties provide a way for the people to keep
elected officials responsive and responsible
through competitive elections.
4Parties and Majority Rule
- Parties mobilizing activities contribute to
democracy by educating people about politics. - Elections create an incentive for parties to
include as many voters as possible under their
umbrella, with winning support from a majority
being the goal of each party. - Parties try to broaden their appeal by running
candidates from many ethnic, racial, and
religious groups.
5The Two-Party System
- Most nations have either one-party systems or
multiparty systems. - Most Western democracies have multiparty systems.
- But two parties have dominated the political
scene in the United States since 1836.
6Why Only 2 American Parties?
- Winner-take-all electoral system
- Legislative seats are awarded only to first place
finishers in each district. - Institutional rules
- Congress and State legislatures provide no power
base for minor parties.
7The Evolution of American Party Democracy
- Hamilton and Jefferson, as heads of the
Federalist and Anti-Federalist groups
respectively, are often considered 'fathers' of
the modern party system. - By 1800, this country had a party system with two
major parties that has remained relatively stable
ever since.
8Democrats and Republicans
- From the presidential elections of 1860 to the
present, the same two major parties have
contested elections in the United States - Democrats
- Republicans.
9Republicans
- 1854 Anti-slave activists met in Ripon, WI
- 1854 Republicans first met in Jackson., MI.
The name emphasizes a connection to the
Democratic-Republican Party. - 1856 John Fremont was first presidential
candidate of a national Republican Party. - 1860 Lincoln is the first Republican elected
President as Republicans replace Whig Party as
one of the 2 major national parties.
10The Elephant (11/7/1884)
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12Democrats
- 1792 Thomas Jefferson organized opposition to
Federalists - 1798 Officially named the Democratic-Republican
Party - 1824 4-way split among D-R
- 1832 Reunification of Democrats under Andrew
Jackson presidency. Jacksonian Democrats - 1844 Officially re-named the Democratic Party
- 1848 Democratic National Committee established.
13The Tiger
14The Donkey Appears (1/19/1870)
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16What the party symbols mean.
- To A Republican
- Elephant dignified, strong, intelligent
- Donkey stubborn, silly, ridiculous
- To A Democrat
- Elephant bungling, stupid, pompous
- Donkey humble, smart, courageous, lovable
17History of Party Competition
- 1860 -1876 -- Republican Dominance
- 1876 -1896 -- Competitive Republican
- 1896 -1932 -- Republican Dominance
- 1932 -1952 -- Democratic Dominance
- 1952 -1968 -- Competitive Democrat
- 1970 - 2000 -- Neither party dominant
- 2004 - Start of Republican domination?
- 2006 Looking toward a competitive 2008?
18Realignments and Critical Elections
- Each period begins with a critical election, a
landslide by one party. - 1860, 1896, 1932, ???
- Each critical election leads to permanent
realignment of voter preferences - Cycle of dominance - about 40 years
- 1860 to 1896
- 1896 to 1932
- 1932 to 1968
19Modern Politics Wither the Realignment?
- Weve actually been waiting for the realignment
to follow 1932 for about 30 years. - We live in a de-aligned world. Party is not as
important a cue to voting as it once was.
20The Roles of American Parties
- The two party system has been used to resolve
political and social conflicts. - Mobilizing Support and Gathering Power
- A Force for Stability
- Unity, Linkage, Accountability
- The Electioneering Function
- Party as a Voting and Issue Cue
- Policy Formulation and Promotion
213 Views of the Political Party
- Party as Organization
- Party in Government
- Party in the Electorate
22The Party in Government
- The Congressional Party
- The Presidential Party
- The Parties and the Judiciary
- The Parties in State Local Government
23The Party-In-The-Electorate
- The party-in-the-electorate is the mass of
potential voters who identify with specific
party. - American voters often identify with a specific
party, but rarely formally belong to it.
24Third Parties in America
25- Historical Parties
- American Independence
- Progressives
- Bull Moose
- Free Soil
- Anti-Masons
- Socialist
- Contemporary Parties
- Libertarian Party
- Green Party
- Reform Party
- American Nazi
- Socialist Labor
- Socialist Worker
- American Constitutional
26Third Parties Their Impact on American Politics
- Rarely win elections. Rarely last long.
- But, they bring new groups and people into
politics who often stay involved. - Two-party system discourages extreme views.
27Third Parties Electoral Impact
- Minor parties are not a threat to the two major
parties today (although they may influence who
wins). - Only eight third parties have won any electoral
votes in a presidential contest. - The third parties that have had some success
(aside from Ralph Nader in 2000) include
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29Impact of 3rd Parties on Issues
- Prohibition (Prohibition Party)
- Womens Right to Vote (Prohibition Socialist
Parties) - Immigration Restrictions (Populist Party)
- Child Labor (Socialist Party)
- 40 Hour Work Week (Populist Socialist Parties)
- Progressive Income Tax (Populist Socialist
Parties) - Social Security (Socialist Party)
- Crime Control (American Independence Party)
30The Republicans as a 3rd Party
- Of course, despite modest electoral successes and
policy impact via adoption, most third parties
aspire to share or hold power. - Some make it. The Republicans did not start as a
major party but became the beneficiary of the
1850s battle over slavery between Whig and
Democratic Parties.
31Q How do our parties enhance democracy and
government effectiveness?
- Four Answers
- The responsible party model
- The retrospective voting model
- The median voter model
- Overcoming the separation of powers
32Proposals to improve the parties
- Make the party elements stronger
- Strengthen ties between elements of the parties
- More power to the party centers more
hierarchical - Make better ties to the public party sentiments
strengthened in the public.
33Critics Reactions to Party Reform
- Parties are already too strong increases public
discontent. - Proposals to strengthen parties are by those who
want big govt.