Chapter 16: Political Parties

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Chapter 16 Political Parties

• Political Party a group of people who organize
  to win elections, control government, and thereby
  influence government policies
• There are numerous types of political parties
• 1. One Party System the party is effectively
  the government. All government agencies are
  controlled by one party and all govt. power is
  consolidated into the hands of that party. Exp.
  China, N. Korea.
• Some one party systems are religious based.
  This is called a theocracy. Exp. Iran.
• 2. Multi-Party System Nations that allow more
  than one political party have a multi-party
  system. In a multi-party system the different
  parties are usually based on ideologies.
• 3. Two Party SystemsOnly about 12-15 nations
  have this sort of system. Two parties dominate
  the political process. Exp. The United States
  and United Kingdom.

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• Growth of American Parties
• Americas two party system grew from our
  British colonial origins of the Whig party and
  the Tory party.
• The founding fathers initially factions
  because they felt there were harmful to national
  unity. President Washington warned against the
  rise of political partied in 1797.
• There were initially two major American
  Political Parties
• 1. Federalist
• 2. Democratic-Republican
• The Federalist party splintered around 1814,
  and the Democratic-Republican Party became the
  Democratic Party.
• 1828, the Democratic Party split in half over
  regional issues and Andrew Jackson. One half
  split into the Whig party.
• By the time of the Civil War the current two
  party system that we have today came into being.
• 1. Democratic Party
• 2. Republican Party

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• The Republican Party began as a third party in
  1856, but Abraham Lincoln was elected President
  due to a split in the Democratic Party over
  slavery.
• 1860 Election
• Candidate Party Electoral
  Popular
• Abraham Lincoln, Republican 180
  1,867,198
• J. C. Breckinridge, Democrat 72
  854,248
• John Bell, Constitutional Union 39
  591,658
• Stephen A. Douglas, Democrat 12
  1,379,434
• Parties since the Great Depression and WWII
• 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt won the Presidency,
  and he and his Vice President Harry Truman
  controlled the White House for 24 years. The
  Democratic Party controlled one or both Houses of
  Congress until 1994.

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• The Role of Minor Parties
• The two major parties dominate American
  politics but minor parties will sometimes make a
  difference in an election or on an issue
• Third Party any party other than the major two
  parties.
• There are different types of third parties
• 1. Single Issue Parties focuses exclusively
  on one major social, economic, or moral issue.
  Single Issue parties generally fade away after
  the issue is resolved or fades from public
  interest. Exp. 1840s Liberty Party (abolition of
  slavery)
• 2. Ideological Party Focuses on overall
  changes in society rather than a single issue.
  Exp. The Socialist Labor Party or Communist Party
  USA.
• 3. Splinter Party splits away from one of the
  major parties because of some disagreement. Exp.
  1912 Theodore Roosevelt broke away from the GOP
  to form the Progressive, or Bull Moose Party.
  Splinter parties typically fade away if they can
  not gain voters attention.

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• The Impact of Third Parties
• Although third parties rarely win elections
  they can influence the outcome of elections.
  Exp. Teddy Roosevelts Bull Moose Party took
  enough votes from the GOP that Democrat Woodrow
  Wilson was elected President. (chart pg. 456)
• Obstacles to Third Parties
• Not automatically on ballot
• U.S. elections are based on single-member
  districts which hurt third party candidates.
• Single-member Districts electoral district
  where regardless of how many candidates there
  are, only one will win. winner take all.
• Proportional Representation several officials
  are elected to represent voters in an area.
  Offices are filled in proportion to how many
  votes a party receives.

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• Local Party Organization
• Precinct basic local party unit. A voting
  district ranging from a few voters to more than
  1000.
• Precinct Captain volunteer who organizes party
  workers to distribute information about the
  partys candidates.
• Ward several adjoining precincts.
• Each county party will select a county
  chairperson. The chairperson is the head of the
  party in the county and holds rank in the state
  party organization.
• County and local political parties rely on
  volunteers to make them work.

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Section 3 Nominating Candidates

• How Candidates are Selected
• caucus
• nominating convention
• Primary Conventions
• Direct Primary
• Closed Primary
• Open Primary