Title: Political Parties and Interest Groups
1Political Parties and Interest Groups
2Linkage Institutions
- Political Parties
- Interest Groups
- Mass Media
- All Promote United States Democracy by Linking
Citizens to the Political Process
3Political Parties
4Definition of Purpose
- Group of individuals who seek to control
government by sponsoring candidates for public
office - Elect People to Office
- Gain control of Government
- Political Parties and the Constitution
- The issue of political parties is not addressed
in the Constitution
5Functions
- Nominators
- Policy Makers linkage institution
- Organizers of government machinery
- Informers
- Approvers
- Watchdogs
6Party Systems
- One party authoritarian, dictatorship, Solid
South - Two Party US, historical, third parties have
challenges - Multiparty Some European nations, contributes
to coalitions, often unstable due to no clear
majority
7Party Structure
- Membership
- Party in the electorate
- Party Structure
- Party in Government
8Party Structure
- Party Leader
- Party in the White House
- Barack Obama is the leader of the Democratic
Party - Republican leader?
- Highest ranking Republican in Congress
- Nominee for 2016
- Chair of RNC
9National Structure
- National Chairperson
- National Committee
- Handle convention, party affairs
- Congressional Campaign Committee
- Work to get party members elected to Congress
- Control decision making
- Coattail Effect
- Who elects President if no candidate wins
majority in Electoral College? - National Convention
- Purpose write/adopt platform, nominate
President and Vice-President
10Other Characteristics
- Federalism Parties are DECENTRALIZED!
- Separate and Largely Independent Party
Organizations Exists at National, State and Local
Levels - Intraparty rivalry is real
- State and Local Parties purpose is to get party
members elected to state and local positions in
government
11Moderation
- Attract as many voters as possible
- Nominate a moderate candidate
- Presidential Elections have become more focused
on individual candidates - Platforms historically are not distinctly
different - Since early 1980s, Republican Party platform has
been increasingly influenced by Evangelical
Christians - Democratic Party platform becoming increasingly
influenced by minority groups (2012 Election-
Hispanic Groups, Women)
12Are political parties becoming extinct?
- Increase in the number of independents
- Split ticket voting is increasing
- Rising use of technology
- Media and independent expenditures
- Interest groups influence has increased
13Persistence of Political Parties
- Electoral College Single-Member District
Electoral System - Domination of the Legislature by Two Political
Parties - Funding is still high
- Party unity score is high
- Partisanship still the best indicator of how
someone will vote
14Third Parties (Minor Parties)
- Challenges
- Rep and Dem control the process therefore the
minor parties are left out - Wasted Vote in the Mind of the Voter
- Excluded from the Political Process
- Funding
- Debates
- Electoral College
- Influence
- Force issues
- Ross Perot and budget deficit in 1990s
15Third Parties (Minor Parties)
Candidate Election Year Party Popular Vote Electoral Vote
Fillmore 1856 Know Nothings 22 8
Breckinridge 1860 Secessionist 18 72
T. Roosevelt 1912 Bull Moose 27 88
LaFolette 1924 Progressive 17 13
Wallace 1968 American Independent 14 46
Perot 1992 United We Stand 19 0
16Types of Third Parties
- Bolter or Splinter
- Doctrinal (Ideological)
- Economic Protest
- Single Issue
17Third Parties Splinter Parties
- Separates from major party
- Progressive Party in 1912 (R)
- American Independent in 1968 (D)
18Third Parties Ideological
- Reject prevailing attitudes/beliefs
- favor a more active government
- Socialist Party
19Third Parties Economic Protest
- Creation based on economic crisis or policy
- Greenback Party
20Third Parties Single Issue
- Formed to promote ONE issue
- Right to Life Party (pro-life)
- Prohibition Party
21Minor Parties
- Q What tends to happen to single issue parties?
- A Issues may get picked up and their reason for
existence is eliminated - Q Which type of minor party has been the most
successful in winning votes? - A Splinter
- Q Which type of minor party has been the longest
lived? - A Ideological
22Failure of Alternative Parties
- No viable national campaign
- Limited fundraising
- Institutional obstacles
- Single member voting district
- Winner take all system in electoral college
23What about the Tea Party Movement?
- http//www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id6408472nta
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24Realigning Elections
- Critical Elections are Most Associated with Party
Realignment - When groups of voters have changed their
traditional patters of party loyalties
25Dealignment Movement in Which Voters Abandon
Both Parties
- Factors less and less identifying with the major
parties (1/3 independent) - Effects on Campaigns
- Moderate stance
- Target independent or swing voters
- Focus on issues that will differentiate party
- As elections become more candidate-centered,
political parties become less important. - No one party dominates. The country is evenly
divided. - Voters are more cynical about politics.
- Citizens increasingly engage in split-ticket
voting
26Interest Groups
27Definition
- Groups of individuals or businesses who have a
common goal of making the political system change
policy which in turn benefits members. - Focus? Influence public policy
28Types of Interest Groups
- Economic - NAM
- Business - Farm Bureau
- Increased in number most substantially since the
mid-1970s - Ideological - Christian Coalition
- Public Interest - Public Citizen Inc.
- Foreign Policy - Pro-Israel Groups
- Government - National Governors Assn.
- Professional - ABA, AMA, NEA, etc.
- Use caution, names can be deceiving
29Functions of Interest Groups
- Stimulate interest
- Represent members
- Means of participation
- Provide data
- Collective action or grass roots efforts
- Checks and balances watchdogs
- Coalition Building- Interest Groups can Join
Together to Increase Influence
30How do Interest Groups Provide Data to Government?
- Lobbying
- Publicity
- Litigation (class action lawsuits, amicus curaie
briefs with Supreme Court) - Sway Regulations
- Electioneering
31What is lobbying?
- The communicating of ideas or beliefs about
government to a government policy maker.
Objective is to influence public policy. - Qualifications?
- Common backgrounds? Former elected officials,
lawyers, PR, journalists - Job responsibilities? Paperwork, testify,
grassroots efforts, media, endorsements,
providing legislators with information on
technical issues (the most significant!)
32What are the Criticisms of Interest Groups?
- Special Interests
- Too much influence in relation to size
- How many are actually represented?
- Dont represent the views of those that they
claim - Corruption
- Pluralist system violates the majority
- Poor arent represented
33What is the Role of the PAC?
- Political Action Committee
- Political arm of an association- campaign
contributions to gain access to legislators - Effects? (incumbents?)
- Regulated by the FEC
- Federal Election Commission
34What is a Sub-Government or Iron Triangle?
35Differences Between Political Parties and
Interest Groups
- Election
- Policy Generalist- Represent a Broad Array of
Issues
- Issue
- Do Not Nominate
- Policy Specialist- More Likely to Focus on Narrow
Set of Issues
36Recap Interest Groups
- Lobbying
- Litigation
- grassroots