Political Parties

Political Party: o A team of men [and women] seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election Parties can be thought of as a three headed political giant o Party in the electorate (largest component) o Party as an organization (national convention, national committee, state organizations, & local organizations o Party in government

The Meaning of Party

The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington

The National Party Organizations o National Convention: the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the partys platform o National Committee: one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions o National Chairperson: responsible for day-to-day activities of the party

The Meaning of Party

Nomination: a partys endorsement

Tasks of the Parties

o Linkage Institution: the channels through which peoples concerns become political issues on the governments policy agenda (media, political parties, interest groups, & elections) 1. Parties Pick Candidates 2. Parties Run Campaigns 3. Parties Give Cues to Voters 4. Parties Articulate Policies 5. Parties Coordinate Policymaking

The Meaning of Party

Parties, Voters, and Policy: oRational-choice theory Assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

When askedmost reply

Republicans
Favor lower taxes Favor less domestic spending

Democrats
Favor more government programs to help the middle class and lessadvantaged Americans

The Party in the Electorate

Party image o A voters perception of what Republicans or Democrats stand for

Party identification o A citizens self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other o Republican, Democrat, or Independent (young people are the most likely to call themselves independents)

 Ticket-splitting (leads to divided government) oVoting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices oIndependents are most likely to split tickets. oNo state or race is completely safe due to split tickets.

The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington

These are the people that work for the party. Local Parties o Party Machines: a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements to win votes and to govern (popular late 19th century through the New Deal of the 1930s) o Patronage: a job, promotion or contract given for political reasons rather than merit; used by party machines

 The 50 State Party Systems oClosed primaries: Only people who have registered with the party can vote for that partys candidates. oOpen primaries: Voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote in the Democrat or Republican primary. oBlanket primaries: Voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties.

The Party in Government: Promises and Policy

Coalition: a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends Parties and politicians generally act on their campaign promises.

Most are kept, but a few become Broken Promises

LBJNot to involve the United States in the Vietnam War (but he did) ReaganPromised to balance the budget (Nope, didnt happen) BushRead my lips (but he did) ClintonPromised a tax cut for the middle class (Nope, didnt happen)

In addition to announcing the nominee at the

National Convention, platforms are written.

Party Eras in American History

Party Eras
o Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to the party in power

Critical Election
o An electoral earthquake where new issues and new coalitions emerge

Party Realignment
o The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election

Party Eras in American History

1796-1824: The First Party System o Madison warned of factions (Federalist #10) o Federalists: first political partyformed from a coalition by Hamilton to further his projects 1828-1856: Jackson and the Democrats Versus the Whigs o Modern party founded by Jackson o Whigs formed mainly to oppose Jacksonian Democrats

Party Eras in American History

1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras o Republicans rose as the antislavery party o 1896 election centered on industrialization 1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition o New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats; consisted of urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

Party Eras in American History

1968-Now: The Era of Divided Party Government o Divided government: one party controls Congress and the other controls White House o Divided government in party resulting from: Party dealignment: disengagement of people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics

Third parties: electoral contenders other than the two party parties; rarely win elections Third parties are important. o Are safety valves for popular discontent o Bring new groups and ideas into politics Two-party system o Discourages extreme views o Contributes to political ambiguity

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics

oWinner-take-all system: the system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that stateshurts third party candidates who may receive a lot of votes but not enough to win state

Who is this famous third party candidate?

Reagan Democrat is an American political term used by analysts to denote traditionally Democratic voters, especially white workingclass Northerners, who defected from their party to support Republican President Ronald Reagan in both the 1980 and 1984 elections.