Chapter 8: Political Parties

1. Chapter 8: Political Parties

2. Political Parties and Their Functions • What is a Political Party? • Political party: an organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization’s name • Nomination: designation of as an official candidate of a political party

3. Political Parties and Their Functions • What is a Political Party? • Party Functions • Nominating candidates • Structuring voting choice • Proposing alternative government programs • Coordinating the action of government officials

4. A History of U.S. Party Politics • The Preparty Period • Parties were not mentioned in the Constitution • Parties did not exist in any recognizable form: factions were a source of concern • Factional politics grew during Washington’s presidency

5. A History of U.S. Party Politics • The First Party System: Federalists and Democratic Republicans • Election of 1796: the Federalists, led by Hamilton, faced the Democratic Republicans, led by Jefferson • Election of 1800: parties nominate candidates more systematically • Election of 1820: Federalists no longer exist; Monroe runs unopposed for presidency • Election of 1824: • J.Q. Adams loses the popular vote but wins in the House to become president • Democratic Republicans split into two parties

6. A History of U.S. Party Politics • The Second Party System: Democrats and Whigs • Election of 1828: Democratic party is formed • Parties begin holding national conventions in the 1830s • Whigs are formed in response to Andrew Jackson’s presidency in 1834; are defunct by 1856

7. A History of U.S. Party Politics • The Current Party System: Democrats and Republicans • The Republican party was formed in 1854 in opposition to slavery • Critical elections have marked the present party system • Critical Elections: elections that produced a sharp change in patterns of party loyalty among voters and lasting electoral realignment voting patterns that occurs after a critical election • The election of 1860 was the first critical election

8. A History of U.S. Party Politics • Eras of Party Dominance Since the Civil War • Election of 1860 established the two-party system • Two-party system: a political system in which two major political parties compete for control of the government; candidates from a third party have little chance of winning office • Third party candidates may be more successful at state or local level • Voters in a given region may strongly favor one party over another

9. A History of U.S. Party Politics • Eras of Party Dominance Since the Civil War • The balance between the two major parties at the national level • A Rough Balance: 1860-1894 • A Republican Majority: 1896 – 1930 • A Democratic Majority: 1932-1964 • A Rough Balance: 1968-Present • Electoral dealignment:a lessening of the importance of party loyalties in voting decisions

10. Two-Party System in American History

11. The American Two-Party System • Minor Parties in America • Types of minor parties • Bolter parties • Farmer-labor parties • Parties of ideological protest • Single-issue parties • Minor parties’ most important function: safety valve

12. The American Two-Party System • Why a Two-Party System? • The Electoral System • The Importance of the Presidency • Political socialization allows the parties to persist

13. Party Candidates forthe U.S. House in 2004

14. Candidates and Parties inthe 2004 Presidential Election

15. The American Two-Party System • Federal Basis of the Party System • Party politics on the state and local levels often functions quite differently than on the national level • Candidates win state and local offices even when the presidential candidate is defeated

16. Distribution of Party Identification

17. Party Identification by Social Groups

18. Party Ideology and Organization • Democrats and Republicans differ considerably in political ideology • Democrats spend to advance social welfare • Republicans spend on other priorities, including defense • There is a large ideological gap between activists in the two parties • Parties’ platforms are very different in both style and substance • Despite ideological differences, the parties are similar in that they are both capitalist parties that reject government ownership of the means of production

19. Party Ideology and Organization • National Party Organization • At the national level, each major party has four main organizational components • A national convention • A national committee • Congressional party conferences • Congressional campaign organizations

20. Party Ideology and Organization • National Party Organization • The role of the national committees changed during the 1970s • Democrats focused on being more inclusive in choosing convention delegates • Republicans focused on strengthening fundraising, research and service roles

21. Party Ideology and Organization • State and Local Party Organizations • Party machines were crippled by federal expansion of social services • Individual state and local organizations vary widely in strength

22. Party Ideology and Organization • American political parties are among the most decentralized in the world • Parties as organizations are becoming stronger • Still a question as to how well they link voters to government

23. Ideologies of Party Votersand Party Delegates in 2004

24. The Model ofResponsible Party Government • Four principles of responsible party government: • Parties should present clear and coherent programs to voters • Voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs • The winning party should carry out its program once in office • Voters should hold the governing party responsible at the next election for executing its program • Parties seem to be fulfilling the 1st and 3rd principles