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National Parties

National Parties. A two party system?. How about 106!. Traditionally decentralized parties. Most elections state and local Election laws state laws Grassroots tradition. Republican Party of San Diego. State party Board of directors; national committeemen County level organization

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National Parties

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  1. National Parties

  2. A two party system? How about 106!

  3. Traditionally decentralized parties • Most elections state and local • Election laws state laws • Grassroots tradition

  4. Republican Party of San Diego • State party • Board of directors; national committeemen • County level organization • Elected officeholders automatically part of county committee • Other county committee members elected by assembly districts • Local Clubs • Donor clubs with extra access

  5. State/Local Party functions today Service organizations to candidates • Help with fundraising • Providing voter lists, computers, consultants to candidates • Run training seminars • Finance polls • Organize coordinated campaigns

  6. State/Local Party functions today • Service organizations to candidates • Recruit candidates • Coordinated Campaigning • Register voters • Canvass voters • Turn out voters (GOTV)

  7. State parties’ differences • Different legal environments because of: • Election laws • Primary type • Campaign finance • Redistricting procedures • So: Different organizational strength • Number of volunteers • Money raised • Ability of different partisan actors to select and influence candidates • And so: Different ideology

  8. Three levels of national party organization • National Committee • Democratic National Committee (DNC) • Republican National Committee (RNC) • Senate Campaign Committees • National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) • House Campaign Committees • National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) • Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, or D-Triple-C, or D-Trip)

  9. National Committee Organization • Republicans: • 150 members • Man, woman, and state chair from each state • Democrats • Chair and other-sex leader from each state • 200 members allocated to states based on population and Democratic support • Plus Reps from Governor’s association, conference of Democratic mayors, Young Democrats...

  10. National Committee Functions • Call, site, and run the national presidential nominating convention • Run the party’s presidential campaign • Research • Polls • GOTV coordination • Formulate statements of policy • Raise money; pay debts from last campaign

  11. Congressional Committee Organizations • Chair elected by Democratic/Republican caucus of members of the House/Senate

  12. Congressional Committee Functions Help raise money and provide services for: • incumbents’ reelection campaigns • promising potential members • Candidates in competitive districts!

  13. Congressional Committee Functions Types of money and services: • Finding/hiring staff • Finding/hiring consultants • Radio and tv ad production facilities • Research • Polling • Fundraising help; recruiting big names for candidates’ own fundraisers • Some direct contributions • Some independent spending

  14. Other party organizations • College/Youth organizations • Governors’ Associations

  15. The evolving relationship between state and national parties

  16. Historically powerful local/state parties • Parties run campaigns • Parties select candidates • Local party machines • Provide social services (particularly to immigrants) • Dispense patronage • Rig elections • If you want to be governor, who do you go to?

  17. State parties affected by rise of candidate-centered politics • Arose because of: • Civil service reforms • Primary election laws • Professionalization of the Congress • States/federal gov’t provide social services • One man one vote decisions (1964) • Reynolds v. Sims (state leg) • Wesberry v. Sanders (US House) • Television • Weakened local parties (both cause and effect!) • If you want to be governor, who do you go to?

  18. Nationalizing trends • Stronger national government • Congress regulates more of the economy • More national issues • People move around more, carry party labels with them • Changes in campaign technology

  19. Centralization of party power as deliberate strategy • Republicans: • Raise a lot of small contributions through mail • Fund and service state parties • To rebuild after Watergate • Democrats: • Rules changes force state parties to adopt national procedures • To disassociate party from segregationists • Service to candidates comes in the 1980s

  20. Effects of nationalization • A lot of effort in just a few races • More national infrastructure; voter lists, etc. • “Lessened the decentralization of the party organizations”

  21. The 50-state strategy

  22. Where is the power in the party?

  23. What are the merits of very decentralized (state/local) parties? • What are the merits of highly centralized (nationalized) parties? • What do you think of the trends toward nationalization/centralization in both parties?

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