1. POLITICAL PARTIES Ch. 5

2. 5. 1 in a nutshell: POLITICAL PARTIES
A Political Party is a group of people who try to control government by winning elections and holding public offices.
Functions:
Nominate Candidates
Inform and inspire voters
Ensure candidate quality
Help govern
Partisanship: allegiance to a political party.
Act as watchdogs
Keep an eye on the party in power.
Select and gain support for candidates for office.
Inform people about and stimulate interest in public affairs
Ensure that candidates and officeholders are qualified and of good character.
Ex: Someone believes junk food needs to have a huge tax to curb obesity. They run in the Democratic Party. What are some obstacles to them being elected?
A: Only have a small voting base, so they have a choice: 1. compromise values to get bigger voting base or 2: don’t compromise and lose.
4. Operate on partisan lines in congress and state legislatures
5. Observe and criticize operations of government, especially officials of the other party. We can see this with the Republican party now.

3. 5.2 TWO PARTY SYSTEM Why a two-party system?
Historically - Framers were opposed to political parties and did not add any provisions regarding parties. First two parties: Federalists and Anti-Federalists, before the constitution was even ratified.
Force of Tradition - We keep a two-party system because it always has been one.
Washington's Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, was a "loose constructionist," one who believed that the Constitution should be interpreted loosely. Thomas Jefferson, Washington's Secretary of State, and James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," were "strict constructionists," those who believed that the Constitution should be interpreted as it was written.

4. Is the two-party system best?
“Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.”  ~Richard Armour
“Politicians are like diapers.  They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.”  ~Author Unknown
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”  ~Plato

5. Basic structure of election process supports two party system.
Only one candidate can fill a position. This is called single member districts.
Plurality- who ever gets the most votes takes office when only one person can win.
Legislators work together (bipartisan) to discourage minor party candidates.
Getting name on ballot –regulations, procedures
only one candidate can fill position: assessor, governor, superintendent of education. This is opposed to two members taking an office.
Winner takes all. The single member district system discourages minor parties, as people will likely vote for the incumbant party or the party most likely to replace them.
Much of election law is purposely written to discourage minor parties.
For each page submitted, the person who was getting signatures must verify under oath that they personally observed the petition being signed and that they verified the identity of the person signing the petition. (In other words, you can't leave the petition on the counter of a store or posted in a public place.) Furthermore, the number of confirmed signatures usually must be around 1% of the people who voted in the last election. Even for the established parties, if they were required to use petitions to get on the ballot, it would be difficult.

6. Ex. European democracies, other emerging democracies.
Multiparty Systems
System in which several major parties and many minor ones compete for, and win, public office.
Ex. European democracies, other emerging democracies.
Multiparty System Strengths:
Broader representation
More responsive to the will of the people.
Voters would have more choice for issues and candidates

7. Multiparty Weaknesses May lead to instability
One party is unable to win majority
Officials often come from variety of parties and share power in a coalition, a working alliance of several groups to control government.
Frequent changes in party control.
Ireland has had a new government every 9 months since WWII

8. One-Party System AKA: The “No party system”
Party is usually party of the ruling group (as in dictators).
U.S. has had states in which a practical one-party system occurred.
South during Civil War –Democrat
North during Civil War –Republican
Others?
One of the majority parties regularly wins most political offices in the state.

9. REPUBLICAN vs. DEMOCRAT
Work independently to write down 5 generalizations about each party.
What are the 2 – 3 characteristics of party voters?
What are 2 – 3 issues important to them?
Lets discuss/brainstorm differences between our two major parties.
Please remember that this can be a loaded topic and emotions can run high, so keep your comments mature and civil.

11. Republican Founded in 1854, often called the GOP (Grand Old Party)
Generalizations::
Emphasize liberty; free markets and individual achievement
Supply Side Economics: Decreased taxes increases jobs
Oppose New Deal
Strong on Defense, cut taxes.
Skeptical of Global Warming
Pro-life, pro-traditional family, anti-same sex marriage, pro-gun, anti-public education (school choice), anti-immigration.
Pro-War (defense)
Voters tend to be: male, traditional families, judeo-Christian, high-income, in military.

13. Democrats Emphasize equality; sharing the wealth.
Economics – Tax the rich, more social services, minimum wage.
Support New Deal.
Pro-choice, gay rights, pro-welfare, pro-universal healthcare, pro-education, pro-immigration.
Lower defense spending.
Environmentalist: Renewable energy.
Voters tend to be academic (full-time faculty members), youth, labor (unionized), women, LGBT, African- American, Hispanic American, Jewish American, and Arab American.

14. History of Political Parties
5.3

15. First Political Parties
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
Federalists wanted to ratify constitution
Anti-federalists did not
George Washington and John Adams controlled Whitehouse. Both were Federalists.
Election of 1800
Thomas Jefferson beat incumbent John Adams
Anti-federalists became Democratic-Republicans, and later Democrats.

16. Four Eras of Political Parties
: Democrats
Small farmers, debtors, frontier pioneers, and slaveholders.
Anti-FederalistsJeffersonian RepublicansJacksonian Democrats
: Republican Party
Businesses, financial interests, farmers, laborers, and newly freed African-Americans.
Sectionalism: North was Republican, South was Democrat

17. Southerners, small farmers, labor union members, and city dwellers.
Four Eras continued
: Democrats
Southerners, small farmers, labor union members, and city dwellers.
: ???
Has not been a dominant party, and has executive is usually different party than legislative.

18. Minor Parties
5.4

19. 5.4 – The Minor Parties Four Types:
Ideological Parties: based on certain social, economic, or political ideas
Ex: Constitutionalists, Libertarians
Single-issue parties: Focus on one public policy matter. Try to get
Ex: Green Party, Pro-Life
Economic protest parties: Appear in tough economic times.
Ex: Tea Party, Greenback Party
Splinter parties: Break away from one of the major parties
Ex: Progressive Party
Greenback: 1874, opposed greenbacks

20. Assignment Focus: THE MINOR PARTIES
What type of minor party is yours? Ideological Party, Single Issue Party, Economic Protest Party, or Splinter Party? (Note: it may be two)
What political conditions inspired the creation of this party?
What is/was the platform (i.e. what issues) that this minor party brings to the table?
How does/did your party influence the Republican and Democratic parties? How did the Republican and Democrat parties respond?
Compare your party to the others!

21. Minor Parties Independent Party? Green Party Libertarians Tea Party
How much of the vote?
What kind of impact?
Platform?
Green Party
What is main issue?
Platform? Other issues?
Liberal or conservative?
Libertarians
How do they do in elections?
Tea Party
Difference from Libertarians?
Actual party?

22. Comparing the parties Issue  ideologies  parties
Pro-Gun
Republican
Libertarian, Tea Party, Independent
Pro-Laissez Faire
Pro- same-sex marriage
Democrat
Libertarian, Green Party
Pro-Choice
Green Party, Independent, Libertarians?
Feminist Movement
Progressives (Women’s suffrage), Green Party, Libertarian

24. IMPACT OF PROGRESSIVE PARTY ON DEMOCRATS
A National Health Service to include all existing government medical agencies.
Social insurance, to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled.
Farm relief.
Workers' compensation for work-related injuries.
An inheritance tax.
A Constitutional amendment to allow a Federal income tax.
Women's suffrage.
Direct election of Senators.
Primary elections for state and federal nominations.
The initiative (citizens may propose a law by petition and enact it by popular vote).
Which of the following do we have today?

25. Newest Influential Minor Party: The TEA Party
What have you heard about them?
Platform: ntract_from_America.22
Winners/Losers:
2010/2010/1103/Tea-Party-Top-10-biggest-winners-and- losers/Marco-Rubio-Florida
Will they affect the Republican party as much as the Progressive Party affected the Democrats?
What is different about the Tea Party from other parties?

26. Party Organization
5.5

27. 5.5: PARTY ORGANIZATION
 Decentralization of Political Parties
Major parties are decentralized (power is spread), fragmented, disjointed. By nature political parties have various factions and internal squabbling within.
ex. Tea Party
City and state parties are loosely tied with the national party structure.

28. NATIONAL PARTY MACHINERY aka: Answers to 5.5
There are four basic elements fundamental to party structure at the national level.
1. The National Convention “national voice”
When: Occurs the summer before a presidential election
Role: nominate the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Also adopts party rules and writes it’s platform.
2. The National Committee
When: Between conventions.
Role: Plans next convention
Committee: made up of a committeeman and woman from each state and various territories.

29. The National Chairperson
When: Chosen to a 4-year term.
Role: leader of the National Committee. Directs party headquarters, strengthens party.
In election years they are focused on convention and campaigning.
In between years are spent raising money, recruiting new voters, etc.
The Congressional Campaign Committees
When: two years, during term of congress
Role: Work to re-elect incumbents and unseat other parties incumbents.
Each party also has a campaign committee in each house of congress.
Members are chosen by colleagues as with other congressional committees.

30. 9. 2 FACTORS THAT LEAD TO DECENTRALIZATION OF PARTIES:
What does decentralization mean?
Pronounced: [dee sentrali zayshun]
to reorganize something such as a political unit so that power is shifted from a central or upper location to another less central place. FEDERAL -> STATES.
1. Federalism
Federalism in itself decentralizes political power between National, State and Local levels. It is natural that the parties striving to gain control of politics by being elected would also be spread among local and state levels.
2. The Nominating Process
When making a presidential nomination, parties must debate amongst themselves as to who will win. This primary function of parties also causes it to have inner-conflict.

31. 10. ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT IN POLITICAL PARTIES
The Presidents Party is usually more united than the opposing party.
President is the party leader, with access to media, power to make appointments and dispense favors.
The Poster Child!
The other party doesn’t have anyone in a comparable position of leadership.

32. State & Local Party Machinery
The State Organization – set by state law.
Built around State central committee headed by state chairperson.
Work to organize and unite the party around the state, although it is still decentralized.
Find candidates
Fundraise
Local Organization
Local parties can be very different, but they usually have a party unit for each district with elected offices to fill such as congressional seats, counties, cities, towns, wards, and precincts.
Wards – divide cities for the election of city council members
Precincts – smallest unit of election administration, where voters report on election day!

33. Social Components of the Party
The party organization –
leaders,
activists
and “hangers-on: - those who give $, time, skills.
The loyalists who regularly vote the straight party ticket, and others who consider themselves “members” of the party.
The party’s officeholders – elected officials, and appointed offices in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state and local governments.   

34. Split-ticket voting Many suspect two-party system is in trouble.
No party has held power for a long period of time.
Split-ticket voting: voting for candidates from different parties at different elections.
Sharp rise in independent (or minor party) voters.