1. Party Organization and Functions

2. Party Organization Party Memberships
2 Major American Parties: Republicans and Democrats
No formal requirements for membership
affiliation declared at registration

3. The Three Components of Political Parties

4. History of Political Parties
The Post-Civil War Period
The Triumph of the Republicans
The Progressive Interlude
Republicans Split
populism
The New Deal Era
Roosevelt’s Democratic coalition
An Era of Divided Government
In the years after 1968, the general pattern was often a Republican president and a Democratic Congress.
2000 Presidential Election (Red state–blue state)

5. Election 1896

6. Election 2004

7. Organization Local: Grassroots, the underestimated force
Divided by precincts, led by Precinct captain
neighboring precincts form Wards, represented at county committee
State: State Central Committee
made up of county representatives, led by state chairperson
help elect members to state government positions
National: Three Parts
National Convention: meets every four years to elect party’s candidate for POTUS
National Committee: led my national chairperson, runs party operations and raises money
Congressional campaign committee: raises money and identifies candidate to run in congressional elections

8. Party Functions

9. Party Functions Recruit candidates Educate the Public
Most important function
must be appealing, share basic ideology
Educate the Public
take positions on important issues
Frame the opposition

10. Party Functions Operate the government Dispense patronage
agendas in line with party platforms
ties together branches
Dispense patronage
jobs, appointments, contracts
The Pendleton Act (1883)

11. Party Functions The Loyal Opposition Reduce conflict
provides alternative to party in power
fights to preserve the rights of the minority
Reduce conflict
builds coalitions of interest groups
moderate policies, mass appeal

12. Nominating Candidates
Historical Methods
Caucus … still used, most notably in Iowa
National Convention
Direct Primary System
Determine votes of Convention Delegates
Closed vs. Open Primary
Caucuses vs. primaries
Criticisms:
Front loading; Image over issues

13. The National Convention
Pre-election meeting of the national party
Bound vs. Unbound delegates
Superdelegates
Determines the party’s ticket & finalizes the platform
Criticism: operates more as a pep rally than serious meeting

14. The National Convention
“There is so little news being made now at the conventions," said Jeffrey McCall, a communications professor at DePauw University. "The conventions have no real deliberations on platform issues and the VP picks are all made well in advance and have already been introduced to the public. "The main, real value for voters in watching the conventions is that they can see the candidates and hear their pitches in one place, without having to follow campaign stump speeches over many days of news coverage," McCall added. "Another benefit is for voters to see up and coming party leaders who might be influential on the political landscape in years to come."

16. Ticket splitting and voting for the opposition

17. WHY HAS THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM PERSISTED IN THE UNITED STATES?
Plurality System
Voter Opinion
State Laws
Minor Parties
Ideological
One-issue
Economic-protest
Factional