1. Unit 1: Introduction
Ware pgs. 1-6 and D/W pgs. 3-10

2. Course Logistics: Information
Course syllabus, handouts, etc. can all be found on the course website:
NOTE: URL is case sensitive
My office hours and location
M/W 2:30-3:30 in SSB 445

3. Course Logistics: Objectives
Introduce students to the study of political parties and party systems in comparative perspective.
Thematic Concepts:
1) Formation of political parties
2) Role of political parties
3) Evolving function of parties and consequences for democracy
4) Political parties and party system structure.

4. Course Logistics: Course Grading
Participation -10%
Game Report -30%
Midterm Examination -30%
Final Examination -30%

5. Course Logistics: Participation
We will generally open each lecture with a discussion of current events that tie into the material being presented.
I’ll try to tweet articles prior to lecture.
Twitter: ofse77
If you find something interesting, please feel free to forward it to me.
Economist, Financial Times, BBC News are all great resources.
Some useful URLs are listed on the syllabus.

6. Course Logistics: Papers
Game Report
There will be four games played in class; you must write on ONE of these games.
Games connect to central logic of course readings.
Whether you ‘win” or “lose’ in the games is irrelevant.
Objective: see how the logic detailed in the readings works in practice.
Reports should be 4-5 pgs. in length.
Will be due one week after the game is played in class.
Plan accordingly to avoid having two papers due in one week.
Midterm/Final Examination
Prompt will be distributed in class.
Midterm may deal with subjects associated with the games.
Examinations should be 5-7 pgs. in length.
Late papers/ attachments are NOT accepted without valid documentation.

7. Course Logistics: Readings
Dalton and Wattenberg. Parties without Partisans.
Mueller and Strom. Policy, Office, or Votes?
Ware. Political Parties and Party Systems
Reserve readings (electronic reserves).
In general, read Ware chapters first.
Ware: Read section A; skim section B based on interest.
Readings are extensive; necessary for course assignments.
Although the reading level is nothing compared to what you will do in your graduate studies.
You cannot do well on course assignments without doing the reading.
If you cannot commit to doing the reading you should not commit to taking the course.
URL on syllabus for strategies for tackling academic readings.
Hint: Read for the general idea/argument.

8. Guiding Questions What are political parties?
What are interest groups?
Why do we care about political parties?
What do political parties do?
Are political parties in decline? A.

9. What Are Political Parties?
Several authors posit various criteria including:
1) bring people together for the purpose of exercising power within the state.
2) seek to use legitimate means for pursuing their ends.
3) will contest elections where able.
4) seek to represent more than a single interest in society.
5) group people with similar beliefs, values, attitudes.

10. What Are Political Parties?
Ware 1996
Political parties:
1) seek influence in a state often by attempting to occupy positions in government
2) usually consist of more than a single interest in society and to some degree attempt to ‘aggregate interests’

11. Political Parties vs. Interest Groups
1) primarily interested in advancing a single interest or set of interests within a polity.
2) organized outside of the state; seek to influence governments but generally. do not put forth candidates for office.
Both political parties and interest groups are involved in interest articulation (expressing citizen wants and needs).
Only political parties are interested in interest aggregation (combining citizen wants/needs to create coherent policy).

12. Political Parties: Why Do We Care?
Political parties exist in most states regardless of regime type.
Where parties are suppressed, their absence is generally temporary.
Parties play a critical role in democratic systems.
Bryce (1921): “parties are inevitable: no free country has been without them; and no one has shown how representative government could work without them”
Schattschneider (1942): “modern democracy is unthinkable save in terms of political parties”
Aldrich (1995): “political parties lie at the heart of American politics”
Muller (2000): “European democracies are not only parliamentary democracies but also party democracies”

13. Political Parties: Functions
If we buy the idea that political parties are crucial for the functioning of democracy, what do they do?
Key (1964) identified three functions that political parties serve:
Parties as Organizations
Parties in Government
Parties in the Electorate

14. Parties as Organizations
1) Recruit political leadership
2) Train political elites
3) Articulate political interests
4) Aggregate political interests

15. Parties in Government Parties in government-
1) Create governmental majorities.
2) Organize government.
3) Implement policy objectives.
4) Organize dissent and opposition.
5) Ensure governmental responsibility.
6) Control administration of government and promote stability.

16. Parties in the Electorate
1) Simplify choices for voters.
2) Educate citizens.
3) Generate symbols of identification and loyalty.
4) Mobilize participation

17. Are Parties in Decline?
It is often stated that political parties are in decline.
Lower rates of party membership
Weaker turnout numbers
Rise of interest groups and social movements arguably threaten the central role of party in terms of interest aggregation (parties as organizations).
Declining levels of partisan identification weaken central role of party in fostering party loyalty and education voters (parties in the electorate).
Parties seem dominant in terms of dictating policy (parties in government).
Political parties as institutions are very responsive to change.
Some argue that political parties have responded by insulating themselves from political backlash
Others argue this opens the door to extreme parties.

18. Next Unit
Theme:
Evolution and Development of Political Parties-Cadre Parties
Readings:
Aldrich, LaPalombara and Weiner, Neumann, Duverger
Evolution and Development of Political Parties-Mass and Catch All Parties
Kirchheimer, Epstein, Pizzorno