1. Political Parties Why are we relegated to a two- party system?

2. Parties- Here & Abroad Definition- a party is a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the electorate. (AKA- party identification) Parties are not mentioned in the Constitution.

3. Arenas of politics in which political parties exist: 1) Label 2) Organization, recruiting and campaigning for candidates. 3) Set of leaders, organize and try to control the legislative and executive branches. (linkage institution)

4. What Parties Do for Democracy Party Functions Organize the Competition Unify the Electorate Inspire and Inform Voters Translate Preferences into Policy Provide Loyal Opposition Organize Government Help Govern Act as Watchdogs Nominate Candidates Ensure Candidate Quality

5. The Two-Party System Rarity among nations today. Why does it exist in America? 1) Electoral system- winner-take-all system and plurality system limit the number of parties. 2) Opinions of voters- if one is failing we try the other for a little while 3) State laws make it very difficult for third parties to get on the ballot.

6. Party Systems Multiparty  Coalition government is necessary  Minor parties have an incentive to persevere  Proportional representation  Governments tend toward instability Two party Winner-takes-all system “Wasted vote” syndrome discourages minor parties Government tends toward stability Policy change is incremental The U.S. is a two-party system; most other democracies have a multiparty system

7. Party Systems Although the United States has many minor parties, only the two major parties have much of a chance to win elections. Multiparty systems are almost always found in countries that have a parliamentary government, in contrast to our presidential system. Barriers to Minor-Party Success Tradition Consensus History

8. The Rise and Fall of Parties Founding fathers disliked parties, viewing them as factions (especially George Washington). Earliest parties were a mix of heterogeneous coalitions put together to try to win elections

9. 1st Battle Jefferson - Jeffersonian Republicans Hamilton- Federalists They were loose associations (caucuses) of political notables. Republicans dominated - Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe

10. The Political Machine Definition- a party organization that recruits members via tangible incentives. Prevalent in the US until early 1900s. It has been curbed by civil service reform, voter registration, and social services being taken over by the federal and state government.

11. Weakening of Political Parties Federalism decentralizes power. Parties organized at all levels and do not communicate well. ***ALL politics are LOCAL***** Candidates are chosen through primaries not by party leaders.

12. Caucus v. Primary A caucus is a much more involved process than a primary. Due to this, only the most dedicated partisans attend. This leads to some of the most ideological candidates (more extreme) winning or doing very well in the caucus.

14. Today’s Party Structure Parties are very similar on paper. National convention has ultimate power. Meets every 4 years to nominate the presidential candidate. National committee is composed of delegates from states; they manage the affairs between conventions. National Chair manages daily work.

15. National Conventions National committee sets the time and place and tells each state its # of delegates and the rules for their selection. Democrats and Republicans have very different ways of awarding delegates.

16. Delegate Distribution Formulas are used by both parties to allocate their delegates to the national convention. Republicans favor the winner-take-all system in most states. This allows the process to come to a quicker conclusion.

17. SUPERDELEGATES!!!! The Democratic party prefers to allocate their delegates via proportional representation. (15% threshold) Democrats also allow elected officials, party leaders and former officeholders to pledge their support as superdelegates.

18. Are the Delegates Representative of the voter? NO!!!!! Democratic delegates are much more liberal and Republican delegates are much more conservative than your rank and file voter. Yet, people that participate in caucuses and primaries are similar ideologically to those who participate in the general election.

19. Today’s convention Today’s national convention is similar to a large pep rally for the nominee. It is used to ratify the choices made by the voters during the primary season. The party in power (executive branch) has their convention after the party seeking office holds their convention. Usually a week or two after.

20. State and Local Parties There is no hierarchal structure of political parties. Each level deals with its own issues. Ideas are not passed from national to state to local. The only thing that flows from one level to another is money.

21. Types of Political Parties Ideological- based on an agenda covering many topics. Very factionalized. Sponsored parties- created by an organization. Not very common in US.

22. Single Issue Parties Concentrate on one single issue Example: Prohibition Party in 1892

23. . Splinter Parties One that splits from one of the major political parties Examples: Tea Party or Bull Moose Party

24. 3rd Parties Never gain enough support to win an election. Factional (splinter) parties probably have the greatest influence on public policy. The BIG TWO may pay a heavy price if it fails to recognize the faction that has split from its party.

25. Marriage Proposal http://politicalhumor.about.com The two major parties are not necessarily looking to absorb the third parties. Sometimes they can hurt more than help.

26. Independent Voters? http://3rdpartyblogger.com/political-cartoons/political-cartoons-2/ Why might third parties be attractive to voters?