Political Parties Chapter 5

Parties and What They Do Section One

A political party is a group of people who try to control government by winning elections and holding public offices. The United States’ two major parties are the Republicans and the Democrats. Political parties help link the people and their wishes to government action. Parties also help unify people by finding compromise among contending views.

Political parties perform five major functions: First, they nominate candidates for public office. Parties present these candidates to the voters and then gather support for them. Second, parties inform the people and inspire them to participate in public affairs. Third, political parties help ensure that their candidates and officeholders are qualified and of good character.

Fourth, political parties have governing responsibilities Fourth, political parties have governing responsibilities. Congress and State legislatures are organized along party lines. They conduct much of their business based on partisanship, or firm allegiance to a political party. Fifth, parties act as watchdogs over the conduct of government. The party out of power keeps an especially close eye on the policies and behavior of the party in power, or the party that controls the executive branch.

The Two-Party System Section 2

In the United States, there is a two-party system, which means that two major political parties dominate politics. It does not mean, however, that only two parties exist. Minor parties, or those without wide support, also exist. The first two American political parties arose during the ratification of the Constitution. This two-party system has lasted throughout our history.

Several factors have made the two-party system last: First, there is tradition. The two-party system remains because it has always been. Second, the electoral system in the United States tends to favor a two-party system. For most elections, voters see only two viable choices: the party in power, or the party with the best chance to defeat the current party in power. Most voters tend not to vote for minor party candidates, who are unlikely to win.

Third, much of U.S. election law is created by Republicans and Democrats together and tends to make it more difficult for minor parties. Lastly, there exists a general agreement on fundamental matters among most Americans. The majority of voters in the U.S. can find a place for their political views within one of the major parties and so there is little need for several parties.

The Two-Party System in American History Section 3

Debate over the Constitution’s ratification caused two sides—the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists—to form. These became the first two political parties. The Federalists believed in a stronger central government and a liberal interpretation of the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists wanted a very limited government and favored a much more strict interpretation of the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, soon became known as the Democratic-Republican Party, and in 1828 became known simply as the Democratic Party.

There have been four major eras in American history during which one party dominated national politics: From 1800 to 1860, the Democrats held power. The Federalist Party disappeared altogether by 1816. By the mid-1820s, the Democrats had split into many factions, or dissenting groups. In 1854 the Republican Party was formed and drew support from many of the factions within the Democratic Party. In 1860, the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, was elected and the Republicans controlled national politics from 1860 to 1932.

The Great Depression brought about the return to dominance of the Democrats. From 1932 to 1968, they controlled national politics. A new era began in 1968 with the election of Republican President Richard Nixon. From 1968 until 2000, neither party entirely dominated politics. During that time, while one party held the White House, the other controlled Congress in part or as a whole. From 2000-2006, both the Congress and the Presidency were controlled by the Republican Party. From 2008-2010 Congress and the Presidency were controlled by Democrats. Since 2010, the Republicans have controlled Congress while Democrats have held the presidency.

The Minor Parties Section Four

Minor parties are those political parties other than the two major parties in a two-party system. Four types of minor parties have played a role in American politics. Ideological parties are based on certain social, economic, or political ideas. They do not often win elections, but they remain active for a long time. Single-issue parties focus on one public policy matter. They fade away after the issue has been resolved or people lose interest. Sometimes they are able to get one of the major parties to take on their issue.

Economic protest parties appear during tough financial times Economic protest parties appear during tough financial times. They criticize the economic actions and plans of the major parties. Most of the important minor parties in American politics have been splinter parties—parties that have broken away from one of the major parties. Usually they have a strong leader who did not win a major party’s nomination.

Although most Americans do not support them, minor parties still have an impact on politics and on the major parties. The minor parties’ members act as critics and innovators, drawing attention to otherwise neglected or controversial issues. Strong third-party candidates can also play the “spoiler” role in elections. This means that they pull votes away from one of the major parties, weakening that party’s ability to win an election.

Party Organization Section Five

The major parties are decentralized, or fragmented The major parties are decentralized, or fragmented. At the national level, the party machinery has four basic elements: the national convention that nominates the party’s candidates, the national committee that runs the party’s affairs between conventions, the national chairperson who heads the national committee, and congressional campaign committees that work to elect party members to Congress.

From the perspective of its members, a party has three basic and loosely connected parts. The party organization consists of the party machinery’s leaders. The party in the electorate refers to those followers who usually vote for the party’s candidates. The party in government describes the party’s officeholders.

At the State and local levels, party structure is largely set by State law. At the State level, a central committee is headed by a chairperson. Local party structure varies widely, with a party unit for each district in which elections are held. The districts include congressional and legislative districts, counties, cities and towns, wards, and precincts. A ward is a small unit of a city; a precinct is a subdivision of a ward. Political parties have been in decline since the 1960s. More and more voters regard themselves as independents. Also, split-ticket voting, or voting for candidates of different parties in the same election, has increased.