Political Parties Chapter 8

Party Battle Party Competition: battle of the parties for control of public offices. Ups and Downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American politics. A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office.

Party View: Three Aspects Party in the electorate: party image, identification, ticket splitting-Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices Independents are most likely to split tickets. No state or race is completely safe due to split tickets. (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

Party View: Three Aspects Party as an organization: national office, staff, rules, budget—win elections Party in Government: elected officials

Party Duties Parties Pick Candidates: nominations Parties Run Campaigns: party organizations Parties provide specific info to Voters: party affiliation—party principles Parties Articulate Policies: advocate/voice party platforms Parties Coordinate Policymaking: partisanship

Rational-choice Theory A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives. (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.) 1. voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by government 2. parties want to win office

Rational-choice Theory (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

PRINCETON, NJ -- Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

As has been the case each year since 1992, very few Americans define themselves at the extremes of the political spectrum. Just 9% call themselves "very conservative" and 5% "very liberal." The vast majority of self-described liberals and conservatives identify with the unmodified form of their chosen label. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Party-Based Ideology There is an important distinction in the respective ideological compositions of the Republican and Democratic Parties. While a solid majority of Republicans are on the same page -- 73% call themselves conservative -- Democrats are more of a mixture. The major division among Democrats is between self-defined moderates (40%) and liberals (38%). However, an additional 22% of Democrats consider themselves conservative, much higher than the 3% of Republicans identifying as liberal. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Party-Based Ideology True to their nonpartisan tendencies, close to half of political independents -- 45% -- describe their political views as "moderate." Among the rest, the balance of views is tilted more heavily to the right than to the left: 34% are conservative, while 20% are liberal. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Gallup trends show a slight increase since 2008 in the percentages of all three party groups calling themselves "conservative," which accounts for the three percentage-point increase among the public at large. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Thus far in 2009, Gallup has found an average of 36% of Americans considering themselves Democratic, 28% Republican, and 37% independent. When independents are pressed to say which party they lean toward, 51% of Americans identify as Democrats, 39% as Republicans, and only 9% as pure independents. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

Still, conservatism outweighs liberalism among both genders. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/conservatives-single-largest-ideological-group.aspx

As reported last week on Gallup As reported last week on Gallup.com, women are more likely than men to be Democratic in their political orientation. Along the same lines, women are more likely than men to be ideologically "moderate" and "liberal," and less likely to be "conservative." http://www.gallup.com/poll/120839/Women-Likely-Democrats-Regardless-Age.aspx

Party-Based Ideology: End Results Although the terms may mean different things to different people, Americans readily peg themselves, politically, into one of five categories along the conservative-to-liberal spectrum. At present, large minorities describe their views as either moderate or conservative -- with conservatives the larger group -- whereas only about one in five consider themselves liberal. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120839/Women-Likely-Democrats-Regardless-Age.aspx

Party-Based Ideology: End Results While these figures have shown little change over the past decade, the nation appears to be slightly more polarized than it was in the early 1990s. Compared with the 1992-1994 period, the percentage of moderates has declined from 42% to 35%, while the percentages of conservatives and liberals are up slightly -- from 38% to 40% for conservatives and a larger 17% to 21% movement for liberals. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120839/Women-Likely-Democrats-Regardless-Age.aspx

Primaries Closed primaries: Only people who have registered with the party can vote for that party’s candidates. Open primaries: Voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote in the Democrat or Republican primary. Blanket primaries: Voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties. State parties are better organized in terms of headquarters and budgets than they used to be. (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

Party Organizations National Convention: the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the party’s platform National Committee: one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions National Chairperson: responsible for day-to-day activities of the party (Government in America 14th Ed. 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.)

The Party in Government: Promises and Policy Party members actually elected to government Which party controls government has policy consequences. Coalition: a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends Parties and politicians generally act on their campaign promises.

The Party in Government: Promises and Policy

Party Eras in American History Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to the party in power Critical Election An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions emerge Party Realignment The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election

Party Eras in American History 1796-1824: The First Party System Madison warned of “factions” Federalists: first political party 1828-1856: Jackson and the Democrats Versus the Whigs Modern party founded by Jackson Whigs formed mainly to oppose Jacksonian Democrats

Party Eras in American History 1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras Republicans rose as the antislavery party 1896 election centered on industrialization 1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats; consisted of urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

Party Eras in American History

Party Eras in American History 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government Divided government: one party controls Congress and the other controls White House Divided government due in party to: Party dealignment: disengagement of people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

Party Eras in American History

Party Eras in American History

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics Third parties: electoral contenders other than the two party parties; rarely win elections Third parties are important. Are “safety valves” for popular discontent Bring new groups and ideas into politics Two-party system Discourages extreme views Contributes to political ambiguity

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics Multiparty Systems in Other Countries Winner-take-all system: legislative seats awarded only to first place finishers Proportional Representation: legislative seats awarded based on votes received by the party - more votes, more seats Coalition Government: two or more parties join to form a majority in a national legislature

Understanding Political Parties Democracy and Responsible Party Government Responsible Party Model 1. Parties have distinct comprehensive programs. 2. Candidates are committed to the program. 3. The majority party must carry out its program. 4. The majority party must accept responsibility. American political parties fall short of these conditions. No mechanism for party discipline

Understanding Political Parties American Political Parties and the Scope of Government Lack of uniformity keeps government small Big programs like Health Care (1994) fail But also makes cutting government programs difficult Individuals focus on getting more from government for their own constituents

Understanding Political Parties Is the Party Over? Political parties are no longer main source of information for voters; media are Yet parties will play an important but diminished role in American politics State and national party organizations have become more visible and active Majority of people still identify with a party

Summary Parties are a pervasive linkage institution in American politics. Party in electorate, government, and as organization America has a two-party system. The decentralized nature of political parties makes major change difficult and encourages individualism in politics.