Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and both are right. - HL Mencken “All …combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character,…are destructive of this fundamental principle [essentially, democracy],… They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill- concerted and incongruous projects of faction… Consider: Grab a copy of the reading. What are “linkage institutions”? Homework: Assignment 2 for tomorrow; guided questions due tomorrow; poll due Wed - George Washington

Unit 3 AP Government and Politics

 You've named your kids "Deduction one" and "Deduction two"  You've ever referred to the “moral fiber” of something..  You think you might remember laughing once as a kid.  You once broke loose at a party and removed your neck tie.  You call mall rent-a-cops "jack-booted thugs."  You answer to "The Man."  You argue that you need 300 handguns, in case a bear ever attacks your home.  You don't let your kids watch Sesame Street because you accuse Bert and Ernie of "sexual deviance."

 You own something that says, “Kerry for President,” and still display it.  You've ever said, "We really should call the ACLU about this."  You actually expect to collect Social Security.  You think the government should just try to reform James Holmes (the Colorado movie theater shooter).  You keep count of how many people you know in each racial or ethnic category.  Your High School Year Book goals include the words "help people."  You think the “free market” is where they hand out government cheese.

 What is a political party?  Group primarily focused on nominating and electing candidates, and controlling government  3 “arenas” in which parties operate  With/among the electorate – as a label ▪ Are they today, weaker or stronger?  Party activists and organizers – as an organization ▪ Are they today, weaker or stronger?  In making policies - governing ▪ Are they today, weaker or stronger?

 Reforms that have made parties weaker:  Australian ballot – uniform, secret ballot printed by gov.  Patronage no longer pervasive  Rise of PACs, 527 and others; parties no longer only group that can raise $$  Info on candidates more readily available, parties are not only source  More voters identify themselves as independents

 The Founding Era  1790s (post-Washington) to 1820s  Critical election = 1800  The Jacksonian Period  1820s to Civil War  Critical election = 1828  The “Golden Age”  Civil War to 1930s  Critical election = 1860  The Modern Era (Reform)  1930s to ???  Critical election = 1932

 The Founding  What were the two earliest parties based on?  How did the election of 1800 essentially signal the “beginning of the end” of this period?  How did the parties represent heterogeneous economic and regional interests?

 How was this a “democratization of democracy?”  Voting, nominating candidates, electors  Political party influence Decreased at the nat’l level Increased at the state level due to expansion of the electorate What 2 parties emerged after the election of 1828? Whigs and Democrats Gave the US the first broadly- supported two-party system

 The Civil War and Aftermath  How did slavery affect the election of 1860? ▪ Democrats, Whigs (Constitutional Union), Republicans  What was the result of the election?  Party Stability Characterized by the dominance of party organizations Era from end of Reconstruction until reforms of the Progressive Era  Political Machines Organizations that use tangible incentives such as jobs and favors to win loyalty among voters Provided upward social mobility

The Modern Era 1932 – ??? Changes in the Influence of Parties  Elections and social services changes Ballot printing, other elections duties handled by government instead of parties Roosevelt’s New Deal put social services in hands of government, not parties  Candidate-centered politics Shift to focus on candidates, their issues and character rather than on party affiliation These, and other reforms, have helped to weaken the overall influence of parties

 What triggered this “realigning election”?  Who comprised the New Deal coalition?

11.1 Party Realignment  Party realignments Dramatic shifts in partisan preference that drastically alter the political landscape Existing party affiliations subject to upheaval  Critical elections May polarize voters around new issues or personalities

Critical or Realigning Elections  What is a “critical” or “realigning” election?  sharp changes in issues, party leaders, the regional and demographic bases of power of the two parties, and structure or rules of the political system (such as voter eligibility or financing), resulting in a new political power structure that lasts for decades.  The 1800 Election – ▪ Begins the initial “fading” period of parties –Dem/Republicans victorious  The 1828 Election – ▪ Begins the Jacksonian period  The 1860 Election – ▪ Republican party emerges; Whigs disappear  The 1896 Election – ▪ Bryan and Democrats lose; new Republicans solidify ▪ Shores up the parties in certain regions of the US  The 1932 Election – ▪ Emergence of the “New Deal Coalition” ▪ Labor unions, intellectuals, farmers, seniors, white southerners, Jews, Catholics, and minorities.  The 1968 Election - ▪ Fracturing of the New Deal Democratic Coalition