1. CHAPTER 12 POLITICAL PARTIES

2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF POLITICAL PARTIES? Political Party an organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy win elections operate the government determine policy

3. FUNCTIONS OF POLITCAL PARTIES Label Party Identification psychological attachment information shortcut Organize campaigns nominate and elect candidates fundraising and voter education mobilize voters “Running” the government organize government agenda provide loyal opposition

4. COMPARISON WITH EUROPEAN PARTIES European parties: Multiparty systems proportional representation multi-member districts coalitions Party centralism Example: French National AssemblyFrench National Assembly

5. WHY THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM? Duverger’s Law single-member districts + plurality voting plurality system discourages third parties forces broadly-based parties winner-take all system congressional districts electoral college “wasted” third party votes

6. HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES 1 st Party system (1796-1824) emergence of Republicans and Federalists

7. HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES 2 nd Party System (1824-1860) Republicans, Democrats, Whigs transition toward mass democracy

8. HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES 3 rd Party System (1860-present) 2 nd party system destroyed by slavery New Republican domination (1860-1932) era of reform primary elections nonpartisan elections patronage civil service reform strict voter registration requirements initiatives referendum elections

9. HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES Democratic domination (1932-1964) New Deal coalition Divided government (1968-present) divided government 2000-present unified and divided government New GOP dominance? New Democratic dominance?

10. THE MAJOR PARTIES Republican National Committee (RNC) Democratic National Committee (DNC) Similarities national conventions to nominate presidential candidates national committees composed of state delegates congressional campaign committees national chair manages daily work

11. THE MAJOR PARTIES: FUNDRAISING hard money soft money Independent expenditures (“dark money”) 527 groups (SuperPACs) corporate donors labor unions micro-targeting

12. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS purposes: create party platform choose a presidential candidate delegate formulas Democratic shift to North and West Republican shift to South and Southwest

13. MINOR PARTIES Ideological parties Socialist Party One-issue parties Free Soil Party Economic protest parties Populist Party Factional parties Dixiecrat

14. BIG PARTY TRENDS decline of national parties influence on state and local issues grassroots activists growing in power Tea Party polarization of party influences into regions Red states v. Blue states

15. AMERICAN PARTIES IN DECLINE Parties realigning or decaying? Why? changes in state voting procedures party ballot vs. Australian ballot split ticket vs. straight ticket voting

16. CHAPTER 13 ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS

17. CHANGES IN MODERN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS decline of party influence political technology firms direct mail/internet firms polling firms media consultants the impact of money the impact of polling

18. PRESIDENTIAL VS. CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS impact of presidential coattails has declined congressional candidates can duck responsibility differing constituencies fewer people vote in congressional elections presidential campaigns are more competitive

19. RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT creating “buzz” create time to run background may matter organization money individuals PACs federal matching funds

20. RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT strategy and themes incumbent vs. challenger inside or outside Washington establishment vs. insurgent positive or negative tone Reagan example Reagan timing: win early and often choosing voters to target

21. NOMINATING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES Contradictory party forces: selecting a candidate who can win a general election selecting a candidate who can satisfy factions and ideology of the party

22. RUNNING FOR CONGRESS malapportionment and gerrymandering Wesberry v Sanders (1964) 4th Congressional District, Illinois winning the primary ballot procedures develop personal following incumbent advantage

24. RUNNING FOR CONGRESS sophomore surge franking privileges trips home television and radio adds casework and pork barrel run for Congress by running against it influence of localism decline of party leadership control over members

25. TYPES OF PRIMARIES Caucus Open primary Closed primary Blanket primary Run-off primary Current Map Date of Primary Front Loading Issues growing importance of primaries party delegates vs. party rank-and-file/average voter

26. PRIMARY VS. GENERAL ELECTIONS primaries/caucuses targeting political activists activists are more ideologically extreme balancing act for candidate who will return for general election

27. IMPACT OF MEDIA Television paid advertising (spots) Johnson vs. Goldwater (1964) Bush vs. Dukakis (1988) subtle (if any) impact on election outcome most voters rely on multiple sources of information news coverage of candidacy (a visual) vital to a campaign paradox of spots vs. visuals

28. IMPACT OF MEDIA Televised Debates usually work to the advantage of the challenger the impact hard to determine debates can hurt more than help a candidate sound-bites Reagan-Mondale debate Bush watch check Gore’s alpha male moment slogans/sell candidate more than ideas

29. INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA growing in importance as campaigns learn how to use the new medium sophisticated direct-mail campaigns micro-targeting acquisition and maintenance of “mailing” lists impact consultant-driven, poll-driven campaigns

30. MONEY AND CAMPAIGNS Sources of Campaign Money congressional candidates—private citizens and interest groups political actions committees (PACs) political parties most from small donors presidential candidates primaries—private citizens and interest groups general election—private and public funding federal matching funds

31. CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS Federal Election Campaign Act (1973) (FECA) individual donor limits ($1000) per election ban on corporate and union donations directly to campaigns limits on PACs ($5000 per candidate) creates the Federal Election Commission Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain- Feingold, 2002) bans “soft-money” from labor unions and corporations

32. LEGAL CHALLENGES CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS Buckley v Valeo (1976) constitutional challenge to FECA Congress cannot regulate independent expenditures (other than candidates/parties) Citizens United v. FEC (2010) struck down restrictions on independent corporate and labor spending on party and independent campaigns

33. LEGAL CHALLENGES CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS SpeechNow.org v FEC (2010) unconstitutional to impose a contribution limit on groups whose sole purpose was funding independent expenditures

34. IMPACT OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS AND RULINGS increased expense of elections 527 groups SuperPACs can raise unlimited funds from any source and spend it to advance “political causes” unlimited expenditures but cannot coordinate with a specific campaign  Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (2004) Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (2004) must provide donor list 501 (c) (4) “dark money” no donor list required

35. IMPACT OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS AND RULINGS further weakened the political parties opened the door to self-financed campaigns increased advantage of incumbents Trends: Increasing expense of campaigns most money spent independent of campaigns lessened role and influence of national parties

36. MONEY AND WINNING Presidential elections: party affiliation state of the economy (“it’s the economy, stupid”) character of the candidates money is very important in presidential primaries tends to be less determinant in general election

37. MONEY AND WINNING Congressional elections money far more determinant challenger name recognition big spending challengers do better high-spending incumbents do better big advantage for incumbents: easier to raise money can provide benefits/services to constituents franking privileges free publicity through legislation

38. HOW VOTERS DECIDE Party Loyalty party affiliation matters more than the candidate how much do voters know about the issues? why don’t the Democrats win all elections then? Democrats are less wedded to their party higher percentages of Republicans vote than Democrats

39. HOW VOTERS DECIDE Issues V.O. Key most voters who switch parties from one election to the next do so on their own interests voter incentives vital depends on issue intensity

40. HOW VOTERS DECIDE prospective voting voting for a candidate because you favor his/her ideas for handling issues VS. retrospective voting voting for a candidate because you approve of his/her performance in previous office

41. HOW VOTERS DECIDE position issue issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates and/or parties adopt different policy positions VS. valence issues issue about which the public is united and rival candidates and/or parties adopt similar positions “pocketbook” issues which party/candidate will handle these issues best? clothespin vote

42. PARTY REALIGNMENTS V.O. Key, A Theory of Critical Elections realignment a shift in the coalitions that make up the major political parties moves the minority party to the majority and vice versa on all levels of government 1800, 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932

43. PARTY REALIGNMENTS dealignment shift from party affiliation to independent status 1960-2013 divided government critical election elections that begin a realignment or dealignment hard to see them happening until years later

44. PARTY REALIGNMENTS deviating election an election that diverges from recent trends but does not represent a long-term shift 1948, 1994, 2006 maintaining election continuance of the prevailing voting patterns

45. WHY DO ELECTIONS MATTER? what they imply about the attitude of voters? what do results say about the operation of the electoral system? what do the results say about the fate of the political parties? how do election results influence the direction of public policy?

46. WHY DO ELECTIONS MATTER? evidence indicates the many elections do make a big difference in policy 1932—New Deal coalition 1964—Great Society based on huge Democratic majorities 1980—Reagan Revolution 2008—Obamacare 2014—Republican sweep of midterm elections?

47. CHAPTER 14 THE MEDIA

48. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIA A. The Party Press (1770’s-1840’s) targeted party and business elites B. The Popular Press (1840’s) technological evolution high-speed press (rotary) telegraph Associated Press (1848) yellow journalism muckraking

49. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIA C. News Magazines (1890’s) appealed to middle class, developed national constituency for certain issues (progressivism) investigative reporting

50. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEDIA D. Electronic Journalism radio (1920’s) television (1940’s) proliferation of the news the internet “free market” of politics impact on mass democracy

51. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF POLITICS A. Sound bites a radio or TV clip of someone speaking emphasis on slogans vs. substance B. Decline of newspaper competitiveness consolidation of ownership decline in younger readership

52. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF POLITICS C. Homogenization of the news Wire Services/News Services D. Horse Race Journalism (national press) Scorekeeper can create, maintain, and destroy political reputations

53. RULES GOVERNING THE PRESS A. Government Regulations FCC (Federal Communications Commission) licensing of radio and television stations B. Freedom of the Press Prior Restraint censorship largely unacceptable New York Times v The United States (1971) Libel falsity and malicious intent New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) Confidentiality of sources

54. IMPACT OF MEDIA ON POLITICS A. Predominance of television 70% of campaign spending Primary source of communication to the masses B. Agenda Setting Gatekeeper Role influence what subjects become national issues and for how long defining crises, problems, issues routine story feature story

55. IMPACT OF MEDIA ON POLITICS C. Image News coverage Campaign visuals/photo ops Commercials Negative ads The media may not sway our opinions on the issues, but it does impact the way in which politicians are perceived Example: The Dean Scream (2004)

56. IMPACT OF MEDIA ON POLITICS D. Watchdog Journalism adversarial press rising mistrust of government since Watergate tend to be harsher on frontrunners, easier on underdogs attack journalism what are the economic incentives?

57. IMPACT OF MEDIA ON POLITICS E. Bias and Indoctrination Media Ideological Bias more liberal, Democratic, and secular than American voters evidence of increasing liberalism the rise of conservative talk radio public perception of media bias liberal vs. conservative bias liberal conservative bias sources of bias predominance of “leaks” trial balloons, loaded language, editorial decisions

58. GOVERNMENT AND THE NEWS A. Primacy of the Presidency “bully pulpit’ Press Secretary White House Press Corps B. Coverage of Congress legislative vs. executive jealousy