1. Late 1800s Party Organization – Local Urban Political Machines
PATRONAGE RULED!
What is it?
Urban city machines ruled in the late 1800’s
For example?
Some survived much later
Mayor Daley of Chicago, 1950s-70s

2. Fifth Party Era: 1968-present Divided Government
What is divided government?
Southern Realignment also began in ‘68
Nixon’s Southern strategy to break D dominance:
South realigned to a GOP stronghold

3. Political Parties – Structure:
Three major components of Political Parties (3-headed Political Giant):
Party in the Electorate
that means us … the voters!
Party Organization
National, state, and local levels
Party in Government
People in office, the policymakers

4. Party in the Electorate:
What do you do to join? Any dues?
Recent trends in party affiliation?

5. Party Affiliation: January 31, 2011 Other R - D 2011 Jan 35.4% 35.0%
Republican
Democrat
Other
R - D
Quarterly
2011
Jan
35.4%
35.0%
29.6%
0.4%
2010
Dec
37.0%
33.7%
29.3%
3.3%
0.6%
Nov
36.0%
34.7%
1.3%
Oct
33.4%
36.3%
30.3%
-2.9%
Sept
33.1%
34.6%
32.3%
-1.5%
-2.1%
Aug
33.8%
31.1%
-1.2%
July
31.8%
32.8%
-3.6%
June
33.0%
31.6%
-2.4%
-3.3%
May
32.0%
35.1%
-3.1%
Apr
32.5%
-4.4%
Mar
32.9%
36.2%
30.9%
Feb
32.1%
-3.0%

6. The Party in the Electorate

7. Party Coalitions Today (Figure 8.2)

8. Generalizations for Democrats:
Generalizations for Republicans:

9. 2010 AP EXAM
Source: Web site of the clerk of the House of Representatives (
3. Over the last several decades, the composition of the Democratic and Republican parties has changed in important ways. A major partisan shift has occurred in the South, but other demographic changes have also been identified. Changes in party composition are reflected at different rates in presidential elections than in congressional elections.
(a) Identify one specific trend evident in the figure above.
(c) Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades. For each of the following groups explain how parties have changed in composition with respect to that group.
Catholics - Labor Union Members - Women - Social Conservatives
Work with shoulder partner – go to Edmodo / see assignment / brainstorm and research your response.