1. Political Parties
Chapter 8

2. Political Parties Political parties run candidates for office.
Parties have 3 parts:
Party in the electorate
Party as an organization
Party in government

3. Functions of Parties Nominate Candidates Run Campaigns
Give Cues to Voters
Articulate Policies (Platforms)
Coordinate Policymaking

4. Functions of Parties
Parties sponsor grassroots mobilization, energizing members to support a candidate or proposal.
Parties are a linkage institution connecting citizens with government.

5. Party in the Electorate
Those registered for a party will likely vote for its candidates
Ticket-splitting:
Voting for candidates of different parties.
The result is often divided government.

6. Party Organizations Party Machines exchanged votes for favors
Patronage—when a patron in government gives political supporters benefits

7. Merit-Based Civil Service
Pendleton Civil Service Act led to a merit based civil service and diminished machines.
National parties are weak compared to state and local parties.

8. How Parties Target Voters
Tools:
Communication technology
Voter-data management systems
Campaign Consultants
Purposes:
Disseminate, control, and clarify political messages
Enhance outreach and mobilization
Raise Money

9. Parties and State Elections
Closed Primary: voters must be registered with their party in advance and can only vote for that party
Open Primary: independents and those registered to a party may vote in that party’s primary
Caucus: meeting of voters
Primaries and caucuses weaken national party organizations

10. National Party Organizations
Draft platform Run nominating conventions Relative to other countries, our national organizations are weak.

11. Why Parties Evolve Regional realignments Campaign finance laws
Changes in communication technology
Changes in data-management technology

12. Realignment Party Eras
When one party wins most elections because its coalition is bigger
Critical Election
An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions emerge, beginning a new party era.

13. Realignment and Dealignment
Realignment is the shifting of groups in a coalition, usually before a critical election. Groups leave one party and support the other party.
Dealignment is the shift away from the two major parties and the rise in independent voters

14. Third Parties Rarely win elections
Bring new groups and people into politics
Major parties incorporate third party agendas into their platforms

15. Electoral Systems Winner-take-all system:
First Past the Post/Single Member District
Legislative seats awarded only to first place finishers.
Proportional Representation:
Legislative seats awarded based on percentage of votes received by party