1. POLI 101: U.S. Government
Dr. Kevin Lasher

2. Government Intervention in Economy
FOR AGAINST
Govt.
Intervention
in Personal
Matters
AGAINST
FOR
LIBERALS
LIBERTARIANS
POPULISTS
CONSERVATIVES

3. Political Parties Definitions Roles of political parties
Why two parties?
History of US political parties
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4. US Political Parties
Political parties are NOT mentioned in the U.S. Constitution
Founders were hopeful that we would avoid political parties

5. US Political Parties: Definition
Political party is a broadly-based coalition which attempts to gain control of the government by winning elections
Focus is on political parties in democracies, especially the United States

6. Political Parties in non-democracies
The Communist Party in China shares some of these characteristics
Big difference is lack of competitive elections

7. Roles of US Political Parties
Recruit and select candidates
Provide public policy alternatives
Organize government
Channel conflict
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8. Recruit and Select Candidates
American parties locate and help choose candidates for all offices
There was a time when each party picked candidates in “smoked-filled” rooms
Parties still do some of that, but mostly candidates run within primaries (intra-party elections)

9. Recruit and Select Candidates
Parties have more influence at state and local level
At the core, parties provide labels for relatively uninformed voters

10. Provide Public Policy Alternatives
Democrats and Republicans offer different types of policy solutions to various national problems
Democrats propose more liberal policies; Republicans propose more conservative policies

11. Provide Public Policy Alternatives
Legislation is much more than just half and half compromise between the two parties
Democrats may have two or three versions of a bill and same for Republicans

12. Provide Public Policy Alternatives
Every four years, both parties create “platforms” that summarize the issue positions of their party’s presidential candidate

14. Organize Government
House and Senate leadership and committees are divided by party (and party strength)
House: Democratic Speaker and Democratic majorities on all committees
Senate: Republican leader and Republican majorities on all committees

15. Organize Government
President Trump appoints mostly Republicans to serve in the Executive Branch departments (and President Obama appointed mostly Democrats)

16. Organize Government
While SC Justices do not have formal party affiliations, they can be identified as liberal, moderate or conservative
Democratic presidents will nominate more liberal judges and Republicans will nominate more conservative judges

17. “Channeling” Conflict
American parties both create and limit conflict
They create the “parameters” of the political debate
Democrats and Republicans agree on many policy fundamentals, while arguing policy details

18. “Channeling” Conflict
Republican Solution
Democratic Solution
National Health
Care
Pay Own
Health Care
Health Care Policy

19. Why Two US Political Parties?
North-South differences
Single member district plurality (SMDP) electoral system
“Capitalist politics”
Moderate American public
Election laws biased toward existing parties
Political Socialization
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20. North-South Differences
From the “Solid South” was solidly Democratic
The Republicans dominated the North and West (although not quite as much)
This is NOT the case today, with much of the South becoming Republican
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21. Single Member District Plurality (SMDP) Electoral System

22. Single Member District Plurality (SMDP) Electoral System
Seven SC districts; 435 House districts nationally
SMDP systems are very likely to create two large parties fighting for the majority/plurality
New Tiger Party wins about 20% of the vote in each district
How many seats do they win with their 20% ? NONE

23. Single Member District Plurality (SMDP) Electoral System
District One Republican 42%
Democrat %
Tiger %
District Two Republican %
Democrat %
District Three Republican 35%
Democrat %

24. Single Member District Plurality (SMDP) Electoral System
SMDP systems make it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive
Because they rarely win elections and eventually disappear (or fall into being irrelevant)
Proportional representation (PR) systems make it easier for third and fourth parties to be created and survive

25. Proportional Representation (PR) Electoral System
SC Republicans 57% 4 seats
State-wide
Democrats % 2 seats
Tiger % 1 seat
National 15% 65 seats
Tiger

26. “Capitalist Politics”
Two main political parties are generally supportive of the capitalist economic system
Parties of the “far left” (socialist and communist) are almost unknown in the US
Democrats and Republicans argue about the nature of American capitalism
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27. Moderate American Public
Americans also reject parties of the far right (neo-fascist parties)
As the wealthiest country in the world, it is understandable that MOST Americans are fairly supportive of the “status quo”
Have the American people become less moderate recently?
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28. Biased Election Laws
Election laws are written in legislatures in 50 states controlled by either of the two major parties
Democrats and Republicans are not going to create election laws that make it EASY for a competitive third party to be born and survive
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29. Political Socialization
We grow up learning that there are basically two political parties in the United States
We have had the same two political parties since 1860s
Democrats and Republicans is what “we expect”
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30. History of US Political Parties
1790s-1828 Democ-Republicans vs. Federalists
Democrats vs. Whigs
Democrats = Republicans
Republicans > Democrats
Democrats > Republicans
1980 – now Democrats = Republicans (???)
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31. The End