1. Political Parties
Chapter 8

2. Party Battle
Party Competition: battle of the parties for control of public offices. Ups and Downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American politics.
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office.

3. Party View: Three Aspects
Party in the electorate: party image, identification, ticket splitting-Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices
Independents are most likely to split tickets.
No state or race is completely safe due to split tickets. (Government in America 14th Ed Pearson Education, Inc.)

4. Party View: Three Aspects
Party as an organization: national office, staff, rules, budget—win elections
Party in Government: elected officials

5. Party Duties Parties Pick Candidates: nominations
Parties Run Campaigns: party organizations
Parties provide specific info to Voters: party affiliation—party principles
Parties Articulate Policies: advocate/voice party platforms
Parties Coordinate Policymaking: partisanship

6. Rational-choice Theory
A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives. (Government in America 14th Ed Pearson Education, Inc.) 1. voters want to maximize the chance that policies they favor will be adopted by government 2. parties want to win office

7. Rational-choice Theory
(Government in America 14th Ed Pearson Education, Inc.)

8. PRINCETON, NJ -- Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s.

9. As has been the case each year since 1992, very few Americans define themselves at the extremes of the political spectrum. Just 9% call themselves "very conservative" and 5% "very liberal." The vast majority of self-described liberals and conservatives identify with the unmodified form of their chosen label.

10. Party-Based Ideology
There is an important distinction in the respective ideological compositions of the Republican and Democratic Parties. While a solid majority of Republicans are on the same page -- 73% call themselves conservative -- Democrats are more of a mixture. The major division among Democrats is between self-defined moderates (40%) and liberals (38%). However, an additional 22% of Democrats consider themselves conservative, much higher than the 3% of Republicans identifying as liberal.

11. Party-Based Ideology
True to their nonpartisan tendencies, close to half of political independents -- 45% -- describe their political views as "moderate." Among the rest, the balance of views is tilted more heavily to the right than to the left: 34% are conservative, while 20% are liberal.

12. Gallup trends show a slight increase since 2008 in the percentages of all three party groups calling themselves "conservative," which accounts for the three percentage-point increase among the public at large.

13. Thus far in 2009, Gallup has found an average of 36% of Americans considering themselves Democratic, 28% Republican, and 37% independent. When independents are pressed to say which party they lean toward, 51% of Americans identify as Democrats, 39% as Republicans, and only 9% as pure independents.

14. Still, conservatism outweighs liberalism among both genders.

15. As reported last week on Gallup
As reported last week on Gallup.com, women are more likely than men to be Democratic in their political orientation. Along the same lines, women are more likely than men to be ideologically "moderate" and "liberal," and less likely to be "conservative."

16. Party-Based Ideology: End Results
Although the terms may mean different things to different people, Americans readily peg themselves, politically, into one of five categories along the conservative-to-liberal spectrum. At present, large minorities describe their views as either moderate or conservative -- with conservatives the larger group -- whereas only about one in five consider themselves liberal.

17. Party-Based Ideology: End Results
While these figures have shown little change over the past decade, the nation appears to be slightly more polarized than it was in the early 1990s. Compared with the period, the percentage of moderates has declined from 42% to 35%, while the percentages of conservatives and liberals are up slightly -- from 38% to 40% for conservatives and a larger 17% to 21% movement for liberals.

18. Primaries
Closed primaries: Only people who have registered with the party can vote for that party’s candidates.
Open primaries: Voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote in the Democrat or Republican primary.
Blanket primaries: Voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties.
State parties are better organized in terms of headquarters and budgets than they used to be.
(Government in America 14th Ed Pearson Education, Inc.)

19. Party Organizations
National Convention: the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the party’s platform
National Committee: one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions
National Chairperson: responsible for day-to-day activities of the party
(Government in America 14th Ed Pearson Education, Inc.)

20. The Party in Government: Promises and Policy
Party members actually elected to government
Which party controls government has policy consequences.
Coalition: a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends
Parties and politicians generally act on their campaign promises.

21. The Party in Government: Promises and Policy

22. Party Eras in American History
Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to the party in power
Critical Election
An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions emerge
Party Realignment
The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election

23. Party Eras in American History
: The First Party System
Madison warned of “factions”
Federalists: first political party
: Jackson and the Democrats Versus the Whigs
Modern party founded by Jackson
Whigs formed mainly to oppose Jacksonian Democrats

24. Party Eras in American History
: The Two Republican Eras
Republicans rose as the antislavery party
1896 election centered on industrialization
: The New Deal Coalition
New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats; consisted of urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

25. Party Eras in American History

26. Party Eras in American History
1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government
Divided government: one party controls Congress and the other controls White House
Divided government due in party to:
Party dealignment: disengagement of people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification
Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

27. Party Eras in American History

28. Party Eras in American History

29. Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics
Third parties: electoral contenders other than the two party parties; rarely win elections
Third parties are important.
Are “safety valves” for popular discontent
Bring new groups and ideas into politics
Two-party system
Discourages extreme views
Contributes to political ambiguity

30. Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics
Multiparty Systems in Other Countries
Winner-take-all system: legislative seats awarded only to first place finishers
Proportional Representation: legislative seats awarded based on votes received by the party - more votes, more seats
Coalition Government: two or more parties join to form a majority in a national legislature

31. Understanding Political Parties
Democracy and Responsible Party Government
Responsible Party Model
1. Parties have distinct comprehensive programs.
2. Candidates are committed to the program.
3. The majority party must carry out its program.
4. The majority party must accept responsibility.
American political parties fall short of these conditions.
No mechanism for party discipline

32. Understanding Political Parties
American Political Parties and the Scope of Government
Lack of uniformity keeps government small
Big programs like Health Care (1994) fail
But also makes cutting government programs difficult
Individuals focus on getting more from government for their own constituents

33. Understanding Political Parties
Is the Party Over?
Political parties are no longer main source of information for voters; media are
Yet parties will play an important but diminished role in American politics
State and national party organizations have become more visible and active
Majority of people still identify with a party

34. Summary
Parties are a pervasive linkage institution in American politics.
Party in electorate, government, and as organization
America has a two-party system.
The decentralized nature of political parties makes major change difficult and encourages individualism in politics.