1. Political Parties

2. Overriding Questions
How has the decline of political parties influenced elections and campaigning?
How do political parties positively influence campaigns and elections and how do they negatively influence campaigns and elections?
How have campaigns and elections changed over time? How have they stayed the same?
How has money influenced elections and campaigns in a positive and negative manner?

3. What is a Party?
A political party is a group of people who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office.
The two major parties in American politics are the Republican and Democratic parties.
Parties can be principle-oriented, issue-oriented, or election-oriented. The American parties are election-oriented.

9. Questions to consider…
Who is the barber?
Why do the perceptions of the mom and dad differ?
Do these perceptions match today’s reality?

15. Why is there a two Party System?
The Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
The Force of Tradition. America has a two-party system because it always has had one. Minor parties, lacking wide political support, have never made a successful showing, so people are reluctant to support them.

16. Additional reasons for two Party System…
Ideological Consensus. Most Americans have a general agreement on fundamental matters. Conditions that would spark several strong rival parties do not exist in the United States.

18. Factors that influence Party Membership

19. Party Systems One-Party; totalitarian, undemocratic
Bi-party; less choice, lots of stability
Multi-party; more choice, less stability
Problem of coalition government
US and England = Bi-party
Italy and Israel = Multi-party

20. Economic Realignment 1896
Realignment-lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties
Depression hit farmers in the Midwest and the South
Prices paid to farmers was declining
Led to the development of the Greenbackers and the Populists
(Economic Protest Parties)

21. Party Realignment or Critical Elections
Alternation of one party dominance to the other party
Critical Elections-sharp, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one of both parties
The issues that separate the parties change and so do the party supporters

22. 5 critical realignments in history
1800-Jefferson elected, Democratic Republicans take over
1828-Jackson elected from Democratic party-DR splits into Dems and Whigs
1860-Lincoln elected-emergence of modern day Republicans
1896-McKinley wins-but gains support from labor unions and minorities as a Republican
1932-FDR wins and the Democratic party remerges
Critical realignment for the Republicans in ’94- won both House and Senate for first time since 1954

23. What is the current party situation?
Factionalize within selves-distribute power and lose elections
Initiative and Referendum take away power of party and bring more power to the people
Dems have become more liberal
Repubs have become more conservative
Primaries especially to secure the “regulars”
Aim toward the middle during the general elections

24. Economic Protest Parties
Minor Parties in the United States
Types of Minor Parties
Ideological Parties
Example: Libertarian Party-rights of the individual
Single-issue Parties
Example: Free Soil Party-eliminate slavery
Economic Protest Parties
Example: The Greenback Party-against gov’t regulation of $
Splinter Party
Example: “Bull Moose” Progressive Party-against patronage system

25. Why are Minor Parties important?
Minor parties play several important roles:
“Spoiler Role”
Critic
Innovator

26. The Decentralized Nature of the Parties
Both of the major parties are highly decentralized and fragmented.
Why?

27. Minor Parties in the United States

28. Reasons for Party Decline
Mistrust of Government
Independents (Divided Government)
Split Ticket Voting
“Open” Primaries
Technology
End of Patronage
All of the above leads to…
Electoral Independence!!

29. Gerrymander Done EVERY ten years and controlled by State
Legislatures…that are controlled
by…You guessed it, a
POLITICAL PARTY!
Check OUT Redistricting Game
Most Gerrymandered Districts

31. Reasons for Nonvoting:
Institutional Reasons (political): Barriers due to some aspect of the law.
Psychological Reasons (emotional): The feeling that voting does not matter.

32. Institutional Reasons
The date and day
The hours the polls are open
The number of voting booths
The length/style of ballot/voting methods
Registration (a “two-step process”)
Declaring a party choice (for primaries only)
Others???

34. Extending Suffrage
1. During the early 1800s, religious, property, and tax payment qualifications were gradually eliminated.
2. The 15th Amendment (1870) was intended to end race-based voting requirements.
3. In 1920, the 19th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote because of sex.
4. The 1960s:

35. The 1960’s and 70’s
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed the right to vote for minorities.
The 23rd Amendment (1961) granted citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote for presidential electors.
The 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated the poll tax.
The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18.

36. Motor-Voter Law of 1993 National Voter Registration Act
Signed by President Bill Clinton
Required uniform registration process
Accessible at DMV’s, schools, libraries, disability centers
Mail-in registration

37. Nominating and Electing a Candidate

38. Types of Direct Primaries
The Direct Primary
Types of Direct Primaries
Closed Primary
Only declared party members can vote for a specific party
Open Primary
Any Qualified voter can take part-still can only vote for one party
Runoff Primary
If a required majority is not met, the two people with the most votes run again
Nonpartisan Primary
Candidates are not identified by party labels

39. The Process
Primaries-Starts January (Iowa Caucus Jan. 3rd ) of Election year
National Party Convention-Summer of election year
Campaign Season-August to November
General Election-first Tuesday after first Monday in November
Electoral College-meets in December to officially and constitutionally elect
Jan. 6th- President of Senate officially counts electoral votes
Jan. 20th- President is inaugurated

40. The Electoral College
While state laws determine how electors are chosen, they are generally selected by the political party committees within the states.
Voters actually vote for electors who then select the president.
There are currently 538 electors and the votes of a majority of them votes -- are required to be elected.
States with larger populations get more Electoral College votes.

41. Regulating Campaign Financing
Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly enforced.
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the Watergate scandal.
The 1974 amendment also set up the Federal Election Commission and established public funding of presidential elections. Two additional amendments (1976, 1979) were aimed at regulating PACs and boosting the level of party participation.

42. Coining the term Swiftboating
527 Groups
Show 527 clip

43. Current Campaign Finance Limits 2012

44. More on the Future… For candidates:
Structural changes have increased conflict and disorganization within parties
Changes in the technology of campaigning, especially the use of television and the Internet, have made candidates more independent of the party organization
The growth of single-issue organizations provides candidates with another source of financial support

45. To summarize the info we learned today…
Create a one sentence summary using the following prompt….
A___________is a kind of______________
that__________________.
___________happens because________________.