1. National Parties

2. A two party system? How about 106!

3. Traditionally decentralized parties Most elections state and local Most elections state and local Election laws state laws Election laws state laws Grassroots tradition Grassroots tradition

4. Republican Party of San Diego State party State party State party State party –Board of directors; national committeemen County level organization County level organization County level organization County level organization –Elected officeholders automatically part of county committee –Other county committee members elected by assembly districts Local Clubs Local Clubs Local Clubs Local Clubs Donor clubs with extra access Donor clubs with extra access Donor clubs with extra access Donor clubs with extra access

5. State/Local Party functions today Service organizations to candidates Help with fundraising Help with fundraising Providing voter lists, computers, consultants to candidates Providing voter lists, computers, consultants to candidates Run training seminars Run training seminars Finance polls Finance polls Organize coordinated campaigns Organize coordinated campaigns

6. State/Local Party functions today Service organizations to candidates Service organizations to candidates Recruit candidates Recruit candidates Coordinated Campaigning Coordinated Campaigning –Register voters –Canvass voters –Turn out voters (GOTV)

7. State parties’ differences Different legal environments because of: Different legal environments because of: –Election laws Primary type Primary type Campaign finance Campaign finance Redistricting procedures Redistricting procedures So: Different organizational strength So: Different organizational strength –Number of volunteers –Money raised –Ability of different partisan actors to select and influence candidates And so: Different ideology And so: Different ideology

8. Three levels of national party organization National Committee National Committee –Democratic National Committee (DNC) –Republican National Committee (RNC) Senate Campaign Committees Senate Campaign Committees –National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) –Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) House Campaign Committees House Campaign Committees –National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) –Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, or D- Triple-C, or D-Trip)

9. National Committee Organization Republicans: Republicans: –150 members –Man, woman, and state chair from each state Democrats Democrats –Chair and other-sex leader from each state –200 members allocated to states based on population and Democratic support –Plus Reps from Governor’s association, conference of Democratic mayors, Young Democrats...

10. National Committee Functions Call, site, and run the national presidential nominating convention Call, site, and run the national presidential nominating convention Run the party’s presidential campaign Run the party’s presidential campaign –Research –Polls –GOTV coordination Formulate statements of policy Formulate statements of policy Raise money; pay debts from last campaign Raise money; pay debts from last campaign

11. Congressional Committee Organizations Chair elected by Democratic/Republican caucus of members of the House/Senate Chair elected by Democratic/Republican caucus of members of the House/Senate

12. Congressional Committee Functions Help raise money and provide services for: incumbents’ reelection campaigns incumbents’ reelection campaigns promising potential members promising potential members –Candidates in competitive districts!

13. Congressional Committee Functions Types of money and services: Finding/hiring staff Finding/hiring staff Finding/hiring consultants Finding/hiring consultants Radio and tv ad production facilities Radio and tv ad production facilities Research Research Polling Polling Fundraising help; recruiting big names for candidates’ own fundraisers Fundraising help; recruiting big names for candidates’ own fundraisers Some direct contributions Some direct contributions Some independent spending Some independent spending

14. Other party organizations College/Youth organizations College/Youth organizations Governors’ Associations Governors’ Associations

15. The evolving relationship between state and national parties

16. Historically powerful local/state parties Parties run campaigns Parties run campaigns Parties select candidates Parties select candidates Local party machines Local party machines –Provide social services (particularly to immigrants) –Dispense patronage –Rig elections If you want to be governor, who do you go to? If you want to be governor, who do you go to?

17. State parties affected by rise of candidate-centered politics Arose because of: Arose because of: Civil service reforms Civil service reforms Primary election laws Primary election laws Professionalization of the Congress Professionalization of the Congress States/federal gov’t provide social services States/federal gov’t provide social services One man one vote decisions (1964) One man one vote decisions (1964) –Reynolds v. Sims (state leg) –Wesberry v. Sanders (US House) Television Television Weakened local parties (both cause and effect!) Weakened local parties (both cause and effect!) If you want to be governor, who do you go to? If you want to be governor, who do you go to?

18. Nationalizing trends Stronger national government Stronger national government –Congress regulates more of the economy More national issues More national issues People move around more, carry party labels with them People move around more, carry party labels with them Changes in campaign technology Changes in campaign technology

19. Centralization of party power as deliberate strategy Republicans: Republicans: –Raise a lot of small contributions through mail –Fund and service state parties –To rebuild after Watergate Democrats: Democrats: –Rules changes force state parties to adopt national procedures –To disassociate party from segregationists –Service to candidates comes in the 1980s

20. Effects of nationalization A lot of effort in just a few races A lot of effort in just a few races More national infrastructure; voter lists, etc. More national infrastructure; voter lists, etc. “Lessened the decentralization of the party organizations” “Lessened the decentralization of the party organizations”

21. The 50-state strategy

22. Where is the power in the party?

23. What are the merits of very decentralized (state/local) parties? What are the merits of very decentralized (state/local) parties? What are the merits of highly centralized (nationalized) parties? What are the merits of highly centralized (nationalized) parties? What do you think of the trends toward nationalization/centralization in both parties? What do you think of the trends toward nationalization/centralization in both parties?