1. What’s a political party?

2. A group of citizens who organize to 1.Win elections 2.Hold public office 3.Operate the government 4.Determine public policy Levels of Parties: A. Party in the electorate B. Party Organization C. Party in Government

3. What are the Functions of Party?

4. 1.Recruit and nominate candidates for office 2.Run political campaigns 3.Articulate positions on Issues 4.Critique the policies of the opposing party – “loyal opposition” 5.Serve as a “linkage institution” between the people and their government

5. Why does the USA have a “two party system”?

6. 1.Strong consensus on core political values 2.Single member districts/plurality/winner take all system of elections 3.Legal barriers to third parties – “a rigged system”? 4.Historic Tradition PARTY ERAS party era is a historic period dominated by one party critical election national election where issues or candidate fracture the existing coalition of voters within a party; resulting in a significant shift in party loyalty party re-alignment triggered by a critical election; new dominant party emerges, start of a new party era party de-alignment time when voters refrain from offering support to either party; dissatisfaction; nonparticipation

7. First Party System (1796-1824) Federalist and the Democratic-Republicans 1800 Critical election Jacksonian Era (1828-1856) Democratic Party and the Whigs Republican Era (1860-1928) 1860 Republicans replace the Whigs Civil War legacy and modernity Solid South for the Democrats 1896 William Jennings Bryan defeated by McKinley GOP entrenched as dominant party for another generation FDR and the New Deal Coalition (1932-1964) big cities labor Catholics and Jews African Americans Southerners “Reagan Coalition” ??!! - many political scientists slow to recognize

8. Divided Government (1968-present) despite the popular appeal of Reagan (1980-1988) 1. Nixon elected by “southern strategy” breaking off the white South from the New Deal coalition. Civil Rights/affirmative action at issue for white voters. 2. “Cultural War” has further eroded the New Deal coalition 3. Great and growing dissatisfaction with “big government” Tea Party Libertarians both DEMS but especially GOP as a Party Organization are affected Yet, the preponderance of divisive policy positions and the absence of any “new Reagans” have prevented the GOP dominance. An era of low “external efficacy” = “divided government” - no party controls both the White House and Congress evidence that the voters intend this fact Reagan Coalition: business/social orthodox/white South/suburbanites -but yet …

9. Consequence of Divided Government 1. Heightens partisanship; makes compromise difficult 2.Slows the confirmation and legislative process; gridlock 3. Increased frustration for the public. External efficacy lessens more