CH. 5-2 THE TWO-PARY SYSTEMAmerican Government

WHY A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM?

•Do you know Earl Dodge?•December 24, 1932 – November 7, 2007•He has run for President of the USA 6

times•Member of the Prohibition Party•1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004•He was a vice presidential candidate

1976, 1980•The main reason he wasn’t successful was

that he belonged to a MINOR PARTY.•He didn’t have wide-spread support

• In some states and communities one of the major parties might be overwhelmingly dominant

• The two-party system has survived throughout most of our history

• THE HISTORICAL BASIS• Framers were opposed to political parties• First parties: Federalist & Anti-Federalists• Framers wanted a united country• Parties was divisive• No mention of parties in the Constitution

•THE FORCE OF TRADITION•Human institutions tend to be self-perpetuating•Americans accept the two-party system

because that is the way it has always been

•THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM•SINGLE-MEMBER DISTICTS-Contests where it

is winner-take-all and only 1 person serves•Person is elected if they receive a PLURALITY

of the votes cast

•Single-member districts discourage minor parties

•Voters usually face only 2 viable options in a race

•Party holding office vs. Party wanting to hold office

•Most people think that voting for a minor party would be wasting their vote

•BIPARTISAN—Two major parties find common ground and work together

• Major parties deliberately shape election law to preserve their strength and frustrate minor parties.

• Example—In 2004, George Bush and John Kerry were on the ballot in all 50 states and D.C. No other candidates were on all ballots.

• Examples-Minor party candidates on all state ballots• 1912-Eugene V. Debs (Socialist); 1916-Allan L.

Benson (Socialist); 1980-Ed Clark (Libertarian) & John Anderson (Ind.); 1988-Lenora Fulani (New Alliance); 1992-Andre Marrou (Libertarian) & Ross Perot (Ind.); 1996-Harry Browne (Libertarian) & Ross Perot (Reform)

• THE AMERICAN IDEOLOGICAL CONSENSUS• Americans tend to be ideologically homogeneous• Same ideas, beliefs, basic principles, patterns of

belief• PLURALISTIC SOCIETY—one consisting of

several distinct cultures and groups.• CONSENSUS—a general agreement among

various groups• Americans can be quite divided on issues: Civil

War, Great Depression, racial discrimination, war in Vietnam, and abortion

MULTI-PARTY SYSTEMS• MULTIPARTY—a system which several major and

many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices

• Parties tend to be based on economic class, religious belief, sectional attachment, political ideology

• Multi-party systems tend to produce a broader, more diverse representation of the electorate

• Diverse representation could lead to instability in the government

• COALITION—temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and control the government

ONE-PARTY SYSTEMS

•Mainly found in dictatorships•One-party system is really “no party

system”•Examples: Communist Party-Soviet Union

and China; Nazi Party-Germany; Fascist Party-Italy

PARTY MEMBERSHIP PATTERNS• Membership in a party is voluntary• Major parties are broadly based to get as many

votes as possible• Members of a certain part of the electorate tend to

be aligned more solidly with one party or the other.• Democrats—African Americans, Catholics, Jews,

Union members• Republicans—white males, Protestants, and the

business community• Studies show that 2/3 of Americans follow the party

allegiance of their parents

•Political Party Contacts (table p. 124)•Major historical events have a decided

influence on party affilitation•The Civil War and the Great Depression most

significant•Higher income groups tend to be Republican•Lower income groups tend to be Democats•Other factors—age, place of residence, level

of education, work environment•The End