Political Parties

CHAPTER 7

Parties- Here & Abroad Political party: a party is a group that

seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the electorate.

(AKA - party identification) The primary goal is to WIN elections! Parties are not mentioned in the U.S.

Constitution.

Arenas of politics in which political parties exist:

1. Label, in the minds of the voters2. Organization, recruiting and

campaigning for candidates.3. Set of leaders, organize and try to

control the legislative and executive branches (win elections!).

US parties have become weaker in all three arenas. (dealignment)

Decentralization of party power in the United States Federalism decentralizes power. National parties used to be a coalition of local

parties. Now parties organize at all levels and do not

communicate well. ***ALL politics are LOCAL***** Candidates are chosen through primaries not

by party leaders (Progressive movement).

The Unimportance of Parties Americans do not join or pay dues to

parties. Parties rarely affect one’s daily life. They remain separate from all other

aspects of life. Americans have problems discussing

politics without emotion.

The Rise and Fall of Parties Founding Fathers disliked parties,

viewing them as factions (especially George Washington-Farewell Address), J. Madison’s Federalist No.10

For parties to gain acceptance, people had to be able to distinguish between policy disputes and challenges to the legitimacy of government.

1st Battle – 1789-1820s Jefferson - Jeffersonian Republicans Hamilton- Federalists

They were loose associations (caucuses) of political notables.

Republicans dominated - Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe

Problems of Early Parties The largest issue was that they did not

represent homogeneous economic interests.

They were always heterogeneous coalitions designed to win elections.

Jackson to Civil War Late 1820s – political participation/voting

became a mass phenomenon. 1832- presidential electors (people) were

chosen by popular vote in most states Abandonment of presidential caucuses Beginning of the national convention to

officially elect the presidential candidate for the party led to more local control.

Civil War to 1930s

Sectionalism before and after war Most states were dominated by one

party South (Democrats), North (Republican) Factions emerge in each party. Republicans had a factional party split

from the base (also called a splinter party)-Bull Moose, Progressives.

The Era of Reform

1930s until the Present Progressives curtailed the power of the political

parties (favored majoritarian/people)1. Primaries replaced nominating conventions.2. Non-partisan elections at the local level.3. Strict voter registration requirements to prevent

fraud.4. Civil service reform to eliminate patronage.5. Introduction of referendums /initiatives

Effects of the progressive movement Eliminated the worst forms of political

corruption Weakened all political parties- parties

became less able to hold officeholders accountable or to coordinate across the branches of government.

Today’s Party Structure

Parties are very similar on paper. National convention has ultimate power. Meets every

4 years to nominate the presidential candidate, and write party platform.

National committee is composed of delegates from states; officially nominate the candidate; they manage the affairs between conventions.

Congressional campaign committees support the party’s congressional candidates.

National Chair manages daily work, represents the party.

Party Structure The structure of the two parties

diverged in the late 1960s/early 70s. The RNC moved to a bureaucratic

structure; a well-financed party devoted to electing its candidates especially to Congress.

Democrats moved to a factionalized structure and redistributed power.

Party Structure RNC used computerized mailing lists to raise

money. Money was used to provide services for candidates, effectively becoming a national firm of political consultants.

DNC learned from RNC; most successful in 2008 election.

Both send $$ to state parties, to sidestep federal spending limits (soft money).

National Conventions National committee sets the time and place

and tells each state the number of delegates, and the rules for their selection.

Dems and Republicans have very different ways of awarding delegates.

In the 1970s, rule changes increased the number of women, blacks, youths, and Native Americans attending the Dem convention.

Delegate Distribution Formulas are used by both parties to allocate their delegates

to the national convention. The Republicans reward those states that consistently favor

their candidates in presidential and congressional elections. Democrats reward larger states that consistently support

their candidates. Republicans give more delegates to states from the South

and Southwest, whereas the Democrats give to the North and West.

Super delegates (Democratic party) elected officials or hierarchical party leaders who do not have to pledge who they will vote for at the convention. Super delegates decided the Dem nomination in 2008 (Obama).

Today’s convention Today’s national convention is similar to

a large pep rally for the nominee. It is used to ratify the choices made by the voters during the primary season.

The party in power (executive branch) has their convention after the party seeking office holds their convention. Usually a week or two after.

State and Local Parties There is no hierarchal structure of

political parties. Each level deals with its own issues. Ideas are not passed from national to state to local.

The only thing that flows from one level to another is money (national to state/local).

The Political Machine

Definition: a well-entrenched party organization headed by a boss that recruits members via tangible incentives (patronages, bribery, graft, rigging elections).

Prevalent in the US until early 1900s. (“Boss” Tweed of Tammy Hall of NYC; Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago until 1976)

Political machines have been curbed by civil service reform (1883, 1946,1978, 1994), voter registration, and social services being taken over by the federal and state government.

Types of Political Parties Ideological (minor party): based on an

agenda covering many topics. Very factionalized.

Solidary groups: based on friendships. Not very hard working.

Sponsored parties: created by an organization. Not very common in US.

Personal following: name recognition, $$, favorite son (ex. Kennedys (MA), Longs (LA), Perot (1992, 1996)

The Two-Party System Rarity among modern nations today. Why does it exist in America?

1. Electoral system- single member, plurality electoral system, winner-take-all system limit the number of parties to two.

2. Opinions of voters- if one is failing we try the other for a little while

3. State laws make it very difficult for third parties to get on the ballot.

Minor Parties (3rd parties) Ideological parties: comprehensive, radical views,

most enduring Communist, Socialist, Libertarians

One-issue parties: address one concern Free Soil, Prohibition, Green

Economic Protest parties: economic, regional Greenback, Populist, Reform,

Factional parties: split from major party Progressive/Bull Moose, Dixiecrats, Christian Coalition

Third Parties Factional parties probably have the

greatest influence on public policy. The BIG TWO may pay a heavy price if

it fails to recognize the faction that has split from its party (Tea Party).

Nominating a President

Two forces acting together:

1.Party’s desire to win office motivates it to seek an appealing candidate

2.Party’s desire to acquiesce dissidents within the party forces a compromise with more extreme views (the people’s choice may not be the RNC/DNC’s best choice).

Are delegates at the nomination convention representative of the voter?

NO!!!!! Democratic delegates are more liberal, and Republican delegates are more conservative than your “rank and file” voter.

Yet, people that participate in caucuses and primaries are similar ideologically to those who participate in the general election.

Caucus v. Primary Caucus: closed meeting of party leaders and rank-

in-file members to select party candidates. A caucus is a more involved process than a

primary – it is meeting instead of a precinct vote. Only the most dedicated partisans attend. This leads to some of the most ideological

candidates (more extreme) winning, or doing very well in the caucus.

IOWA is the first caucus of the presidential election year.

Democrats v. Republicans

Since 1968 Democrats have won more congressional elections than presidential elections.

Candidates are out of step with the average voter on social and tax issues.

Rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans differ very little on political issues.

Candidates must appeal to the average voter, while not losing the support of the more extreme (ideological) delegates.