What is a Political Party?

A group of individuals organized under a label who attempt to influence government by electing their members to important government offices

Parties Serve a Number of Important Functions Recruit candidates Mobilize voters Sense of identification Avenue of influence Organize and run government

Tri-Partite Entities

Party In Government(Candidates and office holders in state, local, and national government)

Party in the Electorate(Party affiliation, information cue, voter mobilization)

Party Organization(Party bureaucracy, officials, and workers)

Characteristics of a Responsible Party System Fusion government At least two (frequently more) competitive

parties Clearly distinguishable platforms Winning party implements platform

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Have a Responsible Party System?

Constitutional Provision Party System Characteristic

Separation of powers Non-fusion government

Single-member districts Heterogeneous two-party system

Geographic representation Non-cohesive parties

Federalism Decentralized party system

Evolution of the Party System Political Machines

Party organizations that controlled government through a system of patronage and favors in exchange for electoral support

Keys to machine politics

Ability to control nominations Candidates were hand-picked

Ability to monitor voters Party-strip ballot

Ability to reward voters Patronage (gov’t jobs and contracts) Financial and other support

The Demise of Political Machines Progressive Reforms

Weakened control of nominations Direct Primary Non-partisan elections

Weakened control over voters (Australian) Ballot reform

Weaken ability to reward supporters Merit system

Changes in society

Party Organizations Today

Hierarchical, Bottom-up organizations State and Local National Congressional Campaign Committees

Functions of Party Organizations Support the Party Apparatus

Raise money Support Candidates

Polling Production facilities Campaign schools Phone banks Money

Hard money--directly to candidate Soft money—party building activities

Financing the Parties (Millions of Dollars, 2000)

Democrat Republican RepublicanAdvantage

House CampaignCommittee

$84 $126 $42

Senate CampaignCommittee

$86 $81 ($5)

National PartyCommittee

$210 $313 $103

Total $380 $520 $140

Party in the Electorate

Party Identification Voting Cue Attitude Formation Voter Turnout

Party Coalitions

Democrats Republicans

Income Poor and lower middleClass

Middle class and wealthy

Labor Union non-union

Race Blacks and Hispanics Whites (slight advantage)

Religion Jews, Catholics (slight),non-religious

Protestants,fundamentalists

Sex Female Male

Region Northeast, Upper midwest,West Coast

Mountain States, South(among whites)

Ideology Liberals Conservatives

Changes in Partisanship Over Time Ebb and flow of partisans

Realignment?

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55 %

of

Pu

blic

1948 1958 1968 1978 1988 1998

Indep.

Repub.

Dem.

Party Affiliation, 1950-2000

Dealignment?

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

% o

f P

ub

lic

1948 1958 1968 1978 1988 1998

Indep.

Partisan

Decline in Partisanship, 1950-2000

Split-Ticket Voting

10

15

20

25

30

35

Percent S

plittin

g T

icket

1952195619601964196819721976198019841988199219962000Year

President-House

Split-Ticket Voting, 1952-1996(President-House)

Divided Government

Evidence of Party Resurgence Predicting the Vote Greater Ideological Content