Chapter 8 - Political Parties

Party Polarization

The growing gap between the stands of the political parties on policy issues

• Makes clea difference betwen the parties

• Makes compomisr between parties harder

• Foundinf Fathers, esp Madison, feared polarization

Political Party

A team of peoples seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duty constituted election

• Interest groups not cinsidered (they dont run) but do try to influence politics

Party Competition

Battle between the Democrats and Republicans for the control of public

• Goal to win elections

Three heads potilical giants

The member of the political party ‘team’

• The party in the electorate (voters)(largest group)

• The party as an organization (national office who keep the party running between elections)

• the party in government (elected officials)

Tasks of Parties

• Pick Candidates

• Run Campaigns

• Give Cues to Voters

• Articulate Policies

• Coordinate policy making

Task of Parties (picking candidates)

• Job of the party to choose an official endorsement (nominee)

  • more input from voters over time (b/c Progressive reformers)

Task of Parties (running campaigns)

• Now more done directly by candidates (internet and TV make it easier)

Task of Parties (give cues to voters)

• Show what candidates stand for so voters know whether they want to vote for them easily

Task of Parties (articulate policies)

• ex. Democratcs clearly advocate for womans rights to abotion

• Republicans clearly show adversion to abortion rights

Coordinate Policymaking

• PResidents look for support from party members when committing to a major policy goal

Linkage institutions

The channels throught which people concern become political issues on the government’s policy agenda

• ex. elections, political parties, interest groups, media, etc

Rational Choise theory

Assumes that individuals act in their own best interest and weight the cost and benefits of possible alternatices

• Created Anthony Downs

• Voters want to maximize the odds policies they favor will be adopted bt gov

  • If party A figures out what the voters want better, they win (parties must stay close to center to broaden appeal)

• Parties must different themselves to win loyal voters

Party Image

the voter’s perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservatism or liberalism

PArty Identification

A citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or another

Why do so many people choose not to identify with a party?

• Greater social desiriablity of being independent

• View partisian labels as negative

• See being independent as positive and constructive

• For young people independent (68% between 18 and 24)

Ticket Splitting

• Voting with one party for one office, and with another party for other offices

• Done more by independents

• means no state is completley safe for any given party

Party Organization

Political parties decentrialized and gragmented

• (Top) - National Comittee/Convention of the Party

• State PArty Organizations

• (Bottom) - Local Party organizations

Party Machines

a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements (ex. patronage) to win votes and govern

• Many cities had then throught the New Deal (1930s)

• Rewards its members for their loyalty

Patronage

A job/promotion or contract that is given for political reasons rather than merit or competence

• one of the key inducements used by party machiens

• ex. William “Boss” Tweed

the 50 State Party systems

• Some states will well funded party organizations (Pennsylvania), some have terrible organization and funding (California)

• ex. choose between open/close primaries

Closed primaries

System where you can only vote for a party if you’ve registered with them in advance

Open Primaries

system whre voters can decide on election day who they vote for

National Party Convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform

• supreme power within each party

National Committee

One of the instritutions that keeps the party operating between conventions

• Composed of represenatives from states and territories

• each state has a national committee man and women as delegates

  • democrats also include assorted governers, member of congress, and party officials

National chairperson

the person responsible for running the ongoing activities of the national party organization

• hores staff, raises money, pays bills, attend the daily duties of the party

• Typically chosen by the president (sibject to ratification by the national committee)

Coalition

A group of individuals with a common interst on which every political party depends

• Members more likley to join depending on how the party performs, and enacts policies

Party eras

Historical period in which a majority of voters cling to a party in power, which tends to win them ajority of elections

• First Party Sysyem (Federalists v. Anti federalists)

• Jackson Democrats v. Whigs

• Two Republican Eras

• New Deal Coalition

• Southern Realignment

Critical Election

An electorial ‘earthquake’ where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace one one, and the majority party if often displaced by the minority party

Party Realignment

The displacement of the majority part by the minority party, ususlaly during a critical election period

• typically associated with a major political crisis or trauma within the nation

  • ex. Gret depression, Civil war

The First Party System (1796-1824)

• Madison warns against factions in the Federalist Papers, yet Hamilton one of the buillders of political parties

  • Hailton politics and build coalitions to garner support for a national bank, and forms the Federalsit party

    • Opposed by Madison, and Jefferson

• Federalsit party fades after Federalsit John Adams loses the relection

  • And Hamilton dies :(

• Democratic-Republicans outlast the Federalists

  • later destroyed by trying to please all interests

Jacksonian Democrats v. Whigs (1828-1856)

• Andrew Jackson founds the modern political party

  • formed a Coalition with westerners, southerners, immigrants, and settled Americans

  • Martin van Buren behind the scenes architect

• Whigs oppose the Democrats

  • Henry clay, Deniel Webster

  • Pres. William Harrison and Zachary Taylor (military heros)

  • northern industralists and souther planters

Two Republican Eras (1860-1928)

• Slavery splits the whig Party and Democrats

• Republicans rise as the antislavery party (Lincoln)

  • Democrats still rule the south

• Second Republican Era

  • William Jenning Bryan proponent of Free silver (link the dollar to silver), while the general Republican party supports the gold standard, and industialization

The New Deal Coalition (1932-1964)

A coalition forged by Democrats, who dominates American politics from the 1930s-60s. Basic elements the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jewish peoples, the poor, southerners, intelectuals, and African Americans.

• Hoover’s handling of the Great depression disasterous for republicans

• Reshaped the Democratic Party

  • some coalitions still exist

1968-Present: souther realignment

• Richard Nixon enacts the ‘Southern Strategy”

  • emphasized support for state rights, law and order, and strong military

  • Won over southern consercatives, and broke the Democratic party hold on the south

Party dealignment

A gradual disengagement of people from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification

Third parties

Electorial contenders other than the two major parties that never win elections and never will

• Three types

  • Parties that promote a certain cause (Libertarianism, socialism)

  • Splinter parties (T. Roosevelt’s Progresices)

  • An Extension of a popular individual (Ross Perot)

• allows voters to vote for someone rather than the Dem or Rep candidate

• Two party system entrenched in American politics

Winner-take-all system

A electorial system in which legislative seats are awarded to only the candidates who come in first in their constituencies

• Makes the system discourage small parties

Porportional representation

Seats allocated based on the percentage of votes won in an election

• If a party wins 15% of the vote, they recieve 15% of the seats

• Allows small parties to have a seat in government

• In European countries

Coalition Government

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature

• common in european multiparty systems

Responsible party model

A view about how parties should work

• Parties should offer clear choices to the voeters and once in office should carry out their campaign promises.

• Parties are reponsible for the peformance of their government

Blue dog Democrats

Fiscally responsible Democrats

• More moderate/conservative