poltitcal parties

president is powerful over their party.

Presidents have demonstrated power over shaping and directing national policy, often overriding internal party disagreements.

FOR EXAMPLE - PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN PUSHED FORWARD MAJOR LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVMENTS SUCH AS THE INFLATION REDUction act of 2022, which focused on climate investment healthcare, and tax reform. DESPITE resistance from some moderate democratics like senator Joe Manchin, Biden’s persistance and negotiations ultimately secured the bill’s passage. Similarly, his use of executive action - such as on student loan forgiveness and tighter environmental regulations - underscores the president’s ability to drive policy even when facing congressional gridlock. Similarly, President Donald Trump before him demonstatred this kind of policy control by reshaping the republican party’s stance on trade, by pulling out of the trans-pacific partnerships and negotiating nafta into the usmca, often in defiance of traditional GOP free trade orthodoxy

critic

• extent of their control over party is frequently overstated

  • President Biden’s original Build back better plan was dramatically scaled down due to opposition from moderate democrats showing that even with party majorities, the president must constantly negotiate and compromise.

party governments

IN the us, politial parties often act party governments meaning they dominate decision-making when they control key branches of government. A clear is example is the American resuce plan 2021 a major covid 19 relief package. it was passed whent he democratic party controlled the presidency of biden, the house of rep, and the senate. The bill passed with no republican support, showing how democrats used their majority to push through their agenda without needing bipartisan backing. Similar, the inflation reduction act 2022, which focused on climate, health care and tax reform, passed with only democratic voters in the senate, using a process of budget reconciliation to bypass republican filibuster. On the republican side, simiarly, trumps presidency , the tax cuts and jobs act 2017 was passed with almost no democratic support, showing that the republic controlled cognress could push through major tax reforms based on party policies. tHIS SHOWS … parties govern by coordinating their members to pass laws and make decisions, often with little or no input from the other side

critic - however critics say that us parties do not function as party governments because they lack strong internal discipline and are limited by the structure of the political system. For example, reblicans failed to reapeal the affordable care act, mainly because of a few gop senators who broke with the party line, such as john mckain

PARTY FUNDING BAD TOO LITTLE FAIRNESS!

First of all the US party funding system is dominated by large private donations and super PAC spending which raises serious fairness and transparency concerns in American democracy. Since the 2010, Citizens United supreme court decision, wealthy individuals, corporations and unions can contribute unlimited amouts to super pacs, which then spend independently of candidates. For instance during the 2022 midterm election, Super Pacs spent over 1.3 billion dollar, surpassing previous record. Groups aligned with both parties such as the congressional leadership fund (republican aligned) and the senate majority pac (democratic aligned) heavily influenced the campaigns through ads and voter mobilisation efforts. Additionally the 2024 presidential primary season saw early super pac fundraising breaking previous, with candidates’ affiliated super pac raising tens of millions of dollars even before the official campaign season behan. In the 2022 midterm election, one of the prominent donation was made by conservative barre seid of 1.6 to a political advocacy group called the marble freedom trust, led by leonard leo - a key figure in shaping the conservative legal movement and the supreme court.. Simialrly dark money groups such as sixteen thirty fund spent over 400 million across the 2020 and 2022 election cycle to support dem.

critic - joe biden 2024 campaign embraced tradition funding/ small donation, distancing from super pac

however they are also good

IN contrast valuable role in american democracy by encouraging political engagement and pluralism. From this perspective, party funding allows citiizens and organisations to actively support candidates to align with their values, making democracy more responsive and participatory.

• emily’s list raised over 100 million dollars during the 2022 midterms to support pro-choice democratic women, helping to elect key candidates like Katie Hobbs in arizon

• On the right, club for growth and americans for prosperity has poured tend of millions into campaigns for candidates commited to low tax, pro market poliicies.

• In 2024 aipac super pac, united democracy project, spent million ot influence key democratic primaries, such as in Maryland’s senate race, demonstrating how interest groups can shape debate and inject policy substance

  • additionally, tech industry donors like linkdin found reid hoffman and cyprto executive such as sam Bankman-fried were major fundors of democratic and bipartisan initiatives in 2022, reflecting how emerging sectors engage politically through private funding

PARTY FUNDING EXCLUDES PEOPLE

Party funding reinforces systematic inequality in politial acess and representation, often leaving marginalised communities with a limited voice

→ FOR EXAMPLE

• IN THE 2024 cycle, large donor networks dominated funding in swing states like georgia and pennsylvania, but grassroots candidates in poorer districts struggled to attract national pac support or media attention. This creates a funding map where only winnable or high profile races recieve serious investment, leaving over areas politically neglect. In addition, funding structures tend to prioritise safe cadidates who appeal to the more wealthy donors, often at the expense of more radical/ reformist voices

• For instance, progressive candidates backed by local movements like Cori Bush or summer lee have repeatedly faced heavy resistance from establishment based pac despite strong grassroots support

THese dynamics entrench status quo politics and limit ideological diversity in congress. Beyond election, this financial imbalance affects policymaking, as industries may spend heavily on campaigns as enjoy greater lobbying access

critic - not inherent undemocratic for wealthier indivuduals or interest groups to have more resources, as long as all citizens have the right to participate.