formation of political parties , and TEXAS PARTY POLITICS

Q: did the united states have political parties from the beggining?

• George washingtons warning against political factions (1796) 

• Washington feared that intense competition between political factions could create hostility, weaked national unity, and undermine democratic government 

  • Political factions: a group united by shared political interests, belidefs, or goals, generally informal or loosely organized 

What is a group united by shared political interests, beliefs, or goals, generally informal or loosely organized 

Political factions

Party formation

Q: which two political parties formed the first party system in the US during the 1970s

• Federalist party

  • Favored a strong national government, a national bank, and commercial and manufacturing development 

• Democratic republican

  • Favored a more limited federal gov, emphasized agriculture 

who Favored a strong national government, a national bank, and commercial and manufacturing development 

federalists

who Favored a more limited federal gov, emphasized agriculture 

democratic republican

Party formation

Q. Do political parties emerge because politicians need voters, or because voters need political representation?

• Inside government (elite-driven)

  • Political elites form competing coalitions over policy disagreements and mobilzie public support to gain or maintain political power

    • Federalists and demcratic republicans (1790s)

• Outside government (mass driven)

  • Groups outside gov organize supporters and establish political  parties to compete for control of gov 

    • Populist (1890s)

    • Prohibition party (1869)

    • Green party (1980s-)

What is being described

• Political elites form competing coalitions over policy disagreements and mobilzie public support to gain or maintain political power

  • Federalists and demcratic republicans (1790s)

Inside government (elite-driven)

What is being described

• Groups outside gov organize supporters and establish political  parties to compete for control of gov 

  • Populist (1890s)

  • Prohibition party (1869)

  • Green party (1980s-)

Outside government (mass driven)

two party system and texas:

Q: have republican always been conservative and democrats always been liberal?

• Over the past several decades, the republican party has become increasingly conservative, whole the democratic party has become increasingly liberal 

  • Ideological sorting 

    • Conservatives and liberals becoming increasing concentrated in different political parties 

      • Can be considered polarization, “partisan polaritzation” 

What idea is being described?

• Conservatives and liberals becoming increasing concentrated in different political parties 

  • Can be considered polarization, “partisan polaritzation” 

Ideological sorting

 Two party system and texas:

• Party realignment

• Lasting, structural shift in the party coalitions, ideologies, and regional or demographic bases that support major political parties 

• 1960

  • Before 1960s both parties had liberal and conservative factors

• 1970

  • Civil rights legislation intensifies divisions within the democratic coalition. Many conservating white  southern voters gradually shifted toward republicans 

• 1980

  • Election of ronald regan led many conservative whites in texas to switch to the republican party 

 Two party system and texas:

• Party realignment 1960

• Before 1960s both parties had liberal and conservative factors

 Two party system and texas:

• Party realignment 1970

• Civil rights legislation intensifies divisions within the democratic coalition. Many conservating white  southern voters gradually shifted toward republicans 

 Two party system and texas:

• Party realignment 1980

• Election of ronald regan led many conservative whites in texas to switch to the republican party 

Q: is texas a one party dominant state?

• Historically, yes

  • Texas shifted from democratic dominance to republican dominance

• No democratic presidential nominee has texas since 1976 (jimmy carter is the last democratic candidate for president to win the state)

• Republicans captured most statewide offices in texas for the first time in 1994. From 1994 onwards, republicans were the dominant party statewide 

• Gina hinojosa (democrat)

  • First democrat and female elected tx gov

Q: how did texans vote around party realignment (1960s- 1980s)

• Presidential republlicanism

  • A form of split-ticket voting in which conservative democrats voted democratic for state and local candidates but republican for presidential candidates 

    • Shivercrat movement: 

      • In 1952, democratic gov allan shivers supported republican presidential candidate dwight d eisenhower 

What is ..

A form of split-ticket voting in which conservative democrats voted democratic for state and local candidates but republican for presidential candidates 

• shivercat movement

Presidential republlicanism

In 1952, democratic gov allan shivers supported republican presidential candidate dwight d eisenhower, what was this called

shivercat movement

Q: does electing a large number of public officials influence voter behavior and reinforcement the two party system in texas?

• yes . voters use informational shortcuts (party heuristics) and party labels as cues to help them make decisions about candidates for whom they should vote 

• This can reinforce the dominance of the two major parties

• voters use informational shortcuts (______ ____) and party labels as cues to help them make decisions about candidates for whom they should vote 

party heuristics

Third parties in texas:

• States rights democratic party (dixiecrats, 1948)

• Raza unida party (el partido de la raza unida, 1970s)

What former Third parties in texas is being described

Conservative white southern democrats who broke away from the national democratic party. Opposed presidents trumans civil rights agenda and supported racial segregation and states’ right

States rights democratic party (dixiecrats, 1948)

What former Third parties in texas is being described

• A party formed in texas in order to bring attention to the concerns of mexican americans (billingual education, greater political reprentation, and an end to discrimition)

• Mass-driven party

• The democratic party of texas began adopting issues that were important to latino voters who had been supporters of la raza unida 

Raza unida party (el partido de la raza unida, 1970s)

Third parties in texas, current

• Libertarian party

• Green party

What party is being described (texas)

• A third party that supports limited gov and advocates policies that can be consifderrered fiscally conservative and socially liberal

libertarian party

What party is being described (texas)

A third party that emphasizes environmental protection, social justices, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence

green party

Partisan factions in texas

• tea party republicans

• pro-trump republcians (MAGA)

• Partisan factions in texas

• Modern republican party divided into wings competing for power over the state

• These factions can overlap 

What partisan faction in texas is this?

Advocate limited government, fiscal conservatism, and challenges to established republican ledership

Tea party republicans

What partisan faction in texas is this?

• Emphasize immigration enforcement, and loyalty to trumps political movement 

Pro-trump republicans (MAGA)

What partisan faction in texas is this?

• pro-business poliicies, economic growth, regulatory stability, and oftern a more pragmatic approach to governing  

Business-friendly republicans

growing influence of latinos in texas

A large portion of these American-
born Latinos cannot vote because
of their age