Chapter 5 Political Parties

Political party

"An organization that helps candidates win elections

Party platform

A formal statement of a party's positions and policy goals from which voters can better understand what the party stands for.

Political socialization

The process by which individuals develop their political and partisan views; begins early in life through family

Swing voters

True independents whose votes are not reliably committed to either party; they can ultimately decide close elections.

Party primary

An election held within a party to select its candidates for the general election; in Texas voters may vote in either party's primary without registering with that party.

Runoff election

A follow-up election between the top two primary vote-getters when no candidate wins a majority in the primary.

Precinct chair

The elected party official at the precinct level (the smallest electoral unit); elected during the party primary.

County executive committee

The party governing body at the county level; composed of the county chair and all precinct chairs.

State executive committee

The highest party governing body at the state level; includes a state chair and a vice chair.

First past the post

An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins the seat regardless of whether they have a majority; disadvantages third parties.

Single-member district

An electoral district that sends only one representative to the legislature; used in Texas and most of the U.S.

Proportional representation

"A multi-member district electoral system in which each party receives legislative seats proportional to its share of the total vote; allows third parties to win seats. Used in many other countries

Blue Dog Democrats

Conservative Democrats; largely an endangered species in the South — by 2012 all conservative Texas Democrats in Congress had retired

Shivercrat movement

A 1950s movement of conservative Texas Democrats who backed Republican presidential candidates (like Eisenhower); an early signal of Texas's eventual shift to the Republican Party.

Tea Party

"A conservative movement emphasizing anti-tax

Partisan polarization

The increasing ideological distance between the two major political parties; becoming more pronounced in the Texas legislature.

What are the four main roles of political parties in Texas?

"(1) Help candidates win elections

Why is the party platform especially important in Texas?

Texas elects a very large number of officeholders

What is unique about party registration in Texas?

Texas has NO party registration. Voters may vote in either party's primary election.

Describe the structure of Texas political parties from smallest to largest unit.

"Precinct (precinct chair) → County (county chair + county executive committee) → State (state executive committee with state chair and vice chair)."

How do precinct conventions fit into the party convention process?

"Precinct conventions send delegates to the county convention and may submit resolutions for the party platform. County conventions then elect delegates to the state convention."

Why do third parties struggle in Texas?

Texas uses a first-past-the-post

How does proportional representation differ from the Texas system?

"Under proportional representation

What is the Texas Tea Party's strategy and why has it been effective?

"Rather than running third-party candidates

What was the significance of Reagan's 1980 election for Texas?

Reagan's 1980 victory marked a major turning point — Texans began voting Republican in both presidential and state elections

By what year were all Texas statewide elected officials Republican?

1999 — by then the Republican Party had completed its takeover of all statewide offices in Texas.

What was the composition of the Texas legislature after the 2022 elections?

"Republicans held at least 19 of 31 Senate seats and 86 of 150 House seats. Both U.S. senators and 25 of 38 Texas members of the U.S. House were Republican."

What is the demographic base of the Texas Democratic Party?

African Americans

What is the demographic base of the Texas Republican Party?

"Trump loyalists

Why has the Democratic Party struggled to win statewide races in Texas?

The party's base — concentrated in urban areas among African Americans

What is the rural-urban-suburban political divide in Texas?

"Cities have become more Democratic; rural areas are solidly Republican; suburbs have leaned Republican partly due to 'white flight' from cities."

What share of the Texas population is African American and how does their turnout compare?

About 12% of Texas is African American. Their turnout rate is higher than Latino voters but lower than White voters — in 2018 it was 45.8% vs. 56.8% for Whites and 25% for Latinos.

What percentage of Texas registered voters were Latino in 2020 and what is the challenge?

Latinos were about 23% of registered voters but have significantly lower turnout than other groups. Their full political impact may not be felt until the next generation of U.S.-born citizens becomes eligible to vote.

In the 2022 election what was the voter turnout by race?

"White: 53.3%

Who were the two competing Republican factions in the 2023 Texas legislative session and what did they represent?

"Speaker Dade Phelan represented a more moderate Republican approach

What does the future hold for the Democratic Party in Texas?

Republicans remain dominant. However

What historical era defined Texas as a one-party Democratic state?

"After the Civil War through the mid-20th century — over a century of Democratic dominance. The Democratic primary was the only meaningful election; Republicans often ran no candidates at all."

What caused the Democratic Party to split in the mid-1940s?

A divide developed between liberal and conservative Democrats in response to New Deal policies and the emerging civil rights movement.

How did the Tea Party influence policy outcomes in Texas?

Its anti-tax and limited government agenda pushed for less funding for education and fewer social services at the state level.

How are political parties using social media today?

"Parties use platforms like Facebook