Political Parties

- # The Role of Political Parties in the American Political System

- [[Political parties]] by definition are groups that nominate candidates for elected office

- complex institutions that help to provide structure to political debates in government as well as opinions in the mass public

- the Founders were skeptical of the influence parties would have on the new republic

- [[James Madison]] warns of the problems of factions, or groups of people with likeminded interests, in Federalist 10

- [[George Washington]] perceived political parties as a source of unnecessary division of the public

- political scientists generally do not share the founders concerns and argue that parties actually improve democracy thanks to the organization that they provide

- parties alleviate [[Coordination problems]] by constraining individualism in Congress

- # Structure of American Political Parties

- Political scientist V.O. Key Jr. created the [[tripartite model of political parties]] to differentiate the three primary roles parties play in the American political system:

- ## Party in Government

- comprised of politicians elected by the public to serve as their official representatives in the American political system

- provides structure to [[Congress]] and also includes partisans in the [[executive branch]]

- party leaders in government facilitate coalition-building between members, encouraging elected officials to pursue party goals rather than exclusively focusing on their districts.

- ## Party as an Organization

- exists to aid in the election of partisans to various offices across levels of government

- All levels of the party organization host conventions to highlight candidates before an election and potentially revise the party platform

- Considered the beginning of the [[general election]] and the end of [[primary season]], [[national conventions]] highlight victors from the primary with hopes of promoting unity among all partisans

- Both parties have national committees as well as committees in both the House and the Senate with the goal of electing as many partisans as possible to office across levels of government

- Members are categorized as either party professionals or party amateurs

- [[party professionals]] are chairpersons and other leaders who work directly with the party

- [[party amateurs]] ("motivated partisans") who are passionate about a specific policy domain work unofficially with the party to advance their goals

- ## Party in the Electorate

- Members of the mass public who participate in politics and align with a political party

- some partisans in the electorate are card-carrying members, as some states require voters to register as a member of one of the two parties in order to vote in a party's primary, while others simply identify as a member without any official commitment.

- Party labels even serve as information shortcuts to voters, and the current hyperpolarized political environment results in these cues becoming more useful

- # The Evolution of American Political Parties Over Time:

- Over the course of United States history, two dominant parties have existed, yet these two parties change depending on the time period.

- despite President Washington’s warning to the public about the dangers posed by political parties, the benefits of parties

- # 1796-1860

- ### The First Party System

- 1796-1824

- [[Democratic Republican Party]]

- Skeptics of the original Constitution

- promoted a reduced role for the national government

- [[Federalist Party]]

- Comprised of the [[Founders]] who supported ratification of the Constitution

- preferred a strong national government

- ## The Second Party System

- 1832-1860

- the Federalist Party lost its appeal as the population increased over time

- Voter mobilization efforts thrived as a result of the efforts of then-Vice President Martin van Buren

- Democratic Party (Formerly [[Democratic Republican Party]])

- [[Whig Party]]

- did not reach a consensus over slavery and dissolved at the onset of the Civil War

- # 1860-1932

- ### The Third Party System

- 1860-1896

- [[Democratic Party]]

- continued to possess a stronghold on the southern states aligning with the Confederacy

- [[Republican Party]]

- Formed by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War to promote the Union’s opposition to slavery and preference for a stronger national government at the expense of state power

- ### The Fourth Party System

- 1896-1932

- unique in that a third party, the [[Progressive Party]], was able to influence policy outcomes

- [[Duverger’s Law]] explains that single-member districts and plurality elections result in two-party systems, while multiparty systems emerge in political systems with multi-member districts and majority voting.

- demand for political reforms allowed the Progressives to exert political power

- adopted the [[Australian ballot]] ("secret ballot") which prevented party bosses from manipulating election outcomes, as they no longer had the means of validating whether or not purported supporters vote for the party’s slate of candidates

- the [[direct primary]] and [[17th Amendment]] provided the mass public with more control over electoral campaigns than the party organizations.

- ## The Fifth Party System

- 1932-1980

- represents a shift in the power differential between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

- The Republicans controlled the White House until the [[Great Depression]]

- caused a shift in public opinion in favor of a stronger national government

- Began with the election of [[President Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]

- [[New Deal]] programs inspired a growing coalition of Democratic voters from an array of social groups

- marginalized groups formed the [[New Deal Coalition]] that sustained Democratic support until the 1960s

- united to mitigate the effects of the Depression through the creation of new federal programs to promote employment and improve the economy

- dissolved following debates about the role of race in the American political system

- Southern whites began to support the Republican Party following the racial policy changes enacted in the 1960s

- ## The Sixth Party System

- 1980-Present

- Emerged after the [[southern realignment]], the movement of a majority of southern voters from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party following the federal prohibition of racial segregation

- began the process of party polarization

- Republicans became more conservative

- counts on loyal partisans in the south to support their candidates

- Democrats became more liberal

- receives loyal support from the coasts and urban areas

-parties are now significantly more powerful

- # The Role of Interest Groups in the American Political System

- [[interest groups]] form when individuals share common goals of influencing public policies related to a single issue or multiple issues

- do not nominate candidates for office

- attempt to influence the policymaking process in a separate manner than their peers in the two major political parties

- exist across social groups, but most organized interests represent the business community in the United States

- # Lobbying Activities of Interest Groups

- Lobbying serves as the primary means by which interest groups attempt to garner the attention of elected officials

- Two distinct forms of lobbying exist

- ## [[Inside Lobbying]]

- occurs when interest groups directly contact politicians with hopes that developing a relationship with these people will help advance their respective causes

- recent campaign finance reforms allow interest groups to contribute large sums of money to politicians, and these donations assist a group’s ability to gain access to an elected official

- ## [[Outside Lobbying]]

- occurs when interest groups engage with members of the public, hoping to mobilize voters, who, in turn, will appeal to politicians

- # Interest Groups and Collective Dilemmas

- ## Collective Action Problems

- susceptible to [[free riding]] as individuals know they can reap the benefits of the interest group without working on behalf of the group itself

- to prevent this, groups provide selective incentives to members of the group that are unavailable to individuals who do not join

- may solicit contributions from special donors

- recruit entrepreneurs who perceive the costs of membership as quite low compared to the benefits and regard the group’s goals as their own

- ## Coordination Problems

- Groups may unite under a common cause, yet their interests may not align in a perfect fashion

- to overcome coordination problems, groups may craft a clear, concise message that they use when lobbying politicians