Political Parties and Interest Groups Slideshow (Chapters 8 and 7)

Linkage Institutions

• Definition: Structures within society that connect people to the government.

• Examples of linkage institutions:

  • Elections

  • Political parties

  • Interest groups

  • The media

How Parties Engage Individuals

• Political parties act as a primary means for citizens to express their views.

• These parties are ubiquitous in American politics, accessible to nearly everyone.

What Are Political Parties?

• Political Party: An organization of ideologically similar individuals that nominates its members for public office to govern and shape public policy.

  • Functions of political parties include:

    • Identifying and nominating candidates

    • Campaigning for candidates

    • Organizing elections

    • Governing

• Big Tent Principle: A strategy aiming to build a broad coalition of diverse groups within the party.

How Do Political Parties Influence Voters?

• Parties affect voters by:

  • Shaping and reflecting political ideologies.

  • Determining their candidates for office.

  • Controlling the drawing of legislative districts.

  • Membership is open, flexible between lifelong allegiance to casual support on Election Day.

  • Active members engage in volunteering, donating, and campaigning.

  • Methods of engaging voters:

    • Organizing monthly local chapter meetings, calling voters, canvassing, and promoting the party platform.

Parties Today and Their Functions

• Key Distinctions of Political Parties:

  • Run candidates under a specific label.

  • Aim for governance and tackling a wide variety of issues.

  • Have a quasi-public relationship with the government.

How Do Political Parties Connect People?

• Parties connect through:

  • Persuading voters for their candidates and platforms.

  • Educating voters about issues.

  • Encouraging campaign involvement through grassroots efforts.

  • Example: A supporter canvassing a neighborhood for a Republican candidate.

The Party Organization

• Definition: The formal structure of a party including committees, headquarters, and volunteers.

• Organizational Structure: Typically resembles a pyramid, but local and county levels hold real political power despite national committees.

Differences Between Democrats and Republicans

• Democratic Agenda Includes:

  • Civil rights

  • Social welfare programs

  • Environmental protection

• Republican Agenda Advocates:

  • Smaller government

  • Pro-business policies

  • Emphasis on traditional moral values

• Shared Topics: Both parties focus on immigration, terrorism, and disaster responses.

Ideological Spectrum Priorities

• Liberal:

  • Equality of Opportunity

  • Rule of Law

  • Individualism

• Libertarian:

  • Individualism

  • Limited Government

  • Free Enterprise

• Conservative:

  • Free Enterprise

  • Limited Government

  • Rule of Law

• Differences in priorities highlight ideological distinctions.

Party Realignment

• Definition: Changes in electoral forces as party identification shifts.

• Critical Elections: Mark shifts in party loyalities.

• Causes:

  1. Major defeats leading to obscurity.

  2. Voter migrations due to crises.

Significance of Party Realignment

• Occurs during major political events and can lead to new party systems.

• Historical Examples:

  • New Deal coalition

  • Southern voter shift to Republican Party

• Realignments connect with demographic shifts impacting political landscapes.

The Tea Party Movement (2010)

• Position: Considered a faction within the Republican Party, not a third party.

• Focus: Concerns about government spending and liberty.

Third Parties (Minor Parties)

• Despite a two-party system, significant third parties have emerged, often acting as policy innovators.

• Impact: They can pull votes away from major parties, influencing election outcomes.

• Historical Note: Minor parties like Jackson's Democrats and Lincoln's Republicans began as third parties.

Why Do Third Parties Form?

• Formed by voters feeling unrepresented by major parties.

• Types of third parties:

  • Ideological (e.g., Libertarians)

  • Splinter (e.g., Bull Moose)

  • Economic-protest (e.g., Greenback Party)

  • Single-issue (e.g., Green Party)

Barriers to Third Parties

• Challenges:

  • Single-member districts requiring majority votes to secure seats.

  • Less organized fundraising compared to major parties.

  • EFfective media coverage often neglects third-party candidates.

More Barriers...

• Major parties tend to absorb third-party platforms, making it tougher for third parties to establish themselves.

• Winner-Take-All System: Prevents third parties from gaining electoral votes unless they win a majority vote in a state.

A Post-Party Era?

• Characteristics of new party systems:

  • Dealignment: Growth of independent voter identities.

  • Ticket Splitting: Voting across party lines.

  • Candidate-Centered Politics: Importance of individual candidates over party affiliation.

Interest Groups vs. Political Parties

• Interest Groups:

  • Support specific candidates, focus on influencing policies, and are private organizations concerned with public policy.

• Political Parties:

  • Nominate candidates for public office and focus on winning elections.

Roles of Interest Groups

• Interest groups are forms of linkage institutions aiming to influence policy-making across all government branches.

• Engage in pluralism, where multiple groups compete for power and attention.

• Form connections known as iron triangles and issue networks.

Key Functions of Interest Groups

• Roles:

  • Educate the public and lawmakers about policy issues.

  • Mobilize citizens towards civic action and activism.

  • Inform policymakers and protect the public interest within the framework of checks and balances.

Concerns About Interest Groups

• Interest groups can contribute to perceived and actual corruption in politics.

• Issues Raised:

  • Influence of money and PACs.

  • Incumbency advantages as elites dominate these groups over ordinary citizens.

Patterns of Membership in Interest Groups

• Participation often correlated with demographic factors such as income, social class, education, and race.

• Increasing online presence promotes diverse participation in interest groups.

Direct Strategies to Advance Interests

• Methods:

  • Lobbying

  • Litigation

  • Providing information to legislators

Lobbying, Issue Networks, and Iron Triangles

• Lobbying Definition: Direct communication with policymakers.

• Forming issue networks promotes connection among various stakeholders in a policy area.

• Iron Triangle: Collaborative interaction among members of Congress, executive agencies, and organized interests during policy-making.

Lobbying the Courts

• Forms of Influence:

  • Filing amicus curiae briefs.

  • Attempting to nominate favorable judges is another strategy of interest groups.

Conclusion on Issue Networks

• Definition: Networks consist of various stakeholders, including interest groups, Congress, bureaucracy, and academia, all contributing to ongoing policy debates and development.

• Think tanks play significant roles in shaping policy through research and analysis.