Political Parties

Political Parties in the United States #1

What is a Political Party?

  • Political Party: A group of people who seek to control the government through winning elections and holding public office

  • Made up of people who are committed to a common set of public policies and programs that favor their platform (their stance on the issues)

    • A party’s platform could be more liberal (Democrats), conservative (Republicans), or both (Libertarians)

  • Parties exist at all levels of government in our federal system (National, State, Local)

3 Components of the Party

1)     Party Machinery

·       National Chairperson

o   Administrator, hires personnel, serves as the spokesperson

·       National Committee

o   Stages the national convention, handles fundraising, selects chairperson

o   Members of Congress

o   State Officials

2)     Elected Officials

·       The face of the party

o   Represents the party when creating and enforcing public policies

o   Can affect the party’s reputation and sway public opinion in favor of it or against it

·       President is the automatic leader of his or her party, which is at the time considered to be “the party in power”

·       The party not in power has no comparable leader

3)     Population that identifies with the party and votes for that party’s candidates

·       Major parties are referred to as “Big Tent Parties”

o   The more members, the better

o   No membership dues

#2

 

Functions of Political Parties

The Nominating Function

·       When parties select candidates to run for public office

·       They will then conduct campaigns for those candidates to win elections

·       At the national level you see a series of different nomination methods to select the candidates for President and Vice President:

o   Nominating Caucus

§  Supporters of candidates attend a series of open meetings to express presidential preferences

§  Open to members of a specific party

§  Requires the most time on the part of the voter

o   Open Primary Elections

§  Eligible American voters (electorate) are able to cast one vote for a candidate of either party, even if they aren’t a declared member of that party

§  Candidate selection is a divisive process that pits factions of each party against one another

o   The National Convention

§  The Party Machinery (delegates) for each major party assemble to officially select/nominate the party’s ticket (President, VP candidates) for the General Election (The actual Presidential Election that occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every 4 years).

§  Occurs the summer of each presidential election year at a large venue.

§  Write and announce the party’s official platform on the issues.

The Informer-Stimulator Function

  • When parties take stands on issues and criticize the stands taken by their opponents

  • The party out of power scrutinizes and criticizes the actions of government officials

  • Will attempt to sway public opinion in favor of their positions on the issues

  • Parties use the mass media to perform this “educational” function

  • Use statistics and research to back up what they are saying

    • Beware could be done using push poll data***

      • Parties attempt to educate people about contemporary issues through:

        • Campaign speeches, Debates, TV newscasts, Radio ads, Internet sites, social media

The “Seal of Approval” Function

  • When parties try to ensure that the people they nominate are qualified and of good character.

  • Some people vote for candidates solely because of party affiliation

  • Work to ensure that elected officials perform their duties well to protect the reputation of the party

  • Parties provide nominees with a solid base of support

  • Party’s name provides the candidates legitimacy in the eyes of the people

The Governmental Function

  • When parties appoint state and federal public officials on a partisan basis

  • Appointing candidates from the same party to other government positions can aid a party’s goal of implementing and enforcing the public policies that favor their platform (stance on the issues)

    • Examples:

      • Justices of the Supreme Court

      • Congressional Committees

      • Presidential Cabinet

  • Major agent for cooperation between our 3 branches of government

  • Making government actions more efficient and favor their party’s beliefs

#3

Reasons for the Two-Party System

The Historical Basis

  • The framers of the Constitution were opposed to political parties

  • Framers viewed political parties as dangerous and disruptive

    • Framers felt they promoted:

      • Societal divisions

      • Pursuit of selfish interest

      • Stifled dissent

  • In the debate over ratification, Federalists and Anti-federalists became the country’s first parties

  • However, we know that the 2 major parties today are the Republicans (Conservative) and Democrats (Liberal)!

KNOW THESE PARTY’S PLATFORMS ON THE ISSUES**************

The Force of Tradition

  • Most Americans accept the two-party system because:

    • It has always existed as long as they can remember

    • People are wary of “throwing their vote away” on a minor party candidate

  • Therefore, minor parties have made little headway

    • Since no one votes for minor parties, it is also hard for them to receive any campaign funding

  • However, polls indicate that Americans would like a viable minor party to challenge the two major parties

  • Especially in elections where the 2 candidates representing the major parties are not very well liked.

  • America’s political parties tend to take moderate stands to attract the largest number of voters

  • While minor party candidates feel more freedom to speak their mind, since they feel that they have no real shot at winning the election

Minor Parties

·       Any political party that is not one of the 2 major parties (Republicans, Democrats)

·       These parties do not win elections very often, and have never had their party become the “party in power”

·       However, they still can have a major effect on government and politics.

Libertarian Party

·       This is a minor party with a particular set of beliefs, that include a broad view of social, economic, and political matters.

·       Have more success than any other minor party today.

o   Take a stance on almost every major issue and stand out from the 2 major parties by providing an “alternative platform.”

Libertarian Platform

·       Legalization of marijuana                                 

·       Pro-choice                                           

·       Decrease the size of the military           

·       Unregulated free market economy

·       Decreased taxes

·       Right to bear arms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effect of Minor Parties

·       Attract new groups of citizens, causing them to become active voters.

·       Bring new issues to the national agenda.

·       If they gain a lot of support, they will usually then be adopted and advocated for by the major parties.

·       If a liberal minor party candidate runs for office, it could cause the Democrat on the ballot to lose some potential votes.  If a conservative minor party candidate runs for office, it could cause the Republican on the ballot to lose some potential votes.  Even if they aren’t winning often, they’re participation can still affect the outcome.

o   This is called the “Spoiler Role.”

Future of the Major Parties

·       Parties have been in a state of decline since the 1960s

·       Dealignment

o   Decline in loyalty or identification with parties

o   Growing number of independent voters and “split tickets.”

·       Realignment

o   Voters switching allegiance between parties.

·       Split-ticket voting

o   Voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot

·       Straight-ticket voting

o   Voting for candidates of only one party on the entire ballot

·       Dealignment may be the pattern of the future

·       However, parties are unlikely to disappear if they continue to serve a purpose.

 

 

Voter Behavior #4

  • The real meaning of democracy is when citizens step into election booths and secretly select candidates

  • Suffrage: the right to vote

  • Franchise: the right to vote

    • When someone becomes, “enfranchised,” it means they have gained this right.

    • When someone becomes, “disenfranchised,” it means they have lost this right.

  • Electorate: every person that is eligible to vote within the nation.

  • Over 200 years since the beginning of our democracy and universal suffrage is finally achieved

    • Ironically voter participation on a percentage basis has never been lower

The Constitution & the Right to Vote

The History of Voting Rights

  • Framers of the constitution purposely left suffrage (Franchise) qualifications up to individual states

  • 1789 white male property owners could vote

    • Approximately 1 in 15 white males could vote

  • Constitutional limits on State’s power as it relates to suffrage

    • States cannot violate the constitution when setting franchise requirements

  • Voters within a state cannot be held to differing requirements for state and federal elections

    • If you are eligible to vote for a state election, you must also be eligible to vote for a national election

15th Amendment- 1870

  • Civil War amendment

  • Gave former slaves the right to vote

    • No state can deprive any person the right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” 

19th Amendment- 1920

  • Women’s Suffrage

  • No state can deprive any person of the right to vote because of their gender

    • Prior to this some states had already granted women the right to vote but it was not universal

  • Congress finally gives into the women’s suffrage movement by passing this amendment

24th Amendment- 1964

  • Elimination of poll taxes

  • No state can require the payment of any tax as a condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any federal officeholder

    • President

    • Vice President

    • Members of Congress

26th Amendment- 1971

  • 18 years old = national voting age

  • No state can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age

    • Became a major issue in the 1940s during WWII

      • Finally passed at the height of the Vietnam War amongst many protests surrounding the draft

      • If you are old enough to go to war than you are old enough to vote

      • Most quickly ratified Constitutional Amendment

  • States can allow a lower voting age but is prohibited from raising the voting age above 18

  • Beyond these restrictions, you must remember that no state can violate any other provision in the Constitution in the setting of suffrage qualifications.

    • This is because of the Supremacy Clause.

 

#5

Voting Qualifications

Qualifications to Vote

  • There are 3 major qualifications that must be considered when determining voter eligibility:

    • Citizenship, Residence, Age

Citizenship

  • Aliens – Foreign born residents who have not become citizens – are generally denied the right to vote.

    • Nothing is stated about aliens in the Constitution

    • A state could allow them to vote

    • Western states used to allow aliens to vote once they applied for citizenship

  • Most states make no distinction between naturalized and natural born citizens when it comes to suffrage.

    • Naturalized – born elsewhere and completed citizenship process

    • Natural Born – born in the U.S.

Residence

  • Most states require that a person live within a state for some period to vote

    • Prevents a political “machine” from bringing in outsiders to affect an election

    • Avoids voter fraud

    • States feel that voters should have some time to familiarize themselves with local candidates and issues

  • Approximately half of all states require 30 days of residence prior to voting

    • Some require 20 days all the way down to 10 days

    • Some have set a zero-day residency requirement or allow same day registration (Election Day Registration)

      • Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Maine

      • North Dakota does not mandate voter registration

  • Residence requirements are getting increasingly smaller

    • Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970

      • Prohibited any requirements greater than 30 days for voting in presidential elections.

  • Most states prohibit transients from voting in each state

    • Voting done by absentee ballot (a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station to which the voter is normally allocated)

      • traveling salesperson

      • member of armed forces

      • college student

    • Some states are now recognizing college students that claim campus community as legal residence

Age

  • 26th Amendment sets 18 as minimum age for voting

    • Before 26th amendment age was 21 to vote

    • Argument was old enough to be drafted at 18, old enough to vote

    • A 17-year-old whose birthday falls after a primary but before the general election can vote in the primary as a 17-year-old

Other Qualifications

  • In the past, states have made many other qualifications

    • Literacy Tests

      • Congress ended this practice in 1970

    • Poll Tax

      • 24th amendment and Supreme Court put an end to this practice (1964)

    • Registration

      • Registration is the only one of these alternative qualifications that has survived

        • National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Motor Voter Law)

          • Required States to make registration as easy as possible

          • Required that citizens be able to register to vote when applying for or driver’s license renewal

          • Citizens can now register via mail

          • Registration form to be found at unemployment office, welfare office, other governmental offices

          • Very successful piece of legislation

          • Generated 10 million new registered voters

Voting Disqualifications

  • There are no states that allow people in mental institutions (or anyone declared mentally incompetent) the right vote.

  • Resident aliens (non-citizens)

  • Most people convicted of serious crimes (felons) are not allowed to vote

  • Some states deny the vote to those dishonorably discharged from the military

  • Lack of Identification Documents

    • Driver’s license

    • Social security cards

    • Proof of residence

#6

Nonvoting

Participation Levels

  • In the U.S. millions of people do not vote

  • In 2004, 116 million (53% of eligible voters) did not vote 

Why Don’t People Vote?

  • “Ballot fatigue” –many people do not mark their entire ballot

    • Whether its fatigue or lack of interest, fewer voters vote on state and local portions of ballots 

  • Illness or physical disability

  • Unexpectedly unable to make it to the polls

  • Apathy

    • Some people feel that they have little or no effect on outcome

    • Lack political efficacy (any feeling of influence or effectiveness in politics)

    • They feel their votes will have no impact on what government does

  • Lack of Trust

    • Some people don’t vote because they feel that the two parties are essentially the same in policy and philosophy so why vote

    • Some people genuinely dislike and distrust politicians and as a result they do not vote

  • Bad weather on election day

  • Lengthy Election Procedures

    • Long lines at polling places

    • Identification laws

  • “Time-Zone Fallout”

    • Polls in the east close before polls in the west

    • Some people don’t bother voting after seeing early results

Voters vs. Nonvoters

  • Voters are likely to be:

    • People at high end of the social, economic, and educational ladder

    • Active in their communities

    • People with a high level of political efficacy

  • Nonvoters are likely to be:

    • Under 35 (younger you are, less likely you are to vote)

    • Unmarried and unskilled

    • Living in the south or in rural areas

  • Off-year elections have a lower voter turnout than a Presidential election year

  • Greater the candidate competition, the higher the voter turnout will be

    • Close Call

      • 2000 Presidential election – Republican candidate George Bush won Florida by 537 votes over Democratic candidate Al Gore

        • Nearly 6 million votes cast

        • This was a 0.009% difference

Possible Solutions for Non-Voting

  • Move Election Day to the weekend

  • Mail-in Voting

    • High probability of increased turn-out

    • High probability of fraud

  • Internet Voting

    • Possibility of technical glitch

    • Some people don’t have internet

    • High probability of fraud

  • Early Voting

    • Many states have started doing this

    • Up to 1/3 of all votes were cast before Election Day in 2012