American Political Parties & Ideology

Key Question

  • EQ: How do ideologies of the two major parties shape policy debates?

Functions of Political Parties

  1. Recruit Candidates and Run Campaigns
    • Parties nominate candidates for election.
  2. Give Cues to Voters
    • Parties provide information to voters that influences their decisions based on party image.
  3. Articulate Policies
    • Parties express their positions on various issues through platforms.
    • Example: Views on abortion and the death penalty.
  4. Coordinate Policymaking
    • Congress operates based on party affiliation, affecting legislative organization.

Political Party Agenda

  • Platform
    • A series of statements that outline a party's principles, beliefs, and positions on issues.
    • Example of issues: Abortion, Death Penalty.
  • Plank
    • Each individual part of the party platform.
    • Example: Democratic support of abortion; Republican support of the death penalty.
    • Purpose: Communicate party goals to voters, although rarely read by the public today.

Political Platforms

  • Definition: A statement of a political party's goals and policies for the upcoming four years; the best formal expression of party beliefs.
    • Notable Political Parties:
    • Green Party
    • Libertarian Party
    • Reform Party
    • Communist Party
    • Constitution Party
    • US Pacifist Party
    • US Natural Law Party
    • America First
    • Prohibition Party

The Two-Party System

  • The U.S. Constitution does not specifically outline a party system in the U.S.; it developed through tradition and manipulation of the existing political framework.
  • Reasons for Two-Party System:
    1. Winner-Take-All Elections/First Past the Post
    • Most electoral votes go to the candidate with the most votes in a state. Third parties do not gain electoral votes even if they receive significant votes.

Alternative Party Systems

  1. Multiparty System
    • No single party can achieve full government control.
    • Common in countries like Germany and Israel.
  2. One-Party System
    • The party and government are integrated.
    • Example: People's Republic of China (Communist Party)

Third Parties

  • Definition: Smaller, minor parties that seek to influence political discussions.
  • Influence: Often bring attention to issues that mainstream parties ignore; while they have not won the presidency, their ideas have sometimes been adopted by Democrats or Republicans.
Types of Third Parties
  1. Single Issue Parties
    • Formed to advocate for specific issues. Example: Prohibitionist Party (1872).
  2. Ideological Parties
    • Focused on specific philosophical ideals.
    • Examples:
      • Socialist Labor Party and Communist Party USA: Advocate for the replacement of free enterprise with government ownership of businesses.
      • Libertarian Party: Aims to reduce the size of the federal government and increase personal freedoms.
  3. Independent Candidates
    • Led by strong personalities, often short-lived.
    • Examples: H. Ross Perot (1992, 1996), Ralph Nader (2000).
Obstacles for Third Parties
  1. Debate Participation
    • Since 1992, third-party candidates are excluded from presidential debates.
  2. Federal Financing
    • Third parties require at least 5% of the popular vote to qualify for federal funding.
    • Parties receiving 5-25% receive funding proportionate to their vote count.
  3. Social Stigma
    • There exists a societal bias against voting for third-party candidates.
  4. Ballot Access
    • Each state has unique requirements for ballot access, often involving numerous signatures and financial costs.

Leading Third-Party Presidential Candidates (1948-2004)

  • Election Year - Candidate - Political Party - Votes (in thousands)
    • 1948 - Strom Thurmond - States' Rights - 1,176
    • 1952 - Vincent Hallinan - Progressive - 104
    • 1956 - T. Coleman Andrews - States' Rights - 111
    • 1960 - Eric Hass - Socialist Labor - 48
    • 1964 - Eric Hass - Socialist Labor - 45
    • 1968 - George Wallace - American Independent - 9,906
    • 1972 - John Schmitz - American - 1,099
    • 1976 - Eugene McCarthy - Independent - 757
    • 1980 - John Anderson - Independent - 5,720
    • 1984 - David Bergland - Libertarian - 228
    • 1988 - Ron Paul - Libertarian - 432
    • 1992 - H. Ross Perot - Independent - 19,742
    • 1996 - H. Ross Perot - Reform - 8,085
    • 2000 - Ralph Nader - Green - 2,883
    • 2004 - Ralph Nader - Independent - 464

Beginnings of the Two-Party System

  • Emergence from Washington's presidency:
    • Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson): Limited federal government, strict Constitution interpretation, pro-French Revolution, identified with common people, especially farmers.
    • Federalists (Hamilton): Strong central government, loose Constitution interpretation, pro-British, elite governance, believed business/industry was America's backbone.

War of 1812

  • Democratic-Republicans: Pro-war (southern/western support).
  • Federalists: Anti-war (concern for shipping economy), strongest support in the Northeast; Federalist Party crumbles post-war.

Realignment of Political Parties

  • Federalist Party: Opposed the War of 1812, led to the Hartford Convention discussing secession, crumbled after the war.
  • Democratic-Republicans: Experienced factions leading to their dissolution, eventually resulting in the emergence of the Democrats and the Whig Party.

Birth of Political Parties

  • Democratic Party
    • Traces back to Jefferson and Jackson; pro-slavery, expansion of slavery until civil war, southern dominance until 1960s.
  • Republican Party
    • Formed in 1854 by Lincoln and supporters; anti-slavery, promoting economic intervention, primarily strong in the North.

Historic Changes in Parties

  • Modern Republican Party: Entered a period of limited government (Harding & Coolidge to Nixon).
  • Modern Democratic Party: Strong government intervention and FDR's New Deal programs transformed government's economic role.

Early Cold War Era (1946-1964)

  • Both parties worked together, unified against communism but remained divided on racial issues.
  • FDR’s New Deal became the political norm.
  • Democratic Party leaders included FDR, Truman, and Kennedy; GOP led by Eisenhower.

Civil Rights Movement

  • Shifted party dynamics; Kennedy and LBJ pushed for civil rights legislation, causing many Southern Democrats to align with Republicans.
  • Nixon’s Southern Strategy aimed to gain support from the segregated South.

Political Parties Today

  • Democrats (liberal) promote government solutions and progressive social policies.
  • Republicans (conservative) favor state and private sector solutions, emphasizing hard power in policy.

Political Ideologies

Definition
  • A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose.
  • 2016 Reports (Pew Research):
    • 32% conservative, 32% liberal, 34% moderate.
Ideological Divide
  • Democrats and Republicans are more ideologically polarized than in the past.
  • Based on a 10-point scale of political values from 1994 to 2014, ideological consistency has increased.

Political Typology (2021)

  • Breakdown of political typologies:
    • Faith and Flag Conservatives: 10% Republican, 6% Democrat
    • Committed Conservatives: 7% Republican, 23% Democrat
    • Populist Right: 11% Republican, 16% Democrat
    • Ambivalent Right: 12% Republican
    • Stressed Sideliners: 15% Republican, 23% Democrat
    • Outsider Left: 10% Republican, 18% Democrat
    • Democratic Mainstays: 16% Democrat
    • Establishment Liberals: 13% Democrat 15% Republican
    • Progressives: 12% Democrat.

Differences between Liberals and Conservatives

  • Foreign Policy:
    • Liberals: Less military spending, less willingness to commit troops.
    • Conservatives: Favor military intervention and maintaining peace through strength.
  • Social Policy:
    • Liberals: Support freedom of choice on issues like abortion.
    • Conservatives: Favor right-to-life positions.
  • Economic Policy:
    • Liberals: Advocate for government regulation for public interest, higher taxes on the wealthy, and increased spending for social services.
    • Conservatives: Favor free-market solutions, low taxes, and spending control.

Ideology and its Historical Context

Liberalism
  • Classical Liberalism:
    • Limited government, sees government as a threat to liberty.
  • Modern Liberalism:
    • Expanded government role to address corporate greed and provide protection for the less fortunate.
  • Historical Fluctuations: Shifted from a strong presence (1930s-1970s) to a backlash (1980s-1990s) leading to Neo-liberalism.
Neo-Liberals
  • Advocacy for less government dependency while still recognizing a role for government to solve problems (ex. welfare reform).
Modern Liberal Shifts
  • Rising movements like Occupy and BLM have shifted focus back towards government interventions.
  • Struggles with messaging and direction within the party.
Conservatism
  • Perceived as a reactionary force against the excesses of liberalism since the late 1970s.
  • Emphasizes reducing government involvement.
  • Neoconservatives and Religious Right: Focus on traditional social values and aggressive foreign policy stances.
Socialism vs. Libertarianism
  • Socialism: Advocates for government control over industries; less popular in the U.S. with fears of dependency.
  • Libertarianism: Seeks to minimize government involvement in personal and economic matters; advocates for personal freedoms and national defense limited to essential protective measures.

Conclusion - Political Parties Today

  • Increased polarization in American society.
  • Growing number of people identify as independents rather than aligning with major parties.
  • The urban-rural split highlights deepening divisions across the political landscape.