Chapter 7: Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups and the Idea of Competition Study Notes

Chapter 7: Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups and the Idea of Competition

Organized Participation

Political Parties

  • Defined as organized groups that participate in the political process.

  • Functions of Political Parties:

    • Constituent Function:

      • Select candidates for office.

      • This selection process is formal and governed by state and federal law.

      • Support candidates during elections, particularly during primary elections.

    • Information Function:

      • Develop a program and educate the public about their beliefs.

      • Present a nearly comprehensive set of policy goals and programs for government.

    • Government Function:

      • Winners of elections organize the government and legislatures.

      • Members can form caucuses and obtain committee assignments based on party affiliation.

      • Governors tend to appoint supporters from their party, and judges often vote in alignment with party lines.

  • Political parties are highly active during elections.

Interest Groups

  • Defined as organizations of individuals who share one or more interests and try to influence the political system.

  • Functions of Interest Groups:

    • Constituent Function:

      • Have a limited role; they do not select candidates but support them.

      • Can support candidates in primary elections and both contestants for the same office.

      • Post-election support is common, especially in places like Texas.

    • Information Function:

      • Their set of beliefs is not necessarily comprehensive; they have limited policy preferences.

      • Primary target is generally their group members rather than the public at large.

    • Government Function:

      • Do not organize the government but provide essential information and mobilize for specific policy goals.

  • Interest groups are active between elections.

History of American Political Parties

  • Ratifying the Constitution:

    • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.

    • Anti-Federalists were often disorganized and predominantly rural.

  • Civil War Era:

    • Division between Republican North and Democratic South.

  • Machine Politics:

    • Urban political machines led to the emergence of the Democratic Party also detaching from its traditional ties.

  • New Deal Democrats:

    • Responded to economic conditions of the time and shifted political alignments.

Hyper-Partisanship

  • Defined as extreme devotion to the party that hinders cooperation across party lines.

  • Key factors contributing to hyper-partisanship:

    • Maximization of party control through gerrymandering.

    • Expansion of partisan electronic and broadcast media.

    • Reduction in bipartisan cooperation within Congress.

    • Dominance of primary elections.

    • Lack of local competition.

Figure 7.1: Gallup Poll Party Identification in Presidential Election Years

  • Dataset of party identification from 1952 to 2016 showing trends in Democratic vs Republican leanings:

    • 1952: Democrat (57%), Republican (34%)

    • 2008: Democrat (45%), Republican (44%)

    • 2016: Democrat (48%), Republican (41%).

Primary Election Systems

  • Closed Primary:

    • Only registered party members may vote in the party's primary.

  • Open Primary:

    • Voters can choose on the day of the primary which party's primary to participate in.

  • Semi-Closed Primary:

    • Allows unaffiliated voters to participate in a party's primary but requires party affiliation for registered members.

  • Top Two Primary:

    • The two highest vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

Figure 7.3: 2016 Primary Election Systems for Congress

  • Visual representation of various primary election systems used in different states during the 2016 congressional elections.

Figure 7.5: Texas Voting Age and Voting Eligible Turnout for Primary Elections

  • Data from 2000 to 2012 illustrating voter turnout in Texas for both Republicans and Democrats.

Example Statistics:

  • 2000 Turnout:

    • Republican VAP: 5.3%, Republican VEP: 6.3%,

    • Democratic VAP: 7.6%, Democratic VEP: 9.1%

  • 2008 Turnout:

    • Republican VAP: 7.8%, Republican VEP: 9.1%,

    • Democratic VAP: 16.4%, Democratic VEP: 19.2%

General Election Turnout Analysis

Figure 7.7: General Election Turnout: Northern and Former Confederate States Averages

  • Comparative turnout data from 1980 to 2012 across Northern states and Former Confederate states.

Figure 7.10: Correlations With Republican Party Control of Legislature (2015)

  • Several metrics correlated with Republican control, including:

    • Per Capita State and Local Revenue: -0.25

    • Educational Spending Per Child: -0.47

    • Poverty Rate: 0.20

  • Indicates the economic and social outcomes under party control.

Interest Groups

  • Organizations formed to influence political systems by mobilizing individuals who share common interests.

Interest Group Assets

  • Large Numbers:

    • Size is advantageous for electioneering and communication with government officials, but smaller groups find it easier to organize and stimulate participation.

  • Wealth:

    • Financial resources to fund activities and gain visibility.

  • Status:

    • Recognition and expertise which can influence policymakers.

Interest Group Activities

  • Electioneering:

    • Mobilizing members to vote and supporting preferred candidates.

  • Lobbying:

    • Attempting to influence policymakers by sharing information and advocating for specific policy changes.

  • Propagandizing:

    • Efforts to shape public opinion in favor of their causes.

Interest Group Representation

  • Organized interests are likelier to have an impact than unorganized ones:

    • Economic producer groups tend to be more organized than consumer groups.

    • Higher education and income levels correlate with greater likelihood of joining groups.

    • Participants usually feel strongly about the issues the group represents and tend to be predominantly wealthy, white, and male.

  • Involvement in business is also a common characteristic of group participants.

Influence of Interest Groups on the Political Process

  • Lobbying:

    • Effective technique involves direct personal contact with legislators; this personal interaction is crucial for successful lobbying.

    • Corporations and trade organizations tend to employ the majority of lobbyists.

  • Campaign Contributions:

    • Contributing money is seen as a strategic method for securing access to policymakers.

    • Money used for entertainment of lawmakers and providing campaign contributions.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

  • PACs are committees formed to collect and disburse money to designated political candidates and causes.

  • PACs aggregate the financial contributions of individuals, thus maximizing influence over public policy.

  • Contribution limits vary by state; however, Texas has fewer restrictions allowing for larger donations by PACs.

  • Politicians are often more responsive to private interests due to the reality of campaign financing rather than personal ethical compromises.