AP Government Unit 4. A political party is a group of voters, activists, candidates, and office...

AP GovernmentUnit 4

A political party is a group of voters, activists, candidates, and office holders who identify with a party label and seek to elect individuals to public office.

What is a Political Party?

Political Parties are…

• At the most basic level, a political party is a group of office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who identify with a group label and seek to elect to public office individuals who run under that label.

• Ours is a centrist party system. • Our parties tend not to be as ideological

as parties in other countries.

What makes up a Party?

• Parties are composed of committees that • raise campaign funds • coordinate election activities• formulate policies• recruit members

Parties are Made Up of Three Types of “Members”

1. Governmental party• The office holders and candidates

2. Organizational party• Workers and activists

3. Party-in-the-electorate• Those who vote for the party or consider

themselves to be allied or associated with it

The Evolution of American Party

• Hamilton and Jefferson, as heads of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist groups respectively, are often considered 'fathers' of the modern party system.

• By 1800, this country had a party system with two major parties that has remained relatively stable ever since.

1796 and 1800• Federalists vs.

Democratic- Republicans• New Englanders vs.

Southerners

History of American Political Parties

1789—1823 Republicans- Democrats

(Jeffersonians)

Federalists

1823—1832Era of Good Feeling

Multifactionalism

Parties based on oldparty labels & new

individualalliances

1832-1857 Democrats Whigs

1857- Present (1874-1912 is known as

the “Golden Age of Parties”)

Democrats Republicans

The Main Political Parties in the U.S. Today

• Our system contains two major parties• The Democratic Party

and the Republican Party.

• We also have a number of minor or third parties at any given time. • Among the more

important third parties today are the Reform Party and the Libertarian Party.

A Party Platform

• A formal statement of beliefs, opinions, and policy stands tied together by a set of underlying principles based on the party’s ideological orientation.

What is A Party Platform?

• Every four years officials, activists, and the nominee for president compile the party’s position on a variety of issues• The platform is usually unveiled at the

Party Convention

• Formulating the Party Platform is the most important and visible job that political parties contribute to in American politics

2004 Party Platforms• Republicans 2004

• “A Safer World and a More Hopeful America”• 2001 and 2003 tax cuts essential• Iraqi invasion necessary for safety• Pro-life• No same-sex marriage; ratify new amendment

which says marriage is between a man and a woman

• Democrats 2004• “Strong at Home, Respected in the World”• Tax cuts created more deficit• WMD search was a failure• Pro-choice• Opposed Constitutional amendment concerning

marriage

2008 Party Platforms

• Republicans • “This platform is a testament to that freedom and stands as our

promise to future generation…”

• http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/

• Democrats• “Renewing America’s Promise”• http://www.workinglife.org/storage/users/4/4/images/

111/2008%20democratic%20platform%20080808.pdf

http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/

Competitive Parties = Close Elections

• A significant trend of recent times is the demise of one-party voting • One party voting means the dominance of

elections in a given region• One-party dominance among states is

declining due to population shifts and increased voter mobility.• The formerly Democratic "Solid South" is

no more - instead solidly Republican with Democrats fighting for seats and power

• Thomas Nast came up with the• The jack-a*$ (donkey)

represented Democrats (around 1870)

• An elephant represented Republicans (1874).

• These were NOT meant to be complimentary!

Creation of Party Symbols- Thomas Nast

Democrats and Republicans: Dominance Since 1860

• From the presidential elections of 1860 to the present, the same two major parties have contested elections in the United States: Democrats and Republicans:

Civil War-Reconstruction

Republican dominance

1876-1896 Closely competitive

1896-1929 Republican dominance

1930s and 1940s

Democratic dominance

1950s and 1960s

Closely competitive

1970-present Neither party completely dominant

Where do I belong??

• Party identification is often a voter's central political reference symbol.

• Party identification generally come from one's parents. •However party ID can be affected by a

number of factors such as education, peers, charismatic personalities, cataclysmic events, and intense social issues.

Loyalty Trends (today)- Democratic

• Liberals tend to be Democrats • The Northeast and West tend to vote for Democrats• Catholics* and Jews are mostly Democrats • Labor union members tend to vote Democratic• Democrats have a lead in garnering the women's votes• Over 80% of African Americans; Hispanics vote 3 to 1

Democratic• Young people are more Democratic• The more highly educated vote for Democrats (Be careful

here: high school diploma or advanced degrees NOT college attendees or graduates)

• Most blue collar workers and unemployed are Democrats• The widowed are mostly Democrats• The single are mostly Democrats

• Conservatives tend to be Republican • Professionals, executives, and white collar workers

tend to be Republican• Chamber of Commerce members tend to vote

Republican!!• The South and Midwest tends to be more

Republican today• Men tend to split fairly evenly between the two

parties, but are more conservative• Cuban Americans are generally Republicans (anti-

Castro) • White Protestants tend to be Republican (WASP’s)• Married couples tend to be Republican

Loyalty Trends (today) Republican

The Basic Structure of American Political Parties

•National Committees•Leadership•National Conventions•States and Localities• Informal Groups•The Party in Government•The Party in the Electorate


• National Committees—The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are the national policy organs of the parties.

• They choose national chairpersons and run the quadrennial conventions.

• In addition, the Senate and House parties also have committees that are located with the national committees in D.C.

• Republican National Committee Chairman • Mike Duncan

• Democratic National Committee Chairman• Howard Dean

http://www.gop.com/About/AboutBio.aspx?Guid=440ac9cd-8163-47f5-9c39-eb39d81a9b79


• Leadership—• The party chairpersons are usually

selected by the sitting president for the party in power, and the party national committee usually selects the other national chairperson.

• The chair is an important spokesperson for party interests.


• Each national party has a committee of elites who decide national agenda and platforms (RNC, DNC…)

• Most national party members are polarized…left or right• But for parties to survive, they

must focus on the ability to capture the swing voter.

• How can they do it???


• Each party holds a primary or a caucus in each state

• Then, the political elite from each party are selected as Delegates• The Democrats have Super

delegates as well• Superdelegates in the Democratic

Party are typically members of the Democratic National Committee, elected officials like senators or governors, or party leaders

• They do not have to indicate a candidate preference and do not have to compete for their position.

The Primaries and those Pesky Delegates (and Superdelegates)• Democrats

• There are currently 4,049 total delegates to the Democratic National Convention, including 3,253 pledged delegates and 796 superdelegates.

• The total number of delegate votes needed to win the nomination is 2,025.

• Republicans• There are currently 2,380 total

delegates to the Republican National Convention, including 1,917 pledged delegates and 463 unpledged delegates.

• The total number of delegate votes needed to win the nomination is 1,191.


• National Conventions—• Every four years, the national committees

put together the presidential nominating conventions.

• Until 1984, they got gavel-to-gavel coverage by media outlets. • Today, coverage is more selective. • The conventions allow parties to nominate

candidates, but also to discuss party organizational matters.

The National Party Conventions

• Both major parties hold their conventions during the summer of a presidential election year. • Earlier in the year, each party selects delegates

by primaries, conventions, committees, etc.

• Presidential conventions have come a long way since the days when delegates and party leaders would emerge from “smoke-filled rooms”, battle weary after hours of negotiating over platforms and presidential nominees.

The Decline of Party Conventions

• Before the 1960’s, National Conventions were important events that did more than promote the candidate and party• The delegates met to promote party unity,

establish the party platform, vote for a presidential nominee, and then a vice presidential nominee.

• The last contested convention was the 1976 Republican Convention where Ronald Reagan challenged President Ford for the nomination• Now they are more of a Pep Rally and media

event

The Role of the Convention Today

• The “pomp and circumstance” of the party conventions persists, despite the fact that their role in selecting a ticket is largely ceremonial and for show • The “Post-Convention bump” in the

polls• Generally, the conventions remain only

as a way to gather momentum as the two candidates head into the post-Labor Day election season.

Recent Conventions

REPUBLICAN 2008 St. Paul2004 New York City2000 Philadelphia 1996 San Diego 1992 Houston 1988 New Orleans 1984 Dallas 1980 Detroit 1976 Kansas City 1972 Miami Beach 1968 Miami Beach 1964 San Francisco 1960 Chicago

DEMOCRATIC2008 Denver2004 Boston2000 Los Angeles1996 Chicago1992 New York1988 Atlanta1984 San Francisco1980 New York1976 New York1972 Miami Beach1968 Chicago1964 Atlantic City1960 Los Angeles


• States and Localities—• Parties are structurally based at the state

and local levels. • Much of the work of the party is carried out

at the precinct, city, county, and state levels.• At the state level, voters are much more

ideological, resulting in larger number of factional splits than at the national level.

• Inter-party competition remains relatively high at the state level.

• States and Localities

• Recently some state parties have overruled national party guidelines concerning primary elections• Super-Duper Tuesday

(Feb. 5, 2008)• Florida and Michigan

bypassed South Carolina and were “in trouble” with the DNC



• Informal Groups—• Parties are supplemented by a number of

other groups such as the National Federation of Democratic Women, the Young Republicans, State Governor's Associations, interest groups, PACs, and many more.

• In addition, there are think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation for the Republicans and the Progressive Policy Institute for the Democrats.


•The Party in Government •The Congressional Party•The Presidential Party•The Parties and the Judiciary•The Parties and State

Government

The Basic Structure of American Political Parties-

The Party in Government• The Congressional Party• The party is highly important and very visible in Congress.

• Party groups select the leadership of both houses, arrange committees, and organize and operate the Congress.

• Congressional party leaders have some methods of enforcing party discipline such as good committee assignments, prime office assignments, fund raising help, legislative assistance (favorable treatment for a pork barrel project), endorsements, electoral help by popular party leaders, and much more. • Party discipline, however, is not terribly effective in most

cases. • Most elections are candidate centered and individualistic,

and in those cases many party sanctions cannot have that much influence.


The Party in Government

• The Congressional Party• Party unity and cohesion seem to be growing

recently. • Electoral insecurity caused by the

increasing competitiveness of the party system seems to be partially the cause.

• Also parties may be more homogeneous than in earlier years. • The carrot and stick of party money as

well as the growth of party-based advertising and polling also play a role.



• The Presidential Party• The president is an important party leader. His

successes and failures reflect on his party. • The president raises money, campaigns, and

sometimes his "coattails" help party nominees. • Some presidents are very interested in party building

and are very helpful to the party organization and its candidates. • They are called pro-party presidents.

• Other presidents act as if they are 'above the fray' and

are almost nonpartisan.



• The Parties and the Judiciary• Members of the judiciary do follow election returns

and are influenced by public opinion. • They are also products of their own party

identification and have the same partisan perceptual screens as the rest of us.

• Many judgeships are electoral positions and though officially nonpartisan, there is usually an undercurrent of party affiliation.

• Judges are also appointed. • These positions are patronage and usually go to

judges who agree politically with the elected official (an active party member) who appoints him/her.



• The Parties and State Government• Most of the same logic of

the party's relationship to the national legislature, executive, and judiciary apply at the state level as well.

• Occasionally, a third party will dominate at the state level.

• Reform party • Former pro wrestler Jesse

Ventura was the governor of Minnesota 1998-2002


• The Parties and State Government• Governors have more patronage available

to them than a president does. • These material rewards and incentives help the

governor maintain party discipline and promote his/her agenda.

• Forty-one governors have the line-item veto that gives the governor considerable powers

• In legislatures, state legislatures generally have more party unity and cohesion than the national Congress• State legislative leaders generally have more

power than their federal counterparts.

The Modern Transformation of Party Organization

• Republican Strengths• Until 1992, the Republicans outclassed the

Democrats in most categories of campaign service and fundraising. • The Republicans have developed a particularly

effective direct mail fundraising organization, and the party often has trouble legally spending all the money it collects.

• The Republican Party supports a large array of activities and services including:• party staff • voter contact • polling • media advertising • campaign staff training and research

The Modern Transformation of Party Organization

• Democratic Party Gains• The national Democratic Party remained quite

weak and disorganized until it suffered massive defeats in the 1980s.

• Democrats trailed Republicans in most campaign and fundraising functions until 2008 (the Obama campaign has changed this).

• The Democrats now have their own direct mail program and a multi-million dollar media center for producing TV and radio spots at very low rates.

• Democratic party campaign committees in Congress now raise significant amounts of money from congressional incumbents.

• The Party-In-The-Electorate• The party-in-the-electorate is the

mass of potential voters who identify with party labels.

• This group is self-identified and seems to exhibit ever lower levels of party loyalty.


The Party-In-The-Electorate

• Party Identification• American voters identify with a

party, but rarely belong to it.• They tend not to physically join

and pay dues; instead they simply assert they are a Republican or a Democrat.

Why Democrats seem like Republicans and vice versa

• Given declining voter identification, parties attempt to appeal to as much of the electorate as possible. • Parties attempt to “blur”

their positions to discourage opponents.

• Declining party identification has increased the role of interest groups.

Splitting the Vote

• Some voters split their vote between the parties, and occasionally vote for third parties and independent parties.

• For example:• A voter might vote for a

Republican presidential candidate but then vote for a Democrat for Congress, and an Reform Party member for governor.

Independent Voters• The number of

independents in the U.S. is rising; from 19% in 1958 to almost 38% twenty years later.

• Identification with the two major parties today is in the mid 80% range

• Voter identification with the two major parties has declined, resulting in an increase in the number of individuals identifying themselves as independents.• These “Leaners” may feel a party

affiliation, but choose not to self-identify with a party

The Party-In-The-Electorate

•Declining Loyalty??• New issues have cut across traditional party

lines and weakened party affiliation.• So does the personality politics fostered by

television and political consultants

• But, pollsters often find that many self declared independents often 'lean' quite strongly in one direction or the other. .

Different Roles of the PartyWhich is most important on election

day?• The Parties at the National Level

• National Convention• RNC and DNC

• The Parties at the State Level• State committees

• The Party in the Electorate• Activists• The actual voters

Different Roles of the PartyWhich is most important on election

day?• The Parties at the National Level

• National Committees• RNC and DNC

• Runs National Convention• The Parties at the State Level

• State committees• The Party in the Electorate

• Activists• The actual voters

Party Realignment and Critical Elections

• Party Realignment occurs when voters change parties during a election and the change is permanent and abrupt.• These elections are called critical

elections• This has occurred three times in American

history:•Jeffersonians in 1800•Republicans in 1860

•Democrats in 1932

Secular Realignment

• Secular realignment occurs when voters switch parties in a gradual way.

• This refers to the slow change that occurs in some regions or groups that may or may not be noticeable

• Examples: • Older voters replaced with younger voters • The formerly “Solid South” Democratic states

have become more Republican• The Northeast has shifted from Republican to

Democratic

The Last Important Coalition…• The New Deal Coalition…Democrats

• Labor, poor people, Southern whites, most minorities, and most socially conscious individuals voted for FDR in 1932

• This group became the root of today’s Democratic party

• As Southern whites began to abandon the Democratic party in 1968 and 1972, the party began to change to accommodate the remaining members of the coalition

Political CoalitionsMajor political groupings that shape American policy

Dealignment

• Dealignment is a general decline in party identification• Has increased over the past 2 decades• At least 1/3 of the population does not

identify with a political party

• However for the time being, parties still control American politics

Results of a two-party system?

• Fewer and less powerful factions based on ideology, nationalism or religion

• Is this a good thing?• Moderate platforms that

appeal to everyone• Or just watered down

pabulum that we feed to each other?

So, if we have so many different viewpoints,

Why Does America only have Two Main Political Parties,

then??

• Any theories out there??

So, if we have so many different viewpoints,

Why Does America only have Two Main Political Parties,

then??

The answer is the way the Framers set up the Constitution!

1. The Electoral College• One candidate per state gets all the

votes• In 48/50 states

2. Election rules -single-member districts and winner-take-all elections.

• Compare with proportional representation in Parliaments…

• There are more inducements to compromise if you have many parties

For Example…..

More reasons….

3. The two parties control the primaries and election rules• Set ballot requirements • Set voter registration

requirements4. Our Single-member Congressional

district• One representative per Congressional

district• In the multi-party systems in Europe

many opinions and ideas can have a voice

Minor (or Third) Parties

• Third parties are generally niche parties that have their roots in:• Sectional issues

• Dixiecrats

• Economic protest• Populists protest of the

late 1800’s

• Specific issues• Green Party and the

environment

• Specific ideologies• Libertarian Party

• Failures of the major parties• Ross Perot arose out of the

major parties' failures to deal with the deficit and debt as key issues

• Charismatic personalities• TR and the Bull Moose

Party• Ross Perot in 1992

• Or a combination of the above!

Why Third Parties Tend to Remain Minor

• Institutional Reasons• We have a"single-member plurality"

electoral system•this system, also called first-past-the-

post, means that only the winner gets elected.

•In proportional representation systems, there tend to be more parties because parties are rewarded (with seats in parliament for example) for as little as 1% or 5% of the vote.


• Institutional Reasons• most states allow Democrats and

Republicans an automatic place on the ballot, but have laws requiring third parties to gather signatures and petition

• state and national legislatures are organized on a party basis and aim to perpetuate that


•Institutional Reasons•public funding of campaigns is

more generous for the two major parties, third party candidates must get more than 5% of the vote and major party candidates do not

•the news medianews media ignore minor parties since they are perceived as 'non-winners.'


• Other Reasons• dualist theory states that there is a binary nature

to American politics • we have non-ideological, centrist politics

• Third parties play a valuable role in American politics. They popularize new ideas, serve as vehicles of popular discontent, induce change in the major parties, assist party realignments, and allow the expression of dissent and opposition.

Why Don’t Third Parties Win?

• FYI• Third parties appear sporadically and

generally not a threat to the two major parties.

• Only eight third parties have ever won any electoral votes in a presidential contest, and only five have ever won more than 10% in a presidential election.

The Importance of Third Parties

• Third parties play a valuable role in American politics. • They popularize new ideas• Serve as vehicles of popular discontent• Induce change in the major parties• Assist party realignments• Allow the expression of dissent and

opposition.

The Importance of Third-Parties

• Although third parties form for a variety of reasons, usually the issues are almost always co-opted by the major parties.

• Third parties help the major parties change and force them to acknowledge alienated groups, incorporate new ideas, and nominate more attractive candidates

Important Third-Parties

• *2000 Ralph Nader and Green Party• *1992 and 1996: Ross Perot’s Reform

Party• 1968: George Wallace’s American

Independent Party• 1924: Robert LaFollette’s Progressive Party• 1912: Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party• 1860: The Republican Party** Not considered a third party today!

• 1856: Millard Fillmore's American Party

Other Third Party Successes

• Rep. Bernie Sanders of Vermont• Vermont Socialists

• Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut• Independent Democrat

• Minor, or third, parties more successful at the state and local levels than at the national level.

Websites of Major PartiesMajor Parties• Democratic National Committee

• www.democrats.org

• Republican National Committee• www.rnc.org

Third Parties• Green Party

• http://www.gp.org

• Libertarian Party• www.lp.org

• Reform Party.• www.reformparty.org

http://www.democrats.org/

http://www.rnc.org/

http://www.gp.org/

http://www.lp.org/

• Republicans• Conservative Coalition• Neo Cons

• Democrats • New Deal Coalition

• Third Parties• Independents• Moderates• Ticket Splitters• Single People• The Political Elite

Who is in the drivers seat today?

AP Government Unit 4. A political party is a group of voters, activists, candidates, and office...

Documents

Transcript of AP Government Unit 4. A political party is a group of voters, activists, candidates, and office...