Parties, Interest Groups, & Media Unit 3: Chapters 9 - 12 10-20%

Parties, Interest Groups, & MediaUnit 3: Chapters 9 - 12

10-20%

History of Political Parties

Goal of Political Parties• to win elected office• these groups try to shape policy

by controlling office

"The trouble with free elections is, you never know who is going to win.“--Joseph Stalin


Federalists and Democratic-Republicans (1796-1816)

• first party system• debated the legality of the Bank

of United States• Federalist: led by Hamilton (loose

construction)• Democratic-Republican: led by

Jefferson (strict construction)


Democrats and Whigs (1840-1852)

• second party system• debated slavery and states’

rights• Democrat: Jackson -- states’

rights, agriculture• Whig: Clay -- national

authority, industry


Democrats and Republicans (1856-present)

• current party system• extent of federal authority• Democrat: FDR, JFK – New Deal,

civil rights• Republican: Lincoln, Reagan –

states’ rights, business


Eras of Presidential Domination

1800-1860 Democratic-Republicans won 13/15 elections

1860-1932 Republicans won 14/18 elections

1932-1968 Democrats won 7/9 elections

1968-2008 Republicans won 7/11 elections

1932–1996 Democrats dominated one or both houses of Congress

1996–2010 Republicans have dominated at least on house of Congress.

Minor Parties

• Ideological Parties• challenge notions of the

scope and extent of government authority

• Socialist, early 1900s• Libertarian, present day

Eugene V. Debs

Minor Parties

Factional Parties• splinter off from a major party,

possibly causing it to lose (spoiler effect)

• usually led by a strong, charismatic individual

• Bull Moose—Theodore Roosevelt• Dixiecrats—Strom Thurmond• American Independent—George

Wallace

Minor Parties

D Woodrow Wilson 6,296,547 435

P Theodore Roosevelt 4,118,571 88

R William H. Taft 3,486,720 8

S Eugene V. Debs 900,672 --

Progressive Republicans and some democrats voted for Roosevelt causing Taft to finish 3rd and helping Wilson win the presidency

1912

Minor Parties

D Harry S Truman 24,179,345 303

R Thomas E. Dewey 21,991,291 189

Dx J. Strom Thurmond 1,176,125 39

Southern democrats voted for Thurmond but Truman won anyway

1948

http://www.learn.co.uk/

Minor Parties

R Richard M. Nixon 31,785,480 301

D Hubert Humphrey 31,275,166 191

AI George Wallace 9,906,473 46

Southern democrats voted for Wallace possibly causing Humphrey to lose to Nixon

1968

http://www.learn.co.uk/

Minor Parties

One-Issue Parties• focus on one issue to bring it

to national attention• can afford to take strong

stand since they have little chance of winning (critic)

• Free Soil Party, 1840s• Prohibition, 1880s

Minor Parties

Economic Protest Parties• vocal demand to change the

status quo• major parties must react to

absorb or destroy them (catalyst)

• Greenback-Labor Party, 1880s• Populist Party, 1890s

Minor Parties

Figure 8.4: Partisan Division of the Presidential Vote in the Nation, 1856-2000

Party Organization

National Committee• coordinates efforts of Congress

and runs the national convention

State Party• raises money, supports national

strategy, focuses on state elections and issues

Local Party• mobilizes local registration and

participation

“Grass Roots”• individual participation like

bumper stickers, signs, and volunteer work

State Party

Local Party

Grass Roots

National Committee

Party Organization

Party Functions

Nomination fewer candidates makes voting easier

Education help get public acquainted with candidates

Approval vouch for integrity and character of candidate

Government helps checks and balances

Watchdog alert to political mistakes of the other party

Federal Campaign Laws

Federal Election Campaign Act, 1971• response to Watergate• disclosure of campaign donations and

expenditures• set limits on contributions

Federal Election Commission• enforces campaign finance laws• criticized for being toothless

Federal Matching Funds• federal money matches money raised

by candidates for presidential races• candidates must limit their fundraising

Fundraising Records

2000: Bush/Gore

$100 million

2004: Bush

$200 million

2008: Obama

$400 million


Buckley v. Valeo, 1976• the Court ruled that campaign donations

are a form of freedom of speech

McCain-Feingold, 2002• set limits on individual donations at

$2000• banned soft money donations to

national, state, and local political parties• this was money given directly to the

party and then given by the party to the candidate

• banned fundraising on federal property

Citizens United v. FEC, 2010• corporations have free speech and may

spend their money on political ads

Political Parties in Transition

Two Party v. Multi-Party System• tradition• single-member district elections• more focus on party and less on

candidate

Realignment• voter demographic changes in Party

loyalty• Reagan Democrats in the 1980s

Dealignment• abandonment of party membership

and rise of independent voters


Weakening Political Parties• # of independents is growing• multiculturism and young voters

have less voter identification• split-ticket rather than straight ticket

voting• direct primaries have replaced

public caucuses• candidates use the media rather

than their party for exposure to voters

• special interest groups wield tremendous influence


• Source: National Election Studies, The NES Guide to Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior, 1952-2000, table 20.1.

Special Interest Groups

Federalist #10• Madison argued that factions were a

necessary evil in politics

Goal of Interest Groups• private organizations that try to

influence public policy

How are Interest Groups Different than Parties?

1. don’t nominate candidates2. primary focus to influence policy not

win elections3. very limited scope of interest—one

issue

Economic Groups

Labor—mostly support Democratic candidates

• about 16 million Americans (15% of work force) are in unions today

• raise funds through union dues• AFL-CIO the largest

Business—mostly support Republican candidates

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): 12,000 larger firms

• Business Roundtable: CEOs of 200 of largest corporations

Economic Groups

Economic Groups

Agriculture—support farmers and ranchers

• less than 2% of pop. (abt. 2 million) live on farms today

• lack numbers but control many senate seats• National Grange• Farm Bureau

Professional Groups

• organized around a profession• not as well organized as other groups• three MAJOR exceptions

American Medical Association, 1847• campaigned against Medicare and medical liability

National Education Association, 1857• has never endorsed a Republican presidential candidate• donates to many left-leaning groups and programs• claims it is a non-partisan entity

American Bar Association, 1878• ~50% of all attorneys belong• has recently taken liberal stands on abortion, gun control and

capitol punishment• prosecutors (conservative) and defenders (liberal)

Professional Groups

• Figure 9.1: The Decline in Union Membership

Professional Groups

Promote Causes

American Civil Liberties Union, 1920 • formed to fight deportations during the

first Red Scare• vocal opponent of censorship• uses litigation (law suits) to change the

law

Christian Coalition, 1988• est. by Rev. Pat Robertson to advocate

for pro-family values• sends voter guides to churches

NRA, 1871• 4.3 million+ members focus on

protecting gun rights and gun manufacturing

• assert 2nd Amendment trumps state/national regulations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Colddead-fp.jpg

Promote Causes

Emily’s List, 1985• helps pro-choice women get

elected to office• 61 representatives, 11

senators, 8 governors and 216 state and local offices

Greenpeace, 1971• 250,000+ members focus on

environmental issues• sometimes use civil-

disobedience style protests

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Greenpeacelogo1.png

Promote Groups

NAACP, 1909• est. by W.E.B. Dubois• mobilizes votes and supports lawsuits to

support rights for African-Americans

AARP, 1958• promotes rights of elderly• mobilizes voters

League of Women Voters, 1920• educates public to understand public

policy• after 1973, men could join• advocate clean air, gun control

Effects of Interest Groups

Positive Effects1. create interest in public affairs2. encourage political participation3. gather and provide useful, detailed information4. help politicians see broad, shared attitudes

rather than a local area5. keep balance in government Negative Effects1. members much more partisan views than the

public2. do not represent the majority but have more

influence than most voters on policy making3. work the system to change policy

• lobbying, lawsuits,

Techniques used by Interest Groups

Mass Mailing • send voting suggestions to potential voters

Publications• print “report cards” and tell members how to

vote

Demonstrations• mobilize voters to amass at state capital,

write letters, etc. to show their numbers

Litigation • use courts to alter policy, even if the majority

opposes it• Roe v. Wade


Lobbying• hire people to pressure legislators

to support their causes

Voting• mobilize voters to support one

candidate over another

527s, 2009• created primarily to influence the

nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office

• named after tax-exempt code• not regulated as long as they do

not coordinate their activities with a candidate or a party

527 Spending

2004 $439,000,000

Dems $307,000,000

Reps $132,000,000


Top 20 PACs 1999-2000


1 America Coming Together $79,795,487

2 Joint Victory Campaign 2004* $71,811,666

3 Media Fund $59,414,183

4 Service Employees International Union $48,385,367

5 Progress For America $44,929,174

6 Republican Governors Association $33,848,421

7 Democratic Governors Association $24,172,761

8 American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees $22,227,050

9 Swift Vets and POWs for Truth $17,008,090

10 Moveon.org $12,956,215

11 College Republican National Committee $12,780,126

16 Sierra Club $8,727,127

17 EMILY's List $7,739,946

18 Voices for Strong Families $7,466,056

19 AFL-CIO $6,583,572

2005


76 donors gave Republicans at least $500,000,while 71 donors gave Democrats at least $500,000

Top Soft Money Donors


• Source: Federal Election Commission.

IronTriangle

Power and influence of each depends on

continuing power and influence of the others

Special Interest Group Congressional Committee

Executive Agency

Regu

late

s po

licy

Self-

regu

late

s

Campaign donations, endorsements, votes, demands change

Campaign promises, make policy

Suggests legislation,

Sets budget, makes policy, oversight

The Media

Goal of the Media• influence policy by focusing attention on

certain issues

Types of Media• Television (1940s)• broad appeal to all ideologies• niche markets are tailored to fit ideology

of patrons (KFI)• C-SPAN (1970s)

• 24 hour coverage of Congress

• CNN v. FOX News• CNN slants left while FOX slants right

The Media

Newspapers• AP (1848) cooperative news agency,

companies pay fees to use AP articles so they don’t have to send their own reporters everywhere

• local papers allow coverage of local issues or issues from local perspective

• less competition• low cost

The Media

The Media

Internet• MySpace/Facebook• free sites allow

widespread appeal• very grass roots• Ron Paul used online

donations for the vast majority of his fundraising in 2008

The Media

Radio (1920s)• sound bite: brief excerpt used to

relay the entire message• "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy." • "Read my lips: no new taxes "• "We are not going to dignify [that] with

a response." • "I'm not here to talk about the past.“

Magazines• Newsweek, Time

Impact of the Media

Roles of the Media

• Gatekeeper• makes decisions on what to cover• placement and content of material

• Scorekeeper• creation of image and persona (Nixon v.

Obama)• daily coverage of campaigns

• Watchdog• exposes corruption in government• investigative journalism

The Media

Impact of Media

1. public agenda• don’t tell people what to think• tell them what to think about

Impact of Media

2. campaigns• national convention: helps

nation participate vicariously

• television debates: Kennedy-Nixon, 1960

• image: candidates sell themselves like a product

• endorsements: newspapers and other media officially recommend candidates

Impact of Media

Impact of Media

Limitations of Media• only 15% of voters

are well informed on issues

• most select media that agrees with their politics

• seldom give in-depth coverage

Figure 10.1: Young People Have Become Less Interested in Political News

Rules Governing the Media

confidentiality of sources• newspapers support shield laws

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)• license renewal• community needs• deregulation by Reagan

• ownership limits relaxed • license renewal with a postcard

Rules Governing the Media

Fairness Doctrine• objective coverage that shows both sides• no longer a requirement since Reagan

Equal Time Rule• each candidate must have equal coverage• access to debates

Right of Reply• chance to respond to attacks

Political Editorializing• gives media chance to be opinionated• candidates can respond to endorsements

Propaganda

Propaganda Techniques• propaganda is a tool to convince people to think

a certain way about a candidate, product, or concept

Plain Folks• uses “ordinary people” to endorse the product• ex., moms talking about bathroom cleaner

Testimonial• celebrity endorsement• all of those acne wash commercials

Bandwagon• tries to convince you that everyone is doing it

Propaganda

Name Calling• emphasizes bad characteristics of the “other

guy”• 99.9% of all political advertising

Glittering Generalities• uses stereotypes to emphasize a point• Carl’s Jr. ads – “without us guys would

starve” translates to men are too stupid to cook for themselves

Transfer• tries to convince you that using the

product/supporting the candidate will make you/America more successful, wealthy, sexy (but not in that order)

• think of all the women’s fashion ads or beer ads you’ve seen

Winning the Nomination

Presidential Primaries and Caucuses• every state has one or the other for

each party• the purpose is to choose which

democrat or republican the state wants to see on the national ballot in November

Caucus Election• closed meeting of the local party, only

10 states use it

Iowa Caucus (early February)• always the first of the election• early chance to get attention and

donations


Closed Primary• each party has its own primary, the

voting is on the same day• there are separate ballots for

democrats and republicans• only democrats can use the democratic

ballot

Open Primary• anyone regardless of voter

registration can use whichever ballot they want• democrats can use the republican ballot


New Hampshire Primary (January)• always the first, so it’s considered a crossroads

for whether a candidate will continue or drop out of the race

• tends to vote for the loser

Blanket Primary• some states use one ballot and you can vote for

whoever, democrat or republican on the same ballot, declared unconstitutional

• California just changed the law to put the top two, regardless of party, on the fall ballot

Super Tuesday (early March)• 15-16 states all hold their primaries on the same

day

Criticisms of the Primary Process

Voter Fatigue• voters choose not to vote in the primaries in

the Spring and only vote in the fall election

Expense• it costs a fortune to beat your fellow

republicans, then another one beat the democrats

Weakens Candidate• exposes candidates to the public longer, more

likely to learn their dirty secrets (i.e., Bush’s DUI)

Extremist Control• party elites are more extreme in their views

which means candidates are too

Proposed Reforms to the System

Super Delegates• people who get to vote at the national

convention regardless of the results of the primaries

Super Primaries• all primaries would be held on the same

day

Regional Primaries• primaries would be held on the same day

in each region

The National Convention

• each party selects a presidential candidate at their convention held in the late summer

2000 Democratic Convention was held at the Staples Center

Attendees get superawesome souvenirs


1.Keynote Address• exciting opening

speech by popular member of the party to start convention


2. Party Platform• tries to focus

election on certain issues and vaguely states party’s stance on those issues


3. Presidential Nomination

• candidate chosen by state delegates to the convention


Senator v. Governor• Who has better experience to

lead the nation?• governors usually win

Balancing the Ticket • make the President seem like a

better candidate• Politically (Clinton and Gore)• Geographically (JFK and LBJ)• by experience (Bush and

Cheney)

Congressional Elections

At-Large Elections• senators represent the entire

state so they’re elected by the whole state

17th Amendment, 1913• changed senate elections to

popular elections


Single-Member Districts• House seats represent a small

area of each state so representatives are elected by the local population

Off-Year Election• elections held in between

presidential elections• typically the president’s party

loses seats in Congress (2006)


Gerrymandering• boundaries for House seats

(called districts) are drawn by the state legislature to benefit the majority party

Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964• set rules for drawing House

boundaries1. same population2. same size3. contiguous

D

R

D

R


D R

D

R


2000 2004

Apportionment

Apportionment Act, 1929

• set cap on House of 435 seats

• federal census every 10 years

• House seats are redistributed to reflect population changes

My family moved from MT to CA after the 1980 census but before the 1990 census. See what happens!!

Apportionment

The “sunbelt” area continues to grow the fastest. These states typically vote Republican. In some waysit gets easier for Republicans to win after each census.

The General Election

Date of Election• Tuesday after the first Monday

of November in even years

East Coast v. West Coast Turnout• Higher voter participation on

East Coast because it’s earlier

Straight Ticket Voting• voter picks all candidates from

the same party


Battleground States• might go either way, the winner in

Missouri has won the presidency in every race since 1904 (except 1956)

Smear Campaigns• underhanded ads intended to ruin

the opponents chances of winning

Television Debates• since Kennedy-Nixon, 1960,

candidate’s biggest exposure to millions of voters (lots of pressure)


Coat-tail effect• lesser known candidate gets more

votes because more popular candidate of same party is running

Presidential Mandate• new president claims that the majority

voted for him so he has the will of the people to justify his policies

Ballot Creation• done at the county/state level

The Infamous 2000 Florida Ballot

"Those who cast the ballots decide nothing; those who count the ballots decide everything.”

--Joseph Stalin

Electoral College

Options to select the President

Congress• President would be too

dependent on Congress

People• couldn’t know enough to make a

sound judgment

Electors• body of informed people not in

Congress to pick president for us, proposed by Hamilton

Electoral College

The Electors• selected by the states by the

party that won the popular vote in the general election

• they vote at their state capitols, one vote for president and one for VP

• these are public votes but they can vote how they like even if it’s different than the state voted

Plan B• if no one wins, the House elects

the President and each state gets 1 vote

Electoral College

Counting• done in the Senate

in January• Gore counted his

own defeat in January of 2001

January to May

Primaries and Caucuses

Late July / Early August

National Convention

November General Election

December Electoral College

January Final Count

Criticisms of the Electoral College

Popular Winner• the popular winner in the state gets

all of the electoral votes under a “winner-take-all” system even if the election is very close

Faithless Electors• electors can vote for anyone they

want regardless of whether a person’s name is even on the ballot

House Picks the Winner• Americans distrust having Congress

pick the President instead of them

Solutions for the Electoral College

District Plan• assign electoral votes

by results of congressional districts

• popular winner gets two “extra” senate votes

Gore 5,861,203 53.45% 35

Bush 4,567,429 41.65% 19

Nader 418,707 3.82% 0California 2000


Proportional Plan • assign electoral

votes proportionate to the popular vote

California 2000

Gore 5,861,203 53.45% 29

Bush 4,567,429 41.65% 22

Nader 418,707 3.82% 2


Direct Election Plan• ditch the electoral

college and just count the popular vote at the national level

Gore 50,996,582 48.4%

Bush 50,456,062 47.9%

Nader 2,858,843 2.7%

United States 2000


National Bonus Plan

• popular winner of national election gets 102 “bonus” electoral votes

Gore 50,996,582 266 368

Bush 50,456,062 271 271

Nader 2,858,843 0 0

United States 2000


Reasons to Leave it Alone• it’s fast• it is clear (most of the time)• other solutions may be worse


Supporters of the Electoral College

• small states have more influence and would block any national amendment to change it

• minorities benefit by being swing voters in key urban areas

• Mr. Bradshaw

Parties, Interest Groups, & Media Unit 3: Chapters 9 - 12 10-20%

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Transcript of Parties, Interest Groups, & Media Unit 3: Chapters 9 - 12 10-20%