POLITICAL PARTIES

Formal Definition

A political party is: “A group of organized citizens with a broad set of common beliefs who join together to elect candidates to public office and determine public policy.”

A political party is: “A group that joins together to elect candidates to public office” and determine public policy.”

My Definition:

Party Identification:

Self-proclaimed preference for one party over another

Factions and Founding Fathers

• The name was given by Thomas Jefferson to describe political parties

• Founders disliked factions, felt they were motivated by ambition and self-interest

• G.Washington’s Farewell Address warned against forming political parties

Factions Today

• Today the term refers to subgroups within a political party acting in pursuit of some special interest or position. (A faction just is a fraction of the whole.)

The Meaning of Party

(view Hippocampus “Functions of Political Parties

• Tasks of the Parties– Linkage Institution: the channels through which people’s concerns

become political issues on the government’s policy agenda– Parties Pick Candidates– Parties Run Campaigns– Parties Give Cues to Voters– Parties Articulate Policies– Parties Coordinate Policymaking

Each Party Has Three Faces

3-D3-D Political PartiesPolitical Parties

• The Party in the Electorate

• The Party Organization

• The Party in Government

Face #1.

• “Party-in-the-electorate”consists of all those individuals who claim an (emotional) attachment to the political party– They feel some loyalty but usually don’t do much

more than vote– They use the party as a cue to decide how to vote

Discussion:Why has political party membership

declined?

What are benefits of membership in an interest group compared with

benefits of membership in a political party?

So why be a party animal?

To gain control of governmentby recruitingcandidates

To stimulate interest in issuesand run elections

To focus on a broader set ofpolitical positions(than interest groups)

To oppose the partyin power whenyours is the “out” party

Let’s Review the Party-in-the Electorate

Includes all the people who label themselves as Democrats and Republicans

– No formal requirements • (no dues or membership cards required)

– Can be formally registered as party member• but can change party affiliation at any time

The Party in the Electorate• Party identification: a citizen’s self-proclaimed

preference for one party or the other– Republican, Democrat, or Independent

• Ticket-splitting: increasing! Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices indicates less party loyalty– Independents are most likely to split tickets.– No state or race is completely safe due to split tickets.

The Party in the Electorate

Face #2.(view Hippocampus: Organization of Parties

• Party Organization: the structural framework which does the following…– A. Recruits candidates!!– B. Organizes caucuses, convention, election

campaigns– C. Articulates positions in the elections

The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington

• The National Party Organizations– National Convention: meetings of party

delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the party’s platform; intended to clean up the old party caucus system (when Congress party members chose the party’s presidential candidate behind closed doors); first convention chose candidate Martin van Buren (a Dem)

– Party Platforms

Party Organization at the National Level

• A National Convention is held every 4 years– Used to nominate the presidential and vice presidential

candidates– Develops the party platform (document outlining the

policies, positions, and principles of the party) but after the convention candidates often ignore them in an effort to appeal to a wide spectrum of voters (platforms are controversial)

– Delegates attend• They are more extreme than ordinary party members• They often supported different party candidates in the primaries

so now they must settle on one candidate and a platform

The Party in Govt: Promises and Policy

Party Organizations

– National Committee: one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions

– National Chairperson: responsible for day-to-day activities of the party; chosen by the parties’ presidential nominees

Party Organization at the National Level continued

• A National Committee is chosen by state parties and ratified by convention delegates to – direct and coordinate party activities during the next 4

years– Ratify the presidential nominee’s choice of a national

chairperson who is spokesperson for the party– The chairperson and committee together

• plan the next campaign and convention,• obtain financial contributions, and • publicize the national party

How State Delegates are Chosen in the Democratic Party

• National Committee sets complex formula that changes over time. New rules:– Reduced control of local party leaders– More seats to women and minorities– Delegates require all delegates to vote with their

state’s delegation; states’ delegates based on % of vote each candidate won in primary elections

– 14% of seat for “superdelegates”; not pledged ahead– Delegates LEFT of mainstream, – Unintended consequences: allowed Republicans to

win 5 or 6 presidential races from 1968-88

But the real strength and power of a national party is at

the state level.

Party Organization at the State Level

• There are over 100 party organizations, each very unique. But there are a few similarities:– Each state party has a chairperson, a central committee,

and a numerous of local organizations– The state central committee

• Consists of members from congressional districts chosen in primary elections, conventions or local elections

• Controls funds• Exerts little influence on party candidates once elected• Usually consists of bitterly opposed factions (party bosses, elected

officials, or local factions)

The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington

Party Organization at the Local Level

• Withered!!! Party machinesonce handed out patronage jobs• Supported by– District leaders,– Precinct or ward captains,– Party workers

• Much of the work is coordinated by county committees and their chairpersons

Let’s Review the Party Organization

• Both major parties have NATIONAL, STATE, and LOCAL party organizations

• They are NOT like a corporation with a HQ and Branch Offices– State party organizations • independent • not under control of national offices

The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington

• These are the people that work for the party.• Local Parties– Party Machines: a type of political party organization that

relies heavily on tangible incentives to win votes and to govern (e.g. money, jobs, favors…)

– Patronage: a job, promotion or contract given for political reasons rather than merit; used by party machines

– Government now runs social welfare programs so party machines are not needed

Party Machines• Example: Tammany Hall, 1790s to the 1960s,

Democratic Party Machine in NYCity– Local workers got out straight ticket party vote in

exchange for favors (contracts, jobs, welfare, …)– Many party workers were paid, full-time– Party operatives got “kickbacks” for govt.

contracts and jobs– In 1870s, 1 out of 8 voters had a fed, state or local

government job!

Progressive Era Reforms

• Stricter voter registration laws (due to fraud)• Competitive-bidding laws for govt. jobs

• Civil Service Reforms – Hatch Act, 1939, made it illegal for federal civil

service employees to do political campaigning, organization, endorsements, poll working…

Face #3. • “Party-in-government” consists of the party

candidates who won elections and now hold public office. – President

• The party furnishes the pool of qualified applicants for political and judicial appointments

– Members of Congress• The party determines office space, committee assignments,

and power• Party is best indicator of how member will vote in Congress• Party Polarization

– Sophisticated computer programs that create House “safe seat” districts (where legislators win with more than 55% of the vote)

– The media encourages stridency b/c it sells

The Party in Government: Promises & Policy

• Party members actually elected to government

• Controls policy

• Coalition: a group of individuals with a common interest upon which every political party depends

• Parties and politicians generally act on their campaign promises.

America’s Political Landscape

Let’s Get This Party Started!

Party Eras inAmerican History

view Party Eras• Party Eras

– Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power

• Critical Election– An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions

emerge

• Party Realignment – The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually

during a critical election

Party Eras inAmerican History

Second Party Era inAmerican History

Party Eras inAmerican History

Party Eras inAmerican History

Party Realignment:view Party Realignment and Dealignment

•A party disappears or there is a major shift in party identification•Realignment Elections:

•1828 (Jeffersonian-Democrats), •1860 (Whig Party collapsed), •1896 (William Jennings Bryan won Dem candidacy and set Populist agenda)•1932 (New Deal was the last one thus far!)

Party Eras inAmerican History

• 1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition– Voters shifted support from one party to the other– New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats;

consisted of urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

Party Eras in American History

Party Eras in American History

• 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government– Divided government: one party controls Congress

and the other controls White House; due in part to:• Party de-alignment - disengagement of people from

parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification• Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two

parties

An Era of Divided Government or “Ticket Splitting”

• Since 1968, the nation has been mostly divided evenly– Republicans have had

more success winning the Presidency

– Until 1994 Democrats controlled Congress (but many Southern Dems voted with Republicans)

Polarized Politics

–Polarized Politics: The two parties are more ideologically distinct from each other, more loyal, and ideologically homogenous.– Increases gridlock and frustrates cooperation

between the parties and branches.–Distribution of ideology in Congress differs

from distribution w/in electorate

Party Polarization: Senate

0

20

40

60

80

100

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 101 103 105 107

Congress

Polarization Score

Party Eras in American History• How Often Republican Representatives vot

e with their Party

• How Often Democratic Representative vote with their Party

Party Eras in American History• Party Control of State Legislatures and G

overnors

2013

Why a Two-Party System?• Winner-take-all system

– Except ME and NE, whichever presidential candidate gets a plurality, gets ALL the electoral votes

• Single-member districts no run-off elections for top few vote-getters

• State Laws – require that parties obtain a certain # of signatures to be placed on the

ballot (often determined by the total # of party votes rc’d in the last election), must pay steep registration fees (approx. $100,000)

• Federal Election Commission rules restrict minor parties from receiving federal matching funds in either the primary or general elections

• Congressional committee seats are divvied up by the 2 parties

It’s all about who hold the controls.

• Between 1968-2004:– Democrats controlled all

three branches under Jimmy Carter (1977-81) and Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

– Republicans controlled all three branches during GW Bush’s 3rd and 4th years

– Generally prior to 1992, voters preferred to give the Democrats one branch and Republicans the other.

Infamous Election 2000

• If Democratic candidate Al Gore had rc’d 538 more popular votes in FL, he would have won the Presidency.

• GW Bush actually lost the popular vote by over a half million votes but carried the electoral college by five votes. (Coincidentally the Electoral College has 538 members!)

Dealignment:

• Movement toward nonpartisanship and away from political party membership and structure

• Why? – less union membership, – reduced religious observance, – decreased party membership

Democratic Party Reversal• Republican “red” states

and Democratic “blue” states

• The 2000 map is almost a complete reversal of the 1896 map when the Democratic Party stood for limited govt., states’ rights, and racial segregation instead of active government, nat’l authority, and civil rights

20002000

Which is red?!

Election of 1896:

realigning election…

McKinley (Republican) forged a coalition in which businessmen, professionals, skilled factory workers and prosperous farmers were heavily represented; he was strongest in the Northeast and industrial Midwestern states.

Bryan (Democrat) coalition with the Populist Party, and the Silver Republicans Strongest in the South, rural Midwest, and Rocky Mountain states. Economic issues, including bimetallism, the gold standard, Free Silver, and the tariff, were crucial.

Today

Political Efficacy:voters feel they can make an impact or bring about change

Cleavages: the splitting of a political system along ethnic, religious, class, or

ideological lines

Rational-Choice Theory: consumer model of voting where

choice rather than identify is crucial

The Big 2

The Truth about the Red, the Blue, and their Budgets

• Under Clinton (who had a Republican Congress for most of his 8 years)– the federal expenditures

fell– Federal employment fell– Clinton’s budgets

submitted to Congress were smaller than those approved by Congress

• Under Reagan (who had a Democratic Congress) and GW Bush (a Republican Congress)– The federal budget rose – Federal employment

rose– Reagan submitted

budgets larger than those by the Democratic Congress