POLITICAL PARTIES

NEW SEATS AND UPDATES

*Seats might change around in the first few days*

Research Paper due THIS THURSDAY 11/19. I will still look at rough drafts for partial credit until tomorrow.

Chapter 5, Section 3 is due tomorrow

Go Over Congress Test

PARIS UPDATE

• President's Address

• Read through the overview of presidential candidates reactions

AGREE, NEUTRAL, DISAGREE

• Political Parties are essential to our democracy.

• Political parties are corrupt and make the world a terrible place.

• Political parties are ok….it is just not right that there are only two major parties.

• Someday….I will belong to a political party.

POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEMS

• 3 Political Party Systems in the World

1.) One Party System: Political party and the government are the SAME

• Only 1 party, so no competing ideas

• Party membership based on lineage, wealth, military power, religious power

• Example: China (Communist Party)

POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEMS

2.) Multi-Party System: Three or more parties compete for control of the government

• Common in Europe, Israel, Japan

• Advantage: provides voters with many different choices and ideas

• Disadvantage: difficult for one party to get majority of votes, which leads to a Coalition:

EXAMPLE – Italy (50 different govts. since WWII)

Daisy Alliance Sunflower Alliance Italian Communist

500,000 votes 450,000 votes 200,000 votes

Coalition

POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEMS

3. Two-Party System: Two parties compete with each other to run the government.

• Party system of United States: Democrats and Republicans

Thomas Nast

1870/74

ADVANTAGES OF TWO PARTY SYSTEM

• Stabilizing• Keeps people near the center

• Extreme ideas not supported by populace

• Continuity• Government changes parties

often

• Transition is usually smooth

DISADVANTAGES

• Two party system does not allow voice of minority parties to be heard

REFLECTWhat is the greatest cause of polarization in America?

Can this be addressed? How?

*Take out graphic organizer from Monday

WHY ISN’T THERE ANYTHING ABOUT PARTIES IN THE

CONSTITUTION?

• Framers were against ‘parties’• factions!

• The first parties: Federalists and Anti-Fed.• Our two-party actually tends to unify rather than

divide• Both are moderate

PARTY ORGANIZATION

National

State

Local

PARTY ORGANIZATION

National

State

Local

party voters and identifiers

activists and volunteers

ward and precinct committees

PARTY ORGANIZATION

National

State

Local

city & county committees.

Congressional district committees

state committees & conventions

PARTY ORGANIZATION

National

State

Local

chairperson andnational committee

national partyconvention

FUNCTIONS

• Nominate Candidate and Run Election

• Parties need to find viable candidates for a whole range of elected positions at the federal and state level

• Obstacles to recruitment include:• time, privacy, finances,

prospects

• Providing resources for candidates

• Providing ideas for candidates

FUNCTIONS• Informing and Activating

Supporters• Fundraising

• Getting out the vote

FUNCTIONS

• The Bonding Agent: Presenting alternatives to the electorate

• Voters need choices among candidates and among policy alternatives. These candidates should be qualified

FUNCTIONS

• Governing• legislative leadership

positions

• executive appointments

• judicial appointments

• Conducting business according to partisan ties

FUNCTIONS

• Watchdog: Providing organized “loyal” opposition to government (minority party or parties only)

• Make sure, if not in power, that party is ready for next election

• leaders

• issues

• policies

WHY DO WE HAVE A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM?

1. The force of tradition2. Ideological “consensus”

o free from bitter, fundamental disputeso pluralistic, yet a lot of agreement

3. The historical basis4. The electoral system

OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM PREVENTS MORE THAN TWO MAJOR PARTIES

● Most elections are for single-member districtso “Winner-take-all” electionso Requires a plurality (the most votes)

● Why can’t a “third” party have a good chance?o Two viable choices: the incumbent party or next

best chance party The perception of the “wasted vote”

o Very high bar to get name on the ballot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-party_system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo&list=UU2C_jShtL725hvbm1arSV9w

PARTIES- NOMINATE, INFORM, BOND, WATCHDOG, GOVERN

1. Which of a party’s functions do you think most Americans would say parties actually give the most attention and energy?

2. Which of a party’s functions do you think is the most subtle, with most Americans being unaware of it?

3. Why do people feel their vote would be wasted if they vote for a party unlikely to win, in the typical ‘single-member districts’?

4. Can you think of an alternative way to elect representatives?

WHAT RULE-CHANGE COULD FIX THIS?

● Proportional representation

YET, THIRD PARTIES EXIST...

● Playing the role of critic, of innovator, of “spoiler”

● Types of minor partieso ideological partieso single-issue partieso economic protest partieso splinter parties

• Is it a wasted a “wasted vote”?

TYPES OF ‘THIRD PARTIES’• Ideological parties: based on a comprehensive

view of social/econ/polit. matters

• Single-issue parties: based on a single public

question

• Economic protest parties: rooted in periods of

economic discontent. anti-major parties, without

having a clearly defined ideological basis.

• Splinter parties: split away from one of the major

parties, often formed around a strong personality.

● How do political parties affect democracy, in general?

● Would you prefer a multi-party system?

● What could be reformed about this system?

● Which type of minor party do you find the most compelling, or most important for the health of American democracy?