Reviewing Political Parties and Voting Behavior

What are Political Parties?

• They are a linkage institution- they link the public with policy-making

• As such they seek compromise• They are a group of people who come

together to get people elected. They want to control government

Functions

• Nominate*** Most important function• Inform/activate supporters• Act as a bonding agent• Govern• Perform watchdog duties

Our Two-Party System

Remember….

• Framers saw pol. Parties as factions and were opposed to them

• Our parties tend to be moderate, therefore unifying rather than dividing the public

Minor parties

So, they can’t win, so what do they do?

History of the Parties

• Beginning- Federalists and Anti-Federalists (aka Democratic Republicans

• 1800- then what?• 1850- a splinter party broke off and became a

major party- which one?• 1860-1910- which party dominated?• 1930s- now which party dominated? Why?• 1950s-present- era of ______________. Why?

Why are Parties Weak Today?

• • •

Voting….

Basics

• The Constitution gives ___________ the right to decide who can vote

• Over time we’ve seen the elimination of voting restrictions

Suffrage Amendments

• 15th

• 17th

• 19th

• 23rd

• 24th

• 26th

Who can vote?

• General Requirements: Citizenship, residency, age• Registration- intended to prevent fraud and used

since the early 1900s but this is the biggest reason people don’t vote– This year we’ve seen huge problems in registration

with states making it more difficult– 1995 Motor Voter Law was supposed to ease

registration process• Past- Literacy requirement and poll taxes

Deciding who is in the Electorate

• Reapportionment- – Redistribution of a fixed number of seats (House

of Reps. At 435)– done every 10 years after the census– Can change the outcome of an election

• Redistricting– Redrawing the boundaries of legislative districts– Done by states (and some states with history of

discrimination have to get theirs reviewed)

Gerrymandering

• What is it? • How has it been used to disenfranchise

voters?

Civil Rights and Suffrage

• 1957 Civil Rights Act- set up U.S. Civil Rights commission and est. federal voting referees

• 1964 Civil Rights Act- forbids discrimination in voter registration

• 1965 Voting Rights Act- applied to all elections and forbids new election laws unless approved by the Department of Justice

• 1970 Amendments extend laws for another 5 years

Voting Behavior

Why People Don’t Vote

• Ballot fatigue- too many offices to vote for• People who believe their vote doesn’t count

or who distrust politics• Media • Not registered- this is actually the biggest

problem

So, who Votes?

• Voters tend to have higher incomes, education, and occupations

• More people vote when the election is close

Who Votes for Whom?

Republican• Higher income• White• Protestants• Men by a small margin

Democrat• Middle-class and lower

income• Union supporters/members• Jews• Catholics• Blacks by a very large

margin