THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES

PARTIES V. FACTIONS

PartiesGroup that seeks to elect candidates to

public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the electorate

FactionsGroups trying to obtain power or

benefits Factions do not have a permanent

organization, parties do.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Decentralization Party = group that seeks to elect

candidates to public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the electorate

Arenas of politics in which parties exist1. Label, in the minds of voters

2. Organization, recruiting , and campaigning for candidates

3. Set of leaders, organize and try to control the legislative and executive branches

United States parties have become weaker in all three arenas

POLITICAL PARTIES CONTINUED

Political Culture 1. Parties are

relatively unimportant in life; Americans do not join or pay dues

2. Political parties are separate from other aspects of life…but you can choose to get involved!

THE RISE & DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY

The Founding Founders disliked parties, viewing them as

factions For parties to be acceptable, people had to

be able to distinguish between policy disputes and challenges to the legitimacy of government

Emergence of Republicans, Federalists: Jefferson v. Hamilton

No representation of homogeneous interests – parties were always heterogeneous coalitions

THE RISE & DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY

The Jacksonians Political participation became a mass

phenomenon More voters to be reached – by 1832,

presidential electors selected by popular vote in most states

Party built from bottom, upAbandonment of presidential caucuses

composed of Congressional members Beginning of national party conventions,

allowing local control

THE RISE & DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY

The Civil War and Sectionalism Jacksonian system unable to survive

slavery and sectionalism New Republicans became dominant Most states dominated by one party

Factions emerged within each party Republicans broke into professional politicians

(Old Guard) and progressives (mugwumps or progressives)

Progressives initially shifted between parties to gain power, but then began attacking partisanship when the Republicans became dominant

THE RISE & DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY

The Era of Reform Progressives pushed measures to curtail

parties’ power and influence (primary elections, initiative, referendum, etc.)

Effects - Reduced the worst forms of political corruption -Weakened all political parties

PARTY REALIGNMENTS Realigning Periods : periods when a sharp, lasting

shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties - Issues that separate the parties change, so the kinds of voters supporting each party changes - Shift may occur at the time of the election or just after

Five so far 1800 (Jeffersonian Republicans defeated Federalists) 1828 (Jacksonian Democrats came to power) 1860 (Whig party collapses, Republicans came to power ) 1896 (Republicans defeated William Jennings Bryan ) 1932 (Democrats came to office under FDR)Two Kinds:

Major party is defeated so badly that it disappears and a new party emerges

Two existing parties continue, but voters shift their loyalty from one to another

Clearest cases of realignment: 1860, 1896, 1932• 1860: slavery issue fixed new loyalties in the popular

mind• 1896: economics issues shifted loyalties to East v.

West, city v. farm • 1932: economic depression triggered new coalition

for Democrats

1980: a new realignment?• Reagan won in 1980 because he was not Jimmy

Carter • Could not have been a traditional realignment

because Congress was left in the hands of the Democrats

Major shift: presidential voting patterns in the South

http://www.270towin.com/

Check out the voting trends throughout history

What changes do you notice?

PARTY DECLINE?Evidence that parties are declining, not realigning Proportion of people identifying with a party declined 1960-1980Proportion of those wanting a split ticket increased (as opposed to a straight ticket)