The Two-Party System in American Politics

Chapter 5, Section 2

5 Functions of political parties:1. Govern2. Nominate candidates3. “Inform and Activate”4. Create a “Bonding Agent”5. Act as the public’s “Watchdog”

What we covered last time…

1. Why does the United States have a two-party system?

2. The difference between one-party, two-party and multi-party systems.

3. Party membership trends in the United States.

Objectives for Today

1. Forces throughout history 2. Tradition in the United States3. The American Electoral System4. The “American Ideological Consensus”

Why does the United States have a two-party system?

Historical Forces in the Creation of the Two-Party System

How do you think the Founding Fathers felt

about political parties?

Founding Fathers did not desire the existence of political parties…

Viewed them as "factions" dangerous to public interest…

If the political community broke into small groups committed to their own narrow interests, the search for the common good would be compromised!

Historical Forces

republican ideology = subordination of narrow interests to the general welfare of the community…

Politics was supposed to be rational and collaborative, NOT competitive!

Can you even imagine this concept today? (HA!)

Historical Forces

“Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party…”

Federalists (Hamilton) vs. Anti-Federalists (Jefferson)

Alexander Hamilton: …associated with the aristocracy, industry over

agriculture, Great Britain over France and stronger central government over stronger individual states.

Thomas Jefferson: …weak central government, common man and the

addition of the Bill of Rights.

Historical Forces

Tradition and the Two-Party System

From the beginning, our country has had a two-party system…

So, we have always had this system…

Has this system ever failed us? No, not really.

Basically, America has a two-party system because we have ALWAYS had a two-party system!

Tradition

The American Electoral System the

Two-Party System

The prevalence of “Single-member districts”…

One candidate is elected to office “Winner-take-all” elections

Discourages third parties… Typically, people vote for incumbent, or next “most

reliable alternative” – which is usually who?

What mentality does this breed?

The American Electoral System

Is a vote for a third party a wasted vote?

American election law creates obstacles for third-parties…

“Ballot access” laws - % of previous races Democratic and Republican state legislatures pass

restrictive laws that make it difficult for third parties to get on the ballot in many states!

“Write-in” vs. “Ballot access”

The American Electoral System

Examples…

The American Ideological

Consensus and the Two-Party System

90% of Americans

The American Ideological Consensus

Although we have a pluralistic society, there is a broad consensus on fundamental issues in the country!

Two major parties are very similar… “moderate”

In order to win elections, parties tend to take

moderate stances on issues to appeal to the

largest number of people!

Now, let’s look at the difference between

our system and others…

One-party system: typically produces an autocratic or dictatorial power…

aka “Single-Party” state

One-party, two-party and multi-party systems

United States… Single party State?

Multi-party system: system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition…

Coalition: alliance of parties who come together to control a government

Most Western European Countries, Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Taiwan…

One-party, two-party and multi-party systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:112USHouseStructure.svg

Now, let’s look at Party Membership

Patterns in the United States…

Trends in Political Parties Democrats

Blacks, Hispanics Catholics Jews Union members Lower income

Republicans (GOP) White males, Cubans Protestants Businessmen Higher income