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)
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