Chapter 5

Political Parties

Parties and What They Do?

Political Party Is a group of persons who seek

to control government through the winning of elections and

holding of public office.

Major Parties Republican Democrat

Both parties are no primarily principle or issue

oriented. ???????

They are election oriented.

What Is A

Party?

Nominate Candidates Name candidates for public office Parties select candidates and the present

them to the voters.

Informing and Activating Supporters The parties inform the people, and inspire

and activate their interests and participation in public affairs.

The Bonding Agent Function Bond- is an agreement that protects a

person or company against loss caused by a third party. The party acts as a bonding agent to

ensure the good performance of its candidates and officeholders.

Governing Congress and state legislatures are

organized on party lines, and they conduct much of their business on the basis of partisanship.

Acting as Watchdog Parties act as watchdogs over the conduct of

public’s business. It plays this role as it criticizes the policies

and behavior of the party in power.

What Do

Parties Do?

The Two- Party

System

Historical Basis Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists George Washington’s Farewell Address

The Force of Tradition Accept the idea of a two party system,

simply because there has always been one.

The Electoral System Single member districts- candidate is

elected to each office on the ballot. Winner takes all.

The American Ideological Consensus Republican- in favor of private market

forces in the economy and to argue that the Federal Government should be less extensively involved in social welfare programs.

Democrats- vote for a candidate who supports social welfare, government regulation, of business practices, and efforts to improve the status of minorities.

Why a two-party

system?

Replacement of a two party system

They would replace it with a multiparty

system, which several major and minor

parties exist, seriously compete for, and

actually win public offices.

Would this work in America?

Multiparty Systems

This is really a no party system.

Democrats and Republicans go

back and forth as far as popularity.States also have

their party that they are affiliated

with.The State of Utah???

One Party

Systems

This is purely voluntary. Its what they choose to be.

Parties must be able to attract supporters. Supporters can be young, old, city-

dwellers, suburbanites, and rural residents among it members.

They can also be any age to support any political party.

Different Parties The Libertarian Party Prohibition National Committee America First Party The Constitution Party The Natural Law Party The Socialists Labor Party Green Party of the United States The Communists Party

Party Membership

Patterns

The Two-Party System In American

History

Federalists Formed around Alexander Hamilton Party of the rich and the well born Most of them supported the Constitution Worked to create a stronger national

government. Appealed to Financial, manufacturing, and

commercial interests. Liberal interpretation of the Constitution.

Jeffersonian Followers of the Common Man Very limited role for the new government. Congress should dominate that new

government. Its policies should help the nation’s small

shopkeepers, farmers, laborers, and planters.

First election in which they clashed was in 1796 John Adams beating Jefferson by 3 votes.

The Nation’s

First Parties

Era of the Democrats 1800-1860. Thomas Jefferson’s election marked the

beginning . This will last until the Civil War.

The Era of the Republicans 1860-1932. The Civil War sparked the beginning for a one

party domination. McKinley Grover Cleveland Taft Roosevelt

The Return of the Democrats 1932-1968 Franklin Roosevelt Truman

The Start of a New Era Richard Nixon-Republican Gerald Ford-Republican Jimmy Carter- Democrat Ronald Reagan- Republican George Bush- Republican William Jefferson Clinton- Democrat George HW Bush- Republican Barack Obama- Democrat

American Parties:

Four Major Eras

The Minor Parties

Ideological Parties Parties based on a particular

set of beliefs.

Single Issue Parties They focus on only one

public-policy matter.

Economic Protest Parties They have been rooted in

economic discontent.

Splinter Parties They have split from one of

the major parties.

Minor Parties in the United States

Still have an impact on American politics and on the major parties.

Minor parties continue to be active

today.Many minor parties

also seek seats in Congress or run for

various State and local offices.

Why Minor Parties

Are Important

Party Organization

The Role of The Presidency The President’s Party is usually more

organized than the opposing party. President is automatically the party

leader.

The Impact of Federalism Federalism is one major reason for the

decentralized nature of the two major parties is to gain control of the government.

They do this by winning elective offices.

The Role of the Nominating Process Plays a central role in the life of political

parties. First: Candidate selection is an intraparty

process. Nomination within the party. Second: The nominating process can be a

divisive one. Fight over the nomination.

Prime process is making of their nomination.

The Decentralized Nature of the

Parties

The National Convention The Party’s national voice

The National Committee The parties affairs are handled

The National Chairperson Leader of the national

committee. Chosen in a four year term

The Congressional Campaign Committees

Each party also has a campaign committee in each house of

Congress. These committees work to reelect incumbents and to make sure that seats given up

remain in the party.

National Party

Machinery

The State Organization At the State level, party machinery is built around a

State central committee, headed by a State

chairperson. Chairperson and committee

work together to further the parties interests.

Local Organization Ward- is a unit into which

cities are often divided for the election of city council

members. Precinct- Is the smallest unit

of election administration; the voters in each precinct report to one polling place.

State and Local Party Machinery

1- The Party Organization These are the party leaders

Activists All who give their time, money

and skills to the party.

2- The Party in the electorate

The party’s loyalists who vote on a straight party ticket. Party Members

3- The Party in Government

Party’s officeholders Those who hold executive, judicial, legislative offices in the federal, state and local levels.

The Three Components of the Party

The present, weakened state of the parties can be traced to

several factors: 1- A sharp drop in the number of

voters wiling to identify themselves with their party.

2- A big increase in split-ticket voting. Voting for candidates of

different parties for different offices at the same election.

3- Various structural changes and reforms that have made the parties

more open but led to internal disorganization.

4- Changes in technology of campaigning for office. Television

and internet. 5- The growth in both numbers and

impact, of single issue organizations in our politics.

The Future of the Major

Parties