Political PartiesPolitical Parties

The symbols have been around since the mid 1870s and early 1880s

Thomas Nast was actually the cartoonist responsible for the creation of these animals in his political cartoons

These animals were placed on the parties, more in jest and to poke fun of them. The elephant might be considered slow and not intelligent. The donkey might be considered stubborn and silly

Development of American Political

Parties The Two-Party System

What Is a Political Party?• A political party is a group of

citizens who agree on major issues facing the nation. These groups work to create public policies that reflect their views.

• Parties choose, or nominate, people they want to elect to public office. These candidates campaign to get elected.

Parties in the US• Any American citizen may

join a political party regardless of age, but most members are eighteen or older.

• The United States has a two-party system. The Republicans emerged as a major party in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln. The Democratic Party formed under Andrew Jackson twenty years earlier.

Hamilton vs. Jefferson

• Political parties first emerged when followers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagreed over major issues on the Constitution and government.

• Jefferson’s group took the name Democratic-Republicans. Due to experience with Britain, they feared a powerful central government. They wanted the states to hold greater power.

• Hamilton championed a strong national government with a powerful chief executive. His followers called themselves Federalists, after those who supported the Constitution.

Jacksonian Democracy Reigns

• Those who did not support Jackson formed their own party called Whigs, after a Scottish political leader.

• Their real name was the National Republican Party.

• The Whigs and Democrats made up the two key parties in American politics for two decades.

• In 1828, the farmers and small business owners who made up Jefferson’s party, calling themselves the Democratic Party, nominated Andrew Jackson. He stood for the common citizen, but looked out for southern and western interests.

The Two Major Parties Emerge• In 1854 Whigs, former Free Soil Party

members, and ex-Democrats formed the Republican Party to oppose the spread of slavery in US territories.

• The Whigs faded from American politics leaving the Democrats and Republicans in a two-party system that has dominated American politics ever since.

Parties Survey

Liberal Support for greater

government control/regulation in economic matters and less government control/regulation of individual matters.

LibertarianSupport for minimal

government control of both economic and social issues

ConservativeSupport for less

government control/regulation in economic matters and greater government control/regulation of individual matters.

TotalitarianSupport for complete

government control of economic and social issues

Liberal Conservative Favor loose

construction – a broad interpretation

Constitutional interpretation may change as modern society evolves

What are our standards today?

Favor strict construction – a narrow interpretation

Constitutional interpretation should remain constant through the years

What did the founders mean?

Favor change over status quo

Rights of the Individual are more important

Favor tradition over change

Rights of the community are more important

Look at these cartoons. What do you think the mood was in the country at the time?

American Political Parties

• bring people together to achieve control of the government

• develop policies favorable to their interests or to the groups that support them

• organize and run campaigns

• persuade voters to elect their candidates to office

• give cues to voters

• represent their constituents

• attempt to put philosophy into practice through legislation

• formulate policy through a national party platform

Any party other than the two major parties can be called a “Third party.”

No third party has ever gained control of the White House. Sometimes, third parties win seats in Congress or gain office in lower levels of government.

When these smaller groups challenge the two major parties, they can change the outcome of elections.

Their most important role is to influence policy on one or more issues.

Ralph Nader, Green Party Candidate,

2000

Third Parties

Third parties can form to highlight single issues in a given election or provide a long-term forum for minority views

The Role of Minor PartiesA third party or minor party is any party other than the two major parties. Their common thread is that they believe that neither party is meeting certain needs. A third party runs a candidate to propose a remedy to the situation and/or to draw attention to their specific issue(s) or ideology.

single-issue partyfocuses exclusively on one major economic, social, or moral issue ex: Free Soilers, Prohibition Party, Women’s Suffrage Party, Right to Life Party

ideological partyfocuses on overall change in society rather than on one single issue ex: Communist Party, Socialist Party, Libertarian Party

splinter partysplits away from one of the two major parties because of some disagreement ex: Progressive (Bull Moose) Party, Dixiecrats, Green Party

Ideological Third Parties• An ideology is a body of ideas put forth by a

person or group.• Minor third parties are often formed to support

a specific issue. These rise and fall over time.• Ideological parties want to change society in

major ways. • The Socialist and Communist Parties want

to nationalize major industries. The Green Party calls for companies to respect the environment.

Cult of Personality• Some third parties form from

the efforts of famous people.• If they cannot gain support

from one of the major parties, they form their own.

• H. Ross Perot’s Reform Party was a force in the 1992 and 1996 elections. This party also placed pro wrestler Jesse Ventura in the governor’s mansion in Minnesota.

• These parties usually fade after their candidate is defeated.

Sectional Parties Example: Strom

Thurmond

and the Dixiecrat Party ran on a segregationist platform in 1948

Economic Protest Parties

Example: James Weaver and the Populist Party won over 1 million popular votes and 22 electoral votes in 1892

Ideology PartiesExamples: Socialist, Communist, and Libertarian Parties

Libertarian Party 2000 campaign ad

Charismatic Personality Parties Example:

Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Bull Moose Party in 1912

Specific Issue Parties

Example: Prohibition Party in 1892

Combination Parties

Example: George Wallace in 1968 (American Independent Party)o Dynamic leader

with a Southern base

o Anti-civil rightso Won 13% popular

vote & 46 electoral votes

Third-Party Presidential CandidatesThe following are all third-party candidates in the 20th century who received at least 5% of the vote in a presidential election.

Candidate Party % of Vote E#Teddy Roosevelt (1912) Progressive Party 27.4

88Eugene Debs (1912) Socialist Party 6.5Robert LaFollete (1924) Progressive Party 16.6 13Strom Thurmond (1948) States’ Rights (Dixiecrats) 2.4 39George Wallace (1968) American Independent 13.5 46John Anderson (1980) National Unity Campaign 6.6 H. Ross Perot (1992) Independent 18.7H. Ross Perot (1996) Reform Party 8.5Ralph Nader (1996) Green 1.0Ralph Nader (2000) Green 3.0

The Odds Are Against Them

It is difficult for third parties candidates to raise enough money to compete with the major parties.

Only one candidate can win in a given district. Usually the winner is either Democratic or Republican.

Third-party candidates must show they have support by getting voter signatures to even be placed on the ballot for national office.

3rd party readings

The Tea Party: True Third Party or

Political Movement???

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544.html

Why?

Text

Why?

Have the Repubs been successful at

this?

What is the artist saying?

What is the artist saying?

How are shooting stars and 3rd parties similar

Four Eras of Political Parties

Era of the Democrats Era of the Republicans Era of the Democrats Era of Divided Govt 1800 - 1860 1860 - 1932 1932 - 1968 1968 - Today

Divided GovernmentSince 1968, neither Republicans nor Democrats have consistently held the presidency and the Congress is often controlled by the opposing party.

American Party History

Political Parties are a“Linkage Institution”

the channels through which peoples’ concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda

Parties can be thought of in three parts:• Party in the electorate• Party as an organization• Party in government

Party in the Electorate

Party identification is a citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

Party identification shapes political worldview Party image influences by preference May be shaped by demographic characteristics South, middle-aged, and white-collar lean Republican Evangelicals and married lean Republican Women, minorities, and Jews lean Democratic Unions, advanced degrees, and single lean more

Democratic Independents- What do they do?

– Ticket splitting- Voting with one party and then with another. Voting for the person, not the party

Party in Government

Parties play a major role in organizing Congress

Parties shape perceptions of presidents

Presidents--to varying degrees--act as party

leaders

PartyPlatform

abortion

health care

gun controlsocial security

foreign policy

tax cuts

Party in GovernmentPolitical Party Platform

A party platform is made up of planks that explain where the party stands on issues of importance.

gay marriageeducation

Party Platforms

American Politics TodayDemocrats usually feel that the federal

government has a responsibility to help the poor through government intervention.

Democrats are generally seen as liberal.

Republicans hold the view that leaving the economy alone will allow for growth, giving people greater ability to help themselves. They believe in less regulation.

Republicans are viewed as being conservative.

Party Organization

The Party Organization: From the Grass Roots to Washington

The Local Parties

Party Machines: A type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements to win votes and to govern

Patronage: A job, promotion or contract given for political reasons rather than merit. Used by party machines.

Now urban party organizations are generally weak

County organizations have partially filled the void

The Party Organization: From the Grass Roots to Washington

The 50 State Party Systems:

Closed primaries: voters must be registered with their party in advance and can only vote for that party

Open primaries: voters decide on election day which party to participate in, and then only that party

Blanket primaries: voters get a list of all candidates and can vote for one name for each office, regardless of party label

State party organizations are on an upswing in terms of headquarters and budgets

The Party Organization: From the Grass Roots to Washington

The National Party Organizations:

– National Convention: The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and the party’s platform

– National Committee: One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions

– National Chairperson: Responsible for day-to-day activities of the party

20th Century Party System

1876-1912 was Golden Age of parties

(due to machines)

Parties weakened in the modern era

Change in civil service laws

Development of direct primary system

Growth of candidate-centered and

issue-oriented politics

Increase in ticket-splitting and

independent voters

Party Realignment

During a realignment, party coalitions

change

Critical elections put key issues into

perspective

Critical elections: 1800, 1860, and 1932

No uniform realignment has occurred since

1932

Realigning Elections

Party Identification by Group

Party Coalitions Today

Dealignment and Party Strength Are we in a period of dealignment? Many say yes.

– What is dealignment?

– Voters are much less likely to identify with a party

– What are some reasons that this might be happening?

Result of the growth in issue-oriented politics

Parties are important in electorate and in government

Parties continue to be competitive with one another

Gender Gap

Political Party Finances

Soft money

Unregulated money given to parties for party building purposes

Vote drives or issue ads

Banned by Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Why do you think it was banned?

Hard money

Funds used directly for electioneering

Regulated and limited by FEC

Where does hard money come from?

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Your Turn• You know the different major ideologies and the

political parties they are now use them. Create a campaign poster with (1) ONE partner that will address the topic of: – health care reform

– war in Afghanistan and

– global climate change (its your choice but you only pick ONE).

• You will be creating (3) THREE posters as one will focus on Democrats, one will focus on Republicans and one will focus on a

group of your choice. • You and your partner(s) will present your products to the class.

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Timeline: Running for the Presidency

24 monthsbefore election

12 monthsbefore election

The Decision to RunGathering support andmoney; testing the waters;announcing candidacies

Primaries and CaucusesFebruary to June

• open primaries• closed primaries• caucuses

Winning DelegatesElimination of allcandidates except one

6 months before election

Party ConventionJuly to August

• formal selection ofparty nominees at the national conventions

• party platform adopted

• vice presidential nomination

General Stage ElectionAugust to November

• campaigning• media appearances• debates

November election