Chapter Nineteen: Political Parties in Texas

1. Chapter Nineteen: Political Parties in Texas

2. Questions to Consider • Why was Texas politics dominated by the Democratic Party until the early 1990s? • Why have a majority of Texans come to identify with the Republican Party? • What developments could lead to a resurgence of support for the Texas Democratic Party?

3. Chapter Contents • How Political Parties Operate • Development of the Texas Party System • How the Party Machinery Is Organized in Texas • A New Era of Republican Dominance

4. Learning Objectives • Describe the functions and characteristics of American political parties. • Explain the factors which contributed to Democratic Party dominance in Texas and identify the factions which operated within this system. • Describe the structure of the party organization from the local to the national level. Explain the relative independence of state party organizations. • Explain the recent success of the Republican Party in Texas. • Explain the current status of the Democratic Party in Texas.

5. What If…Texas Nominated Its Candidates by Convention • Nomination by convention would allow the parties more control over who gets nominated. • Could select stronger candidates • Candidates closer to the party’s platform

6. What If…Texas Nominated Its Candidates by Convention (Cont’d) • Could increase accountability in government • Would eliminate costly primaries • Voters would have little voice in choosing candidates.

7. For Critical Analysis 1. Other than GOP dominance, what other factors would make it difficult for Texas to adopt a convention system of nominating candidates? 2. Describe the major issue positions of Democrats or Republicans in Texas. How would a convention system of nominating candidates make it easier for the state party to enact its positions into law?

8. How Political Parties Operate What Is a Political Party? • A broad-based coalition • Primary purpose of winning elections • Provide a link between the people and government • Facilitate participation in political system • Organize support for candidates • Unify and mobilize groups and interests

9. How Political Parties Operate (Cont’d) Functions of parties: • Nominate and elect their members to public office • Educate the public • Provide voters with cues on how to vote • Mobilize voters by encouraging participation in the electoral process • Run the government

10. Characteristics of American Political Parties • Pragmatism • Willing to compromise to appeal voters • Try to appeal to a large number of interests • Decentralization • Precinct, local, state, and national levels • Various levels are semi-independent actors. • Power has shifted to the national parties.

11. Decentralization Figure 22-1 The Decentralized Nature of American Political Parties and the Strengthening of the National Party’s Service Function

12. The Two-Party System • Third parties have difficulty winning elections. • In Texas, it is difficult for third parties to get on the ballot.

13. Politics with a Purpose: Crystal City High School and the Creation of the Raza Unida Party • Mexican-American population of Crystal City, Texas, had long been denied political power. • In 1963, the Hispanic population organized and won control of the city council.

14. Politics with a Purpose: Crystal City High School and the Creation of the Raza Unida Party (Cont’d) • Hispanic students at Crystal City High School protested unequal treatment. • Protests led to the election of Hispanics to the school board.

15. Politics with a Purpose: Crystal City High School and the Creation of the Raza Unida Party (Cont’d) • La Raza Unida Party was created in 1970. • Spread to other states • Had its greatest success at the local level

16. Politics with a Purpose: Crystal City High School and the Creation of the Raza Unida Party (Cont’d) • Mobilized Mexican-American voters, especially young people • Twice nominated Ramsey Muñiz as candidate for governor • Many of its concerns became part of the Democratic Party platform.

17. Development of the Texas Party System • The One-Party Tradition in Texas • From Reconstruction until the 1990s, the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics. • Democratic primary became the substitute for the two-party contest. • The Great Depression solidified Democratic dominance.

18. Ideological Basis of Factionalism: Conservatives and Liberals • Conservatives • Support free market and traditional values • Support government promotion of business • Oppose social welfare programs • Favor stiffer penalties for criminals

19. Ideological Basis of Factionalism: Conservatives and Liberals (Cont’d) • Liberals • Support government regulation of economy • Support social-welfare programs • Support protection of civil rights and liberties

20. Conservative and Liberal Factions in the Democratic Party • For many years, factions within the Texas Democratic Party resembled a two-party system. • Conservative Democrats were more successful than liberals.

21. Conservative and Liberal Factions in the Democratic Party (Cont’d) • Texas conservatives traditionally voted Democratic in state and local races. • Voted for Republican presidential candidates • Conservative Democrats dominated the governorship, the legislature and Texas’s representatives in Congress.

22. The Success of the Conservative Democrats • Reasons for the success of the conservative faction: • Represent powerful industries • Publish most of the state’s daily newspapers • Contribute money to campaigns • More likely to vote in Democratic primaries

23. The Impact of Governor Shivers • Shivers helped establish the dominance of the conservative faction of the Democratic Party. • Shivercrats supported Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 election. • Most Democratic candidates for state office that year were also nominated by Republican Party.

24. The Impact of Governor Shivers (Cont’d)

25. Liberal Democrats • Liberal Democrats in Texas consist of groups that have supported the Democratic Party nationally. • Organized labor • African Americans • Mexican Americans • Teachers and intellectuals

26. Liberal Democrats (Cont’d) • Liberal Democrats in Texas consist of groups that have supported the Democratic Party nationally (Cont’d) • Small farmers and ranchers • Environmental groups • Abortion-rights groups • Trial lawyers

27. Liberal Democrats (Cont’d) • Historically, Texas Liberalism was most successful from 1890s through 1930s. • Defection of conservatives to Republican Party has allowed liberal Democrats to capture party’s nominations. • This defection has made Republican Party dominant in the state.

28. The Rise of the Republican Party • Republican Party in Texas was traditionally seen as the party of Reconstruction. • In the 1950s, conservative Democrats began to support Republican presidential candidates.

29. The Rise of the Republican Party (Cont’d) • In 1961, Republican John Tower was elected to replace Lyndon Johnson in the U.S. Senate. • In 1978, Republican Bill Clements was elected governor.

30. The Republicans Become Dominant • In 1998, Republicans won every statewide office. • They captured a majority in the Texas Senate in 1996 • Won majority in Texas House in 2002 • In 2004, they captured a majority in Texas’s congressional delegation. • Competitive in local elections

31. The Republican Become Dominant (Cont’d) Table 22–1 Changes in the Number of Republican and Democratic Officeholders in Texas

32. Sources of Republican Strengths and Weaknesses • The Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Midland-Odessa areas • The Northern Panhandle • East Texas oil field counties of Smith, Rusak and Gregg • The Hill Country-Edwards Plateau area

33. Sources of Republican Strengths and Weaknesses (Cont’d) • Large urban cities: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin • South and South Central Texas • Far West Texas • Far pockets of East Texas

34. Sources of Republican Strengths and Weaknesses (Cont’d) Figure 22–2 Presidential Candidates with Most Votes

35. Sources of Republican Strengths and Weaknesses (Cont’d) • Sources of Republican Strength: • Middle- and upper-class individuals and rural, high-income ranchers • White Anglo-Saxon Protestants and German Americans • Active and retired military officers • Traditional conservatives

36. Conservative and Moderate Factions Within the Republican Party • Conservative Christians dominate the Texas Republican Party. • Control much of the party machinery • Moderate Republicans represent business interests. • Want low taxes • Want to limit government role in business

37. Republicans and Minorities • The party has failed to generate much support among the minority voters. • Mexican Americans have traditionally identified with the Democratic Party. • Substantial number of Hispanic voters are swing voters.

38. An Example of a Third Party: The Libertarian Party • Active force in Texas politics • Combines the conservative emphasis on free markets with the liberal skepticism toward legislating morality

39. An Example of a Third Party: The Libertarian Party (Cont’d) • Faces the same hurdles as other third parties • Poor financing • Lack of media coverage • Gaining ballot access • Have won more than 300 local and state offices throughout the country

40. How the Party Machinery Is Organized in Texas • Temporary Party Organization • Permanent Party Organization

41. How the Party Machinery Is Organized in Texas (Cont’d) Figure 22–3 Texas Political Party Organization

42. Temporary Party Organization Precinct Convention • Adopts resolutions to be passed onto the county or state senatorial district convention • Selects delegates to the county or senatorial district convention

43. Temporary Party Organization (Cont’d) Precinct Convention (Cont’d) • Open to all who vote in the primary election • Attendance is very low. • Small minority can control of convention.

44. Temporary Party Organization (Cont’d) • County and Senatorial District Conventions • Votes on adoption of resolutions to be considered at the state convention • Selects delegates and alternates to attend state convention • May be dominated by liberal or conservative factions

45. Temporary Party Organization (Cont’d) • State Convention • Held in June of even-numbered years • Elects state party officers and state executive committee • Adopts a party platform • Certifies the candidates nominated by the party in its primary

46. Temporary Party Organization (Cont’d) • State Convention (Cont’d) • In presidential election years, the state convention also • Elects representatives to national committee • Selects 34 candidates to the electoral college • Elects some delegates to national convention

47. Permanent Party Organization • Precinct Chair • Party organizer in the precinct • Presides over precinct convention • Member of the county executive committee

48. Permanent Party Organization (Cont’d) • County Chair • Presides over county executive committee • Organizes party primaries • Must certify the names of official nominees

49. Permanent Party Organization (Cont’d) • County Executive Committee • Assembles delegates to the county convention • Canvasses returns from the primary for local offices • Helps the county chair prepare the primary ballot

50. Permanent Party Organization (Cont’d) • State Chair • Presides over meetings of state executive committee • Calls state convention to order • Handles requests of statewide candidates on the ballot • Certifies runoff primary election winners