Political Parties Essential to Democracy

6 Political Parties Essential to Democracy

6 Learning Objectives Identify the primary functions of parties in democracies and distinguish the U.S. party system from those in European democracies 6.1 Describe changes in American political parties and identify four realigning elections 6.2

6 Learning Objectives Evaluate the functions of parties as institutions, parties in government, and parties in the electorate 6.3 Explain party fund-raising and expenditures, and assess their regulation 6.4

6 Learning Objectives Assess the effects of recent party reforms and the long-term prospects for the current party system 6.5 2.2

What Parties Do for Democracy 6.1 • Party Functions • The Nomination of Candidates • Party Systems • Minor Parties: Persistence and Frustration

Party Functions Organize the competition Unify the electorate Organize the government Make policy Provide loyal opposition 6.1

6.1

The Nomination of Candidates 6.1 • Early caucus gave way to convention • Direct primary • Open primaries • Closed primaries • Local caucuses • Choose delegates who choose delegates to state and local conventions

6.1 Iowa Caucus

Party Systems 6.1 • Presidential vs. Parliamentary government • Proportional representation

6.1 Chancellor Merkel

Party Systems 6.1 • “Winner-take-all” system • Lack of incentive for small parties • Wasted votes

Minor Parties: Persistence and Frustration 6.1 • Candidate-based parties • Ideology-based parties • Limited success and influence

6.1 TABE 6.1: Minor parties in the United States

6.1 6.1What is a meeting of local party members to choose candidates for public office and to decide the platform called? • Open primary • Direct primary • Convention • Caucus

A Brief History of AmericanPolitical Parties 6.2 • The Nation’s First Parties • Realigning Elections • The Last Half Century

The Nation’s First Parties Ratification debate Hamilton and the Federalists Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans 6.2

Realigning Elections 1824: Andrew Jackson and the Democrats 1860: The Civil War and the rise of the Republicans 1896: A party in transition 1932: Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal alignment 6.2

Realigning Elections 1932: Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal alignment 6.2

6.2 The 1932 election

The Last Half Century Party demographic shift “Solid South”/Republican South 2008 election and the Tea Party 6.2

6.2 6.2Which of these is not a characteristic of realigning elections? • Weak voter involvement • Disruptions of traditional voting patterns • Changes in relationships of power within the broader political community • The formation of new and durable electoral groupings

American Parties Today 6.3 • Parties as Institutions • Parties in Government • Parties in the Electorate • Party Identification • Partisan Dealignment?

Parties as Institutions National party leadership National party conventions National committee Party platforms Parties at the state and local levels 6.3

6.3 House Speaker John Boehner

6.3 FIGURE 6.1: Difference in perception of what the parties stand for, 1984–2008

Parties in Government In the legislative branch Committee chairs belong to majority party In the executive branch Presidential appointments based on partisanship In the judicial branch Partisan appointment process At the state and local levels 6.3

Parties in the Electorate 6.3 • Party registration • Party activists • Party regulars • Candidate activists • Issue activists

6.3 Ted Cruz

Party Identification Party identification is acquired during childhood Party identification is relatively stable over time Party identification is the single best predictor of how people will vote 6.3

6.3 TABLE 6.2: Combined party identification by decades, 1950s–2000s

6.3 FIGURE 6.2: Presidential vote by party

6.3 Partisan Dealignment? • Increasing number of Independents • Most self-identified Independents vote along partisan lines • Pure Independents make up same proportion as 1956

6.3 TABLE 6.3: Voting behaviour of partisans and independents, 1992–2008

6.3 6.3Which of the following is the best predictor of voting behavior? • Party identification • Interest in single issue • Ideology • Choice of candidate

How Parties Raise and Spend Money 6.4 • Party expenditures • 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act • Independent expenditure option

6.4 6.4What happened after the passage of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act? • Political parties were weakened by limits on funding • Political parties were strengthened by a surge in contributions • There was no change in contributions • Contributions at first weakened but then had modest increases

Are the Political Parties Dying? 6.5 • Reform Among the Democrats • Reform Among the Republicans • Continued Importance of Parties

Reform Among the Democrats Use of direct primaries Proportional voting Nominees won delegates based on votes they received Super delegates Party leaders who do not have to run for election as delegates 6.5

6.5 Democratic National Convention, 1968

6.5 Reform Among the Republicans • Grassroots campaigns • More membership recruitment • Donor base

Continued Importance of Parties 6.5 • Parties fill democratic functions • Parties help organize government • Through parties, citizens influence government

6.5 6.5How did the Republican Party become better organized in the 1970s? • By using grassroots methods • By training young professionals • By increasing membership among different groups • All of the above

6 Discussion Question Are you a member of a major or minor political party? Why? How would you classify your level of partisanship?

Political Parties Essential to Democracy