Evolution of Party Politics in the US

1. Decline in Party Power in Recent Years

2. The adoption of the Direct Primary • The nomination process to select candidates for office use to be accomplished by Caucuses in which party leaders would meet to select candidates to run for office for the party • Later the convention method was adopted in which voters would select delegates to attend a convention in order to nominate candidates to run for office • Beginning in the early 1900’s, most states adopted the Direct Primary in which voters directly nominate a candidate to run for office for the party • About half the states today have an open primary in which any voter may participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary • In an closed primary, only declared party members may participate in their party’s primary • The adoption of the primary has put the power directly in the hands of the voters and no longer in the hands of “party bosses”

3. Split-Ticket Voting and Divided Government • The party ballot has been replaced by the office ballot in which voters may now choose between a democrat and a republican • In recent years there has been an increase in split-ticket voting among voters (voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election) • Since the late 1960’s, the increase in split-ticket voting has led to divided government (the executive branch “white house” is controlled by one political party while the legislative branch “Congress” is controlled by another political party) • Divided government has led to legislative gridlock (legislation or bills are not passed and thus nothing much gets done)

4. Increase in Independent Voters • As compared to 50 or 60 years ago, today less people identify themselves with a party label of a Republican or Democrat (Increase in Independent voters) • Independent voters are more likely to vote “split-ticket” as compared to partly loyalists who regularly vote “straight-ticket”

5. Changes in Technology (Media) • Today, politicians rely mostly on the media in order to contact and connect with the voters and to raise funds (television, e-mails, mass mailings, phone calls, websites and professional campaign managers) • Today, direct donations on the internet have drastically increased campaign fund raising • Before the invention of television, politicians relied heavily on party bosses and the party organization in order to make contact with the public and to raise money

6. Changing Political Culture • Parties unimportant in life; Americans do not join or pay dues • Parties separate from other aspects of life • Most Americans today just vote on one day once every 2 or 4 years

7. History of Decentralized Control • Due to our Federal System of government in which our National, State, and Local government are for the most part separate, so are political parties. • There is no strict hierarchy structure from the national party level down to the state and local level. • Each level is for the most part separate and independent of each other and thus not very organized

8. Constitutional System and Separation of Powers • In many European countries, the legislature (parliament) elects the executive (President or Prime Minister) meaning that one political party controls both the legislative and executive branches of government • In the United States, the President is elected separately from Congress, which can lead to divided government

9. Change in Ideology • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gftp95SqFm4&list=PLcLu3B7J06AC7Rws9a9pwCYwYThi-aYON