Political Parties: Driving Democracy Forward

2. Political Parties The dance floor is now in session!

3. Quick Review • Government ensures collective action. • Government costs a group time, effort, and resources (transaction), and obligates the group into collective action (conformity). • A democratic type of government attempts to reduce transaction and conformity costs as much as possible. • In a true democracy, the majority rules and the minority are powerless

4. Quick Review A democracy is rule by the people themselves whereas a republic is rule by the people through representatives The democracy of the United States is a republic (representative democracy). The system of government is a federal government.

5. Quick Review • Proper behavior of a citizen • Learning your rights • Learning your responsibilities • Guarding them both

6. Democratic Systems of Gov’t Central Gov’t State and Local Gov’t Unitary: Voters  Central Gov’t  State and Local Gov’t Confederate: Voters  State and Local Gov’t  Central Gov’t Federate: Voters

7. 5.1 – Parties and what they do Political parties are in the business of winning Political party – a group of persons, joined together on the basis of certain common principles, who seek to control gov’t in order to bring about the adoption of certain public policies.

8. 5.1 – Parties and what they do Coalition – a union of many persons of diverse interests who have come together to get their candidates elected to public office. The dominant parties are Republican and Democrat

9. 5.1 – Parties and what they do Political parties… • Are essential to democratic government • Ensure collective action – the ability of individuals to come together toward a goal or interest • Help create compromise (the primary function of politics) • Helps soften the impact of fringe and extremist views

10. 5.1 – Parties and what they do The Five (5) functions of a Political Party • 1) The Nominating Function • The major function of political parties b/c we live in a republic • Name candidates to various public offices and present them to the people to vote

11. 5.1 – Parties and what they do • 2) The Informer-Stimulator Function • Inform people and stimulate their interests in public affairs to the advantage of the political party • Campaign for their candidates, take stand on issues, and criticize opponents • Advertises, educates, mass produces paraphernalia (buttons, pamphlets, etc.) – aka propaganda

12. 5.1 – Parties and what they do • 3) The “Seal of Approval” Function • Approves candidates whom political parties see as qualified, of good character, and represents their interests • Ensures accountability for those candidates b/c their performance reflects the party • 4) The Government Function • Congress and State legislators are organized on party lines and conduct their business on a partisan basis

13. 5.1 – Parties and what they do Partisan – to show bias and support toward one group, issue, situation, etc. Parties ensure the legislative and executive branch work together b/c there are cohesive groups in power rather than individuals

14. 5.1 – Parties and what they do • 5) The Watchdog Function • Political parties watch over the conduct of other political parties (candidates, platforms, etc.) • Out of power parties scrutinize and criticize the parties in power – mostly in the attempt to throw their opposition out of power and get their party in power

15. 5.2 – The Two-Party System America has a two-party system – only two political parties are dominant at any given time Minor parties—or third parties—will virtually never have any real significance on the political scene in the U.S.

16. 5.2 – The Two-Party System Four (4) reasons for the Two-Party System • 1) Historical • The ratification of the Constitution saw the development of the first two political parties—the Federalists (Hamilton) and the Anti-Federalists (Jefferson)

17. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • 2) Force of Tradition • B/c the U.S. started with a two-party system, the tradition continued • B/c there has always been a two-party system, it is widely accepted by the people (the status quo)

18. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • 3) The Electoral System • The shape and function of the U.S. electoral system allows for only two parties at a time • Single-member district elections – contests in which only one candidate is elected (Winner-Take-All) • Only needs to receive a plurality – more than the other candidates, not a majority (<50%)

19. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • Single-member district elections discourage more than two viable candidates from being picked b/c voting for minor parties is seen as throwing away your vote • Laws in America discourage minor parties and protect the two-party system by making it hard to get their candidates on ballots

20. The Two-Party System Proportional Representation Total 20 10 10 • Blue gets two representatives • Red gets one representative • Green gets one representative

21. The Two-Party System Two –Party System / Winner-Take-All Total 3 1 0 • Blue gets three representatives • Red gets one representative • Green does not get representatives

22. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • 4) The American Ideological Consensus • Over time, the American people have shared much of the same ideals, basic principles, and patterns of beliefs • This has produced two major parties that are in a lot of cases alike—but not completely alike

23. 5.2 – The Two-Party System Alternate Systems • Multi-party systems – major and minor parties exist who have realistic power in a nation • This is the way w/ a lot of democracies in Europe as well as Japan, Israel, Canada, and others

24. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • Various parties are based on some particular interest (economic class, religious belief, political ideology, etc.) • This system is unstable b/c no one party can gain a majority and so have to form coalitions with other parties • Parties constantly shift in power; coalitions dissolve, shift, and/or form in new ways

25. 5.2 – The Two-Party System One-party system—put simply, a dictatorship; it is really a “no-party system” b/c the one party rules and competition is virtually non-existent

26. 5.2 – The Two-Party System Political Membership • Membership to political parties in the U.S. is purely voluntary • As a result, the major parties try to be as broadly based as possible to attract as many members as possible

27. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • Historically, there have been trends; In the last few decade: • African Americans, Catholics, Jews, union members  Democrat Party • White males, Protestants, the business community  Republican Party (GOP) • 2/3 of people follow the party allegiance of their parents

28. 5.2 – The Two-Party System • Major events change party allegiances • Civil War • Republicans – white male, anti-slavery, bigger gov’t • Democrats – white male, pro-slavery, smaller gov’t • The Great Depression • Democrats – bigger gov’t, activist gov’t • Republicans – smaller gov’t, non-interventionist gov’t

29. 5.4 – Minor Parties Also called a third party – a political party formed as a dissenting or independent group from members of one or both of the two prevailing major parties.

30. 5.4 – Minor Parties • 1) Ideological Parties • Those based on a particular set of beliefs toward social, economic, and political matters • Ex.: Libertarian Party – individualism, doing away with most of today’s gov’t function and programs

31. 5.4 – Minor Parties • 2) Single Issue Parties • Those concerned with a single matter • Example: American (“No Nothing”) Party – opposed Irish-Catholic immigration in the 1850s

32. 5.4 – Minor Parties • 3) Economic Protest Parties • Parties that are rooted in economic discontent • Parties that are disgusted with the major parties and want better economic times • Example: Populist party – agrarian discontent (farmers), public ownership of railroads, telephone, and telegraph companies, lower tariffs…. 1890s

33. 5.4 – Minor Parties • 4) Splinter Parties • Parties that have split away from the major parties • Example: Bull Moose Party – led by T. Roosevelt; split from the Republican party, 1912; progressive ideals and reform

34. 5.4 – Minor Parties Contributions of third parties • The Nat’l Convention (from the Anti-Mason party, 1831) • Initiative and referendum in local gov’t (from the Populist party, 1890s) • Spoiler role – takes votes away from one major candidate which causes the other to win

35. 5.5 – The Organization of Political Parties • National Party Machinery * national committee – RNC & DNC *national chairperson – - RNC – Reince Priebus - DNC – Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz • * national convention – every 4 years • - nominate president and vice president candidates • - write platform • - unify party

36. 5.5 – The Organization of Political Parties • State & Local Party Machinery • - State Organization • * State Central Committee • * State Chairperson • - Local Organization • * County Central Committee • * Precinct Committee persons

37. 5.5 – The Organization of Political Parties • 3 elements of the Party • * the party organization • * the party in the electorate • * the party in the government

38. 5.5 – The Organization of Political Parties The Future of the Major Parties 1. sharp drop in straight party voters & more registered independents 2. increase in split-ticket voters 3. open party primaries to other voters

39. 5.5 – The Organization of Political Parties 4. candidates less dependent on party organizations 5. rise of PACs & super PACs 6. not going away