Political PartiesDevelopment of Parties

Group of people with broad common interests who organize to win elections, control government, and thereby influence government policies.

Political party

Pick candidates Run campaigns Give cues to voters Articulate policies Coordinate policymaking

Political party tasks

The party is the government and the party leaders set government policy

Usually found in nations with authoritarian governments.◦ One-party Communist governments

Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, China ◦ One-party Theocracy (government run by

religious officials) Iran

◦ One-party authoritarian system Russia

One-Party System

Most common political system today◦ France, Italy

Parties often represent widely differing ideologies (basic beliefs about government)

Voters have a wide range of choices on election day One party rarely gets enough support to control the

gov’t so several parties often combine forces to obtain a majority and form a coalition government (groups w/diff. ideologies share power◦ Break down when disputes arise

Tend to be politically unstable

Multiparty System

Two major parties compete for power, although minor parties exist

Only about 2 dozen nations in world United States

◦ Democratic and Republican Party

Two-Party Systems

Any party other than one of the two major parties

Labeled “third” parties because they rarely win major elections

Believe that neither major party is meeting certain needs- run candidates who propose ways to remedy situation.

Role of minor parties/third parties

Single-issue party focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issue; generally short lived◦ Liberty Party; Free Soil Party

Ideological party has a particular set of ideas about how to change society overall◦ Socialist Labor Party; Communist Party

Splinter party splits away from one of the major parties because of some disagreement◦ Progressive Party; Bull Moose Party

Three types of Third Parties

Can influence the outcome of national elections

Promote new ideas that are adopted by major parties◦ Min. wage; five day workweek; unemployment

and health insurance

Impact of Third Parties

Single-member districts- system where no matter how many candidates compete in a district, only one will win. ◦ Because most voters support a major party, the

winner has almost always been a Democrat or a Republican

Many nations use an election system based on proportional representation- several officials are elected to represent voters in an area. ◦ Offices are filled in proportion to the votes that

each party’s candidates receive.◦ Encourages minority parties

Obstacles to Third Parties

Political PartiesOrganization

All generally cooperate, but are independent of each other◦ Local◦ State◦ National

Organization

Precinct: basic, local, voting district where voters cast their ballots at the same polling place

Precinct captain: organizes party workers to distribute info. about party and its candidates and to attract voters to the polls

Ward: several adjoining precincts comprise a larger district

Each precinct chooses a chairperson to represent ward at the party’s county committee

County committee selects a chairperson to handle the county party’s daily affairs

Local Party Organization

State central committee: comprised largely of reps from the party’s county organizations

Chooses party state chairperson Helps elect the party’s candidates for state

government offices Provides assistance to local parties and

candidates Helps coordinate the activities of local

parties Raises money

State Party Organization

National convention: a gathering of party members and local and state party officials that meets every four years primarily to nominate the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates

National committee: large group comprised mainly of reps from the 50 state party organizations runs the party

Elects party chairperson who manages daily operations- usually the choice of the party’s pres. candidate◦ Raises money for party◦ Touts achievements◦ Promotes national, state, and local party cooperation

National Party Organization

Provides ways for citizens to influence government, esp. at the local level

Most citizens declare membership when they register to vote◦ May choose Independent if you do not support any

particular party No duties or obligations beyond voting Must be a member to hold office or be its

candidate Ways to support party

◦ Contributing money◦ Volunteer work for party or candidates

Membership

Political PartiesNominating Candidates

Meetings of party members who choose almost all candidates for office◦ Direct primary= elections in which party members

select people to run in the general election◦ Closed primary= only members of a political party

can vote◦ Open primary= all voters may participate, even if

they do not belong to the party, but they can vote in only one party’s primary

Candidate requires a plurality: more votes than any other candidate

Primary

A person announces his/her candidacy and files petitions that a specified number of voters have signed in order to be placed on the ballot

In a primary contest, the party-backed candidate has an advantage b/c party workers will circulate petitions and use its financial and organizational resources to back its candidate

Petition

Presidential Primaries◦ May use a delegate selection process or a

presidential preference poll, or both◦ Winner-take-all or proportional delegates system

National Convention officially nominates presidential and vice presidential candidate and adopts a party platform◦ Sometimes planks divide the party

Presidential Nominations