Slide 1

Political Parties in America

1Parties and what they do?Political party: a group of persons who seek to control the government through the winning of elections and holding of public office.

What is a Party?

DemocratsRepublicans

Major Parties in AmericaAnother more specific definition is a political party is a group of persons who want to control government for what purpose?To affect certain public policies and programsThe (2) major parties in the US do not fit this definition; they are more election oriented.

More Specific

What Do Parties Actually Do?It is clear from American history that political parties are essential to democratic government.They are the medium through which options are presented to the people.Role of Parties

Parties are a link between people and their government.How do they work to blunt conflict? Try to bring conflicting groups together and encourage compromise.

Role of Parties

The major function of a political party is to nominate (or name) candidates for public office.Once a candidate is nominated, what then is the partys function?WIN THE ELECTION !!

Nominating Candidates

Big job for political parties is to inform the people.What are (3) examples of this?Campaign for candidatesTake stance on issuesCriticize candidates and positions of opponents.

Informing/Activating Supporters

Parties conduct this educational process:through pamphlets, signs, buttons and stickerswith advertisements in speeches and rallies.

Informing/Activating Supporters

In business, a bond is an agreement that protects a person or company against loss caused by a third party.EXPLAIN the bonding agent function in politics:Parties ensure the good performance of its candidates and officeholders.

Bonding Agent

The party also prompts its successful candidates to perform well in office.What happens if the party fails with this?Party and its candidates may suffer consequences in future elections.

Bonding Agent

Congress and the State legislatures are organized on party lines and they conduct much of their business on the basis of partisanship.Governing

Definition:Strong support of a political party and their policies.

PartisanshipIn the complicated separation of powers agreement, the executive and legislative branches must cooperate with one another if anything is to get accomplished.Political parties can help the two branches work together.

Governing

Parties act as watchdogs over the conduct of the peoples business.When is this particularly true?When a party is out of power (does not control the executive branch)

WatchdogIn American politics the party in power is the party that controls the executive branch of government (President/national; Governor/state)Party out of power plays the role of loyal opposition.Watchdog

Definition:Opposed to the party in power but loyal to the people and the nation.Loyal Opposition

The Two-PartySystemA minor party is one of the many political parties without wide voter support.DESCRIBE the two-party in American politics.Democrats and Republicans are only party that has reasonable chance of winning public office in US.

Two-Party System

A number of factors help to explain why America has had and continues to have a two-party system.There are four major reasons that can explain this:

Why a Two-Party System?

The Framers of the Constitution were opposed to political parties.

The Historical Basis

Argument over the ratification of the new Constitution.FederalistsAnti-FederalistsDemocratic-Republicans

Origin of Two-Party SystemOnce established, human institutions are likely to be self-perpetuating.Why do most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system? Because there has always been this system!

The Force of Tradition

Several features of the American electoral system to tend to promote the existence of the two major parties:

The Electoral System

Single member districts:contests in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot.

Single Member District

PA Congressional Districts

PA District 13

PA Election Results in 2008

PA Election Results in 2012

Definition:The largest number of votes for an office.NOTE: a plurality need not be a majority (which is more than half of all votes cast)

PluralityMuch of American election law is purposely written to discourage non-major party candidatesRepublicans and Democrats work in a bipartisan (work together) way.

The Electoral System

Definition:When both major political parties work together on an issue.

Bi-partisanship

How do they major parties make it difficult for the smaller ones?Election laws are shaped to frustrate the minor parties.Cant get on ballot or take part in debates.

The Electoral System

Over time, the American people have shared many of the same ideas, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief.Americans are not alike; the US is a pluralistic society: one consisting of several distinct cultures and groups.

Ideological Consensus

Americans come to a consensus (a general agreement among various groups) on fundamental matters, but the nation has been divided at timesHow has this ideological consensus made the 2 major parties look alike? Both parties tend to be moderate and try to occupy the middle of the road to get more voters.

Ideological ConsensusA system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices European democracies.What are the parties in this system based on?A particular interest.

Multi-Party Systems

Weakness here is that one party is often unable to win the support of a majority of the voters. The result is that that power to govern must be shared by a number of parties in a coalition.

Multi-Party Systems

DEFINE:A temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control government.Coalition

The one-party system is really a NO PARTY system.Usually found in dictatorships today.

One-Party SystemsHow can parts of the United States be described as one-party? In certain parts of the US, only one political party has a real chance to win.

One-Party in US ??

Membership in a party is purely voluntary an individual chooses to be a Democrat, Republican, independent, or join a minor party.The two major parties are broadly based in order to attract as much support as they canthey try to get a cross-section of Americas population.

Membership PatternsIndividuals identify themselves with a party for many reasons with family as a key-deciding factor.It is also true that certain segments of the electorate tend to be aligned with one of the major parties for a time:

Membership Patterns

African-AmericansWomenCatholics and JewsUnion MembersUrban areas of countryMembership PatternsDemocratsRepublicansProtestantsMalesBusiness communityRural sections of countryThe Two-PartySystem in American HistoryFormed around Alexander Hamilton.Appealed to financial, manufacturing and commercial interests.Wanted a strong national government and executive.What was their view of the Constitution? Liberal (loose) interpretation

Federalists

Key leader Thomas Jefferson.Appealed to shopkeepers, laborers, farmers and planters.Wanted a limited national government where Congress would have more power.What was their view of the Constitution?Strict interpretation

Democratic-Republicans

Define:Current officeholderIncumbent

The history of the American party system since 1800 can be divided in to (4) major periods:

American Parties

Jeffersons election in 1800 marked the beginning of Democrat domination until the Civil War.When had the Federalists disappeared?Defeated in 1800, disappeared altogether by 1816Era of Democrats 1800-1860

By the mid-1820s, the Democrats were splitting up into factions:DemocratsWhigsFACTIONS are groups with conflicting interests.

Era of Democrats 1800-1860

Andrew JacksonA coalition of farmers, debtors, frontier pioneers and slaveholders. Support from South and West.What were the (3) fundamental changes to political landscape?Voting rights for all white malesIncrease in number of elected offices in USSpread of spoils system (rewarding loyal party members with offices, jobs, contracts)

DemocratsHenry Clay, Daniel Webster.A loose coalition of eastern bankers, merchants and industrialists, large slaveholders.Were able to elect (2) presidents based mainly on what? Military records of candidates

Whig Party

By the 1850s the growing crisis over slavery split both major parties and the Republican Party was founded in 1854.Ran John C. Fremont in 1856 for the presidency.

Republicans Born

Starting with Lincoln, the GOP dominated the national scene for 75 years starting with the Civil War.Who did the Republicans get support from?Business/financial interests and newly freed slavesEra of Republicans 1860-1932

Crippled by the war, were able to survive mainly through their hold on the Solid South.Worked to rebuild their base, but were only able to elect a president twice Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892WHY? Unprecedented prosperity in the country.

Era of Republicans 1860-1932

RepublicansDemocratsCandidate

William McKinleyWilliam J. BryanSupporters

Big business, urban areas of country

Farmers, labor unions, small businessesKeyIssueSupported the GOLD STANDARD

Supported the SILVER STANDARDElection of 1896

Electoratepeople eligible to vote.Sectionalismemphasizes a devotion to the interests of a particular region of the country.

Key Terms

Split the Republicans between incumbent President Howard Taft and former president Theodore Roosevelt.This split enabled whom to win the presidency in 1912 and 1916?Democrat Woodrow WilsonHowever, the Republicans were able to win the next (3) elections throughout the 1920s.

The Election 1912

The Great Depression returned the Democrats to national prominence until 1968.What was their new electoral base?Southerners, unions, big-city political machines, minoritiesReturn of Democrats 1932-1968

Democrats controlled the White House from 1932-1952; 1960-1968Who won the Republicans only (2) presidential victories of this era? Dwight D. Eisenhower

Republican Victory

Starting with the election of 1968, neither political party dominated national politics.The years since Richard Nixons election in 1968 have been marked by divided government.The Start of a New Era 1968 -

Republican Richard Nixon wins in 1968What were the Democrats split over?The Vietnam WarIndependent candidate George Wallace - last minor party candidate to win any electoral votes.

Election of 1968

Richard Nixon easily wins reelection over George McGovern and the still divided Democrats but is forced to resign in 1974 (Watergate).

Election of 1972

Gerald Ford (who took over for Nixon) lost a close election to Georgia governor Jimmy Carter.What hurt Ford?His pardoning of Richard Nixon

Election of 1976

Republicans back in power with two landslide victories by Ronald Reagan.

Elections of 1980, 1984

George HW Bush (Reagans Vice President) wins over Michael Dukakis.

Election of 1988

Democrats regain the Presidency with 2 victories by Bill Clinton.What role did H. Ross Perot play? Spoiler role

Elections of 1992, 1996

Republicans and George W. Bush win (2) very close elections.

Elections of 2000,2004

Democrat Barack H. Obama wins historic election and Democrats return to power.Elections of 2008,2012

Define Divided Government:One party controls Executive Branch (Presidency)Other party controls the Legislative Branch (Congress)

Divided Government

TheMinor PartiesThe number and variety of minor parties make it difficult to describe and classify them.Some have limited their efforts to a small area or region; some have tried to woo the entire nation.

The Minor Parties in America

Minor parties are numerous in America.Often short lived, but can play an important role in the American political process.There are (4) distinct types of minor parties in America.The Minor Parties in America

Particular set of beliefs = view of social, economic, and political matters

Greenback PartyPopulist PartyReal or imagined enemies = bankers or monetary system

Even though Americans do not support them, minor parties still have had an impact on the major parties:Spoiler RoleRole of critic and innovator

Why Important?

A strong 3rd party candidate can play the spoiler role EXPLAIN this role:Minor party candidate takes votes from on of the major parties and can spoil the election.

Spoiler Role

Minor parties take clear-cut stands on controversial issues.Minor parties have brought attention to issues that the major parties preferred to ignore or straddle.How has the innovator role been a source of frustration for minor parties? Major party takes idea and presents the idea as their own.

Critic and InnovatorPartyOrganizationBoth parties are highly decentralized, fragmented, disjointed, and often beset by factions and internal squabbling.Local parties are often loosely tied with the State party; State parties the same with the National party.

Decentralized

President s party is usually more solidly unified and more cohesively organized than the opposing party.The President is automatically the party leader. Role of President

How does he assert that leadership?Access to mediaPopularityPower to make appointments to federal office.Role of President

Because the governmental system in the United States is highly decentralized (elected offices at many levels), so are the political parties.

Impact of Federalism

The nominating process is also a major cause of party decentralization and (2) aspects of this process help to explain this:Candidate selection is an intraparty process What is the process like?Very divisive for a party the fight can be bloody and damaging

Role of Nominating Process

The structure of both major parties at the national level has (4) basic elements:National ConventionNational CommitteeNational ChairpersonCongressional Campaign CommitteesNational Party Machinery

Often described as the partys national voice, it meets in the summer of every presidential election year.What does the convention work on? Party rules and platform

National Convention

Between conventions, the national committee and national chairperson handle the partys affairs, at least in theory.Both parties have expanded the committees membership in recent years: representatives from states, territories, and other groups.Do these committees have any power? No real power

National CommitteeChairperson is the leader of the national committee and is chosen by the committee for a 4-year term.During presidential election year Chair works on the national convention and then the campaign.What do the chairpersons do between the presidential elections? Work to strengthen party by raising money and recruiting new voters.

National ChairpersonThese committees work to reelect incumbents and to make sure that seats given up by retiring members remain in the party.Also work to unseat incumbents in the other party.

Congressional Campaign Committee

The two major parties can also be examined from a social standpoint that is, in terms of the various roles played by their members.

Components of Party

Components of PartyPolitical parties have been in a period of decline since the late 1960s.The present, weakened state of the parties can be traced to several factors:Future of Parties

Future of PartiesFuture of Parties