Political Parties

October 22, 2007

The Constitution’s Unwanted Offspring

The Constitution contains no mention of political parties. What is a political party?

An organization whose purpose is to monopolize government. Power. One definition: “A coalition of people who seek to control government

by contesting elections and winning office” A party differs from a single candidate’s campaign because a party

runs an entire slate of candidates for a wide range of offices. A party differs from an interest group because a party seeks to win

offices rather than to influence those in office. Parties are made up of ordinary voters, officeholders, office

seekers, and activists

What do parties do?

Organization organize people by bring people under one tent.

Provide information, propagandize party ideology for the average citizen they simplify the political world

Parties recruit candidates (more commonly, politicians are self-starters) But candidates

need the party label to get elected. Contest elections

Parties mobilize the electorate

Consequences of Party Action

Form governments Form organizations: committee/party leadership

-inter-branch coalitions: between executive and leg.; senate/house

legislatures of 49 states and the US Congress are organized along party lines.

Provide accountabilityprovide a set of people to reward or blameDispersal of power destroys political responsibility

Why only two parties?

The rules of our political system play a large role in determining how voters and parties behave.

Our electoral system is based on “winner take all”. It is referred to as a single member plurality system (SMD). Also referred to as “first past the post”.

Under such a system, voters are discouraged from voting for smaller parties that have no chance of winning.

Smaller parties are discouraged from contesting elections

Multi-party Systems

Most modern democracies have an electoral system that is based on proportional representation.

The system gives a party a share of seats in the legislature matching the share of votes it wins on election day.

In most cases, parties put forth a list of candidates and citizens vote for the list. Thus voters choose among parties, not individual candidates.

Voters have less of an incentive to defect (from their sincere preference) and smaller parties have a greater incentive to contest elections.

Sample (SMD) Ballot

Ireland

Single Transferable Vote (STV)

Voters select candidates based on their preference, i.e Mark 1 in the box for your first choice, mark 2 beside the candidate for your second choice…

New Zealand Proportional (Mixed) System

120 members total

About 55 elected by party vote from one large national district

Also divided into first-past-the-post (plurality winner) single member districts (electorate vote)

Implications of Two Party System

Encourages parties to converge toward the “median voter”.

Parties adopt moderate platforms to appeal to the broadest possible audience

Difficult for voters to recognize differences

Example of Spatial Competition

Median Voter

Party A Party BParty C

Num

ber

of V

oter

s

Disadvantages with Having Only Two Parties Normative concerns (what is lost) Fairness

Should 50% of participating voters make govt.? Should incumbent parties draw districts?

Trust If voters are not aligned with major party, and their vote is

“wasted” on a third party, will they trust government? Competition Participation

US has one of the lowest rates of participation Why show up if vote will be wasted?

Advantages of Two Party System Stability

Multi-party democracy said to be unstableMust form coalition governmentsEvidence is that coalition governments are less

stable than single party government Illusion of Majority Rule Accountability

“responsible party” thesis

How Could a Third US Party Form?

Institutional ChangeProspects slim for US Congress to actState LegislaturesCitizen’s initiative

Major split in existing party Rise of regional conflict

Strength of Parties in the US

Generally “weak” as compared to parties elsewhere

Lack of recruitment (most candidates are usually self starters)

Lack of funding (most candidates have to raise the bulk of their funds independently)

Lack of party discipline

Should Parties be Strengthened? Strong parties would:

Promote party disciplineProvision of a clear choiceConcentration of power in hands of winning

party

How Can Parties be Strengthened?

Campaign Finance ReformAllow soft money?Limit contributions from interest groups…

Reform primary systemClosed primaries