POLS 125Political Parties & Elections

Dylan: You went over to the McCain side of the porch?

Siddhartha: I just wanted to see what it was like!

Eli: Traitor!

Siddhartha: But they were giving out more candy over there!

Dylan: Traitor!

Lib-er-al [lib-er-uh l] : Open-minded or tolerant, especially free and not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

Con-serv-a-tive [kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv] : Disposed to preserve existing conditions, and institutions, or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

What do these terms mean?

X

Political Ideology

LIBERALISM: A belief in the positive uses of government to bring about justice and equality of opportunity.

CONSERVATISM: A belief that limited government ensures order, competitive markets, and personal opportunity.

A Working Definition

LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE

MODERATE

Is a single dimension really adequate?

SO

CIA

L P

OLIC

Y

ECONOMIC POLICY

Government Control

Government Control

Freedom

Social and political liberals favor

limited government regulation of

individual behavior

Social and political conservatives favor broad government

regulation of individual behavior

Economic conservatives favor fiscal responsibility and limited government involvement in economic policymaking and regulation of business

Economic liberals favor spending and broad

government involvement in economic policymaking and

regulation of business

CONSERVATIVE STATIST

LIBERTARIAN LIBERAL

CENTRIST

Republican Party Platform, 2012

Individual responsibility Free markets Limited government Fiscal responsibility (top down)

“This year’s election is a chance to restore the proven values of the American free enterprise system. We offer our Republican vision of a free people using their God-given talents, combined with hard work, self-reliance, ethical conduct, and the pursuit of opportunity, to achieve great things for themselves and the greater community.

Democratic Party Platform, 2012

Shared responsibility Fair markets Effective government Fiscal responsibility (bottom up)

“Democrats believe that we're greater together than we are on our own—that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, when everyone plays by the same rules.”

“There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

—President Barack Obama, Roanoke, Virginia, July 13, 2012

A Primer on Party Factions

“New Democrats” – Centrists who take liberal positions on social issues, and conservative positions on economic issues, organized as members of the Democratic Leadership Council (e.g., Bill Clinton)

“Blue Dog Democrats” – Choked “blue” by the party’s more liberal leadership, a group that pushes an agenda of social conservatism and fiscal responsibility

“Boll Weevils” – 1980s term for socially conservative southern Democrats

“Dixiecrats” – 1950s term for socially conservative southern Democrats

“DINOs” – Democrats-in-name-only (e.g., Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman)

“Progressives” – Preferred term for those who find the “L-word” (liberal) pejorative

The Democratic Party

A Primer on Party Factions

“Rockefeller Republicans” – 1970s term for those who were socially liberal, pro-business, and conservative on foreign policy, willing to raise taxes instead of running deficits. The social conservatism of the Reagan Revolution pushed them to the left edges of the party

“The Mod Squad” – Group of moderate, socially liberal U.S. Senators (e.g., Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, etc.)

“Gypsy Moths” – Republican moderates from the North East and Midwest, 1980s

“Log Cabin Republicans” – Gay, lesbian, and bisexual supporters of the Republican Party

“Neo-Cons” – Big government conservatives, foreign policy hawks (e.g., Paul Wolfowitz)

“Pro-Cons” – a.k.a. “Progressive Conservatives,” fiscal conservatives, social moderates, foreign policy eagles (not hawks)

“RINOs” – Republicans-in-name-only (e.g., John McCain, Arlen Specter)

The Republican Party

SO

CIA

L P

OLIC

Y

ECONOMIC POLICY

Government Control

Government Control

Freedom

DLCDemocratic

Party

Republican Party

G.W. Bush

“Blue Dog” Democrats

“Mod Squad”

Bill ClintonSocial and political liberals favor

limited government regulation of

individual behavior

Social and political conservatives favor broad government

regulation of individual behavior

Economic conservatives favor fiscal responsibility and limited government involvement in economic policymaking and regulation of business

Economic liberals favor spending and broad

government involvement in economic policymaking and

regulation of business

“Pro-Cons”

FOREIGN POLICY?

Tea Party movement

Occupy Wall Street

Political Ideology vs. Partisan Identification

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 70

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strong Democrat

Strong Republican

IndependentExtremely Liberal

Extremely Conservativ

e

Moderate

Percent responding Percent responding

Partisan Identification

“Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or what?”

“Would you call yourself a strong [DEMOCRAT/REPUBLICAN] or a not very strong [DEMOCRAT/REPUBLICAN]?”

[IF INDEPENDENT, NO PREFERENCE, or OTHER] “Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party?”

Strong Democrat

Weak Democrat

Lean Democrat

Lean Republican

Weak Republican

Strong Republican

Independent

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Do all Independents belong in the middle of the political spectrum?

19521954195619581960196219641966196819701972197419761978198019821984198619881990199219941996199820002002200420062008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Percent responding

Democrat Republican Independent Apolitical

Source: National Election Studies, various years.

Trends in Partisan Identification, 1952-2008Excluding “Leaners”

A Rise in Independents?

Not all respondents classified as “Independents” label themselves that way.

Most independents are, in fact, “hidden” partisans.

“Nothing in that respect. I don’t consider myself anything politically.”

“I ain’t none of them.” “None.” “Not anything.” [Laughs] “You should call me nothing.” “No preference.” “I don’t think of myself as anything.” “It depends.” “I’m an American.” “May the best man win. It’s the best candidate.” “I’m someone who believes in what I believe is a good

man who will do the most for the country.” I’m not a Republican, not a Democrat, not an

Independent, and not a Communist.” I’m nothing. I don’t holler about it.” [Interviewer asks if the respondent would call himself an

Independent.] “You don’t mean one of those minority groups?”

“Oh hell, I don’t know.”

Scholars typically measure partisan identification using a series of questions, the first being: “Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or what?” It’s a close ended question. But despite that structure, respondents still give answers that are all over the place—answers that are difficult to code. Here are some examples from the interview protocols:

Each of these respondents was ultimately classified as an “Independent.”

19521954195619581960196219641966196819701972197419761978198019821984198619881990199219941996199820002002200420062008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Percent responding

Democrat Republican Independent Apolitical

Source: National Election Studies, various years.

Trends in Partisan Identification, 1952-2008

Including “Leaners”Is there room for a third party?