Party Organization and Functions

Party Organization• Party Memberships

– 2 Major American Parties: Republicans and Democrats

– No formal requirements for membership – affiliation declared at registration

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The Three Components of Political Parties

History of Political Parties • The Post-Civil War Period

– The Triumph of the Republicans• The Progressive Interlude

– Republicans Split– populism

• The New Deal Era– Roosevelt’s Democratic coalition

• An Era of Divided Government– In the years after 1968, the general

pattern was often a Republican president and a Democratic Congress.

– 2000 Presidential Election (Red state–blue state)

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Election 1896

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Election 2004

Organization• Local: Grassroots, the underestimated force

– Divided by precincts, led by Precinct captain – neighboring precincts form Wards, represented at county

committee• State: State Central Committee

– made up of county representatives, led by state chairperson– help elect members to state government positions

• National: Three Parts– National Convention: meets every four years to elect party’s

candidate for POTUS– National Committee: led my national chairperson, runs party

operations and raises money– Congressional campaign committee: raises money and identifies

candidate to run in congressional elections

Party Functions

Party FunctionsRecruit candidates• Most important

function– must be appealing,

share basic ideology

Educate the Public• take positions on

important issues• Frame the opposition

Party FunctionsOperate the government• agendas in line with party

platforms• ties together branchesDispense patronage• jobs, appointments,

contracts• The Pendleton Act (1883)

Party FunctionsThe Loyal Opposition• provides alternative to

party in power• fights to preserve the

rights of the minorityReduce conflict• builds coalitions of

interest groups• moderate policies, mass

appeal

Nominating Candidates• Historical Methods

→Caucus … still used, most notably in Iowa

→National Convention• Direct Primary System

→Determine votes of Convention Delegates

→Closed vs. Open Primary→Caucuses vs. primaries

• Criticisms:→Front loading; Image over issues

The National Convention• Pre-election meeting of

the national party• Bound vs. Unbound

delegates• Superdelegates• Determines the party’s

ticket & finalizes the platform

• Criticism: operates more as a pep rally than serious meeting

The National Convention“There is so little news being made now at the conventions," said Jeffrey McCall, a communications professor at DePauw University. "The conventions have no real deliberations on platform issues and the VP picks are all made well in advance and have already been introduced to the public.

"The main, real value for voters in watching the conventions is that they can see the candidates and hear their pitches in one place, without having to follow campaign stump speeches over many days of news coverage," McCall added. "Another benefit is for voters to see up and coming party leaders who might be influential on the political landscape in years to come."

Ticket splitting and voting for the opposition

WHY HAS THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM PERSISTED IN THE UNITED STATES?

1.Plurality System2.Voter Opinion3.State Laws

Minor Parties• Ideological • One-issue • Economic-protest• Factional