Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

Unit IIIA

Political Parties

Political Party

A group of political activists organized to secure and operate the government and determine public policy

A permanent organization based on broad objectives and issues in order to attract support, power, and voters

The Functions of Political Parties Recruitment– Discover political hopefuls to secure political offices

Elections– Organize voting drives, fundraisers, conventions

Positions– Establish political agendas to solidify base

Responsibility– Implement and secure support and influence through

appointments of loyalists

Loyal Opposition– Force debate on issues against opposing party

Political Party Components

Party in the Electorate– Individual members of the party who identify with the

party platform and/or vote based on party lines

Party in the Government– Elected and appointed officials identified with a

political party

Party Organization– Party professionals responsible for recruitment

(volunteers, candidates), organizing grassroots and conventions, and running campaigns and fundraisers

Party PlatformsDEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS

Minimum wages; tax increases on upper-class

Wages based on free market; no tax increases

Support Roe v. Wade; pro-choice Overturn Roe v. Wade; pro-life

Decrease defense spending; make military more efficient

Defense and security a priority; increase defense spending

Support equality and affirmative action programs

Against racial quotas

Favor gun control Favor gun rights

Against the Patriot Act based on restrictions of civil liberties

Favor security measures of the Patriot Act

Preserve welfare programs; oppose privatization of social security

Privatize social security; reduce government welfare programs

Support environmental regulations Reduce government regulation of energy-based industries

Expand national health care coverage Health care controlled by industries

Party in the Government Executive

– Appoint political party officials to enforce laws based on party platforms– Coerce Congress to implement party platform agendas

Legislative– Establish congressional and committee leadership to implement party

platform legislation– Develop coalitions to ensure party platforms and electoral victories

Unified Government– Political party controls executive and legislative branches– Passage of party platform legislation relatively easy

Divided Government– Opposing political party holds majority in House, Senate, White House or

two of those– Prevents relative dominance of one party– Gridlock leads to compromise or delay in addressing national issues

Political Party Organization

National Party Organization National Convention– Party delegates meet to choose presidential and vice-

presidential candidates– Establish party platform

National Committee– Coordinate national party activities, such as convention– Control distribution of campaign funds

National Chairperson– Manage national election campaign

Congressional Campaign Committee– Committee in each congressional chamber to ensure

election/re-election of party candidates

State Party Organization

Similar structure of national party organization (chairperson, committee)

Promote national and state party platforms Controls campaign funding and distribution Used to ensure unit rule– Awarding all of state’s electoral votes to candidate

Exceptions in Maine and Nebraska

Local Party OrganizationPolitical Machines and Grassroots Political Machine– Party organization that recruits members

through incentives Money, jobs, patronage, support Tammany Hall in New York City

Modern Local Party Organizations–More restrictions established through voter

registration and end of patronage– Grassroots

From-the-ground-up building of political support Local campaigning and fundraising

Party Systems

One-Party System– Little to no choice in party affiliations; leaders choose candidates– Typical of dictatorial governments

Two-Party System– Dominated by two major parties; minor parties have little effect– Electoral College and single-member districts promote two-party system– Plurality system/winner-take-all system– American voters tend to choose between Democrat or Republican

Multi-Party System– Multiple major parties and influential minority parties– Proportional representation promotes this system– Securing majority power often difficult leading to coalitions among

parties– Tend to be unstable

Constitutionality of Political Parties

The U.S. Constitution does not include any reference to political parties

Federalist #10 by James Madison warned of factions

George Washington’s Farewell Address warned of partisan politics– Threatens national unity and popular government

Federalists and Anti-Federalists originated two-party system in U.S.

Party Development 1789-1796 Washington’s

Administration– Thomas Jefferson vs.

Alexander Hamilton– Hamilton’s national policies

Bank of the U.S. Debt plan

– Jefferson’s egalitarian vision States’ rights

Realignment Election of 1800

First Party System (1796-1824) Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans Revolution of 1800

– Jefferson (D-R) defeats Adams (F)– D-R control Congress– Peaceful transition of power

War of 1812– D-R and War Hawks against Britain– Federalists support Britain, against war– Leads to collapse of Federalists

Era of Good Feelings (1816-1824)– Virtual one-party system as D-R dominate White House and Congress

Election of 1824– Factions develop among D-R leading to Corrupt Bargain as John Quincy

Adams secures victory over Jackson in House

Realignment Election of 1828

Second Party System (1828-1854) Democrats vs. National Republicans/Whigs Andrew Jackson and the Common Man National Conventions replace Caucuses– Anti-Masonic Party introduces national convention in 1831

Whigs– Henry Clay and the American System

Democrats– States’ rights and Manifest Destiny– Solid South

Slavery– Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) weakens Whigs and leads to

founding of Republican Party

Realignment Election of 1860

Third Party System (1860-1896) Democrats vs. Republicans

– Government dominated by Republican Party

Election of 1860, Civil War, Reconstruction– Lincoln’s election led to Civil War– Democrats lost power with secession of South– Radical Republicans enforced party platforms

Freedmen, Scalawags, Carpetbaggers

Democrats– Bourbon Democrats - pro-business, laissez-faire– Redeemers - Southern Democrats return to power at end of Reconstruction

Republicans– Mugwumps, Stalwarts, Half-Breeds - civil service reform

Political Machines and Political Bosses– Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed

Populists and Panic of 1893– Reforms, bimetallism (gold and silver)

Election of 1896– William Jennings Bryan (D) vs. William McKinley (R)

Realignment Election of 1896

Fourth Party System (1896-1932) Republicans vs. Democrats Republicans

– Party of business and prosperity

Democrats– Embraced progressive reforms and more government intervention– Solid South

Progressive Era Republican Domination of 1920s

– Limited government and pro-business policies– Crash of 1929 launched Great Depression

Election of 1932– Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) vs. Herbert Hoover (R)– New Deal Coalition

Urban leaders, blacks, Solid South, unions, intellectuals, Catholics, Jews

Realignment Election of 1932

Fifth Party System (1932-Present) Democrats vs. Republicans Democrats– Have been dominant in most years– Expansion of federal government

FDR’s New Deal and Johnson’s Great Society

– Dominant in Northeast and Pacific Republicans– Pro-business, assume states’ rights– Solid South becomes Bible Belt and conservative stronghold– Dominant in Great Plains and Rocky Mountains

Current Trends– Beginning in 1980s, Fifth Party System may be leading to

dealignment– More independents than party identification

More split-ticket voting, less straight-ticket voting

Republican Party

GOP - Grand Old Party– Possible origin in New York

Times headlines

Elephant– Thomas Nast of Harper’s

Weekly in 1874– Signified Republican vote in

response to possible third term for President Grant (R)

Democratic Party

Probably in reference to Andrew Jackson’s opponents calling him a jackass

Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly in 1870

Minor/Third Parties Ideological– Based on social, economic, or political beliefs– Socialist Party, Libertarian Party

Splinter– Split from major national party– Bull Moose Party, States’ Rights Party

Single-Issue– Based on a individual policy matter– Free Soil Party, Know-Nothing Party

Protest– Formed on basis of poor conditions– Populist Party

Impact of Minor/Third Parties Reasons Minor Parties Do Not Succeed– Based on single-issue thus attract very few supporters– Major national parties may assimilate them into broader

coalition– Die out when issue is either solved, loses support, and/or

leaders pass on– More success in state and local governments

Influences of Minor Parties– Anti-Masonic Party introduced national conventions– Republican Party began as minor party and became major

national party– Populist Party fueled Progressive Era reforms– States’ Rights Party and American Independence Party

showcased racial attitudes of Solid South

Current Minor Party National Officeholders

Senator Joe Lieberman (I) of Connecticut (1989-Present)

Senator Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont (2007-Present)

Current National Political Parties Democratic (1828*) Republican (1854) Prohibition (1869) Socialist Labor (1876) Socialist Workers (1938) World Socialist (1916) Communist (1919) American Nazi (1959) American (1969) American Populist (2009) Christian Liberty (1996)

Constitution (1992) Green Party (2001) Labor Party (1996) Libertarian (1971) Progressive Labor

(1961) Raza Unida (1970) Reform Party (1995) United States Marijuana

Party (2002) Several others