Political PartiesPolitical Parties

Parties and What They Do

Dubbs Govt

Parties and What They Do

Dubbs Govt

What is a Political Party? It’s NOT what you think of when you think “party”

A group of persons who seek to control government by winning elections and holding public office.

Why would people want to create

parties?

FUNCTIONS OF

POLITICAL PARTIES

• Nominating Function• Informer-Stimulator

Function• Seal of Approval Function• Governmental Function• Watchdog Function

Pretty boring slide, eh?

NOMINATING FUNCTION• Sets political parties apart

from other political groups

• The Democratic and Republican parties are election-oriented rather than issue-oriented.

• Parties help election campaigns

Informer-Stimulator Function

• Share this with news media and interest groups

• Stimulates public to participate in public affairs

• Campaigning and publicity, (i.e., buttons, pamphlets, stickers, and media)

Seal of Approval FUNCTION

• Party plants a “seal of approval” on candidates

• Creates loyalty in the candidate

• Helps ensure that office-holders do a good job so that the party can stay in power

Governmental Function

• Party connections help executive and legislative branches of government to cooperate with one another

• Under separation of powers, the party connects the branches, (esp. E & L)

Parties watch each other--the WATCHDOG FUNCTION

• The party “in power” is the party in charge of the EXECUTIVE branch

• If parties are watching each other’s actions, how will that help the people?

• If parties are watching each other, how will that hurt government processes?

the WATCHDOG FUNCTION

ACCOUNTABILITY: The party NOT in power has a responsibility to monitor the party in power. This is what is know as loyal opposition—or partisan politics.

Partisan: Along party lines

Bi-partisan: Two-parties

Who is Earl Dodge?

The Prohibition Parties candidate for President of the US in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000.

Why don’t you know him?

Democrats and Republicansdominate American politics

Who is Earl Dodge?

The Prohibition Parties candidate for President of the US in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000.

Why don’t you know him?

Democrats and Republicansdominate American politics

What does it mean?

What is a ►one of the many political parties that does not

Minor/third receive wide voter support

Party?

Why a

two-party

system? That’s the way it has always been

Force of Tradition

Electoral System:

State election laws are written to discourage minor parties.

Americans tend to agree on important issues:

We have a pluralistic society: range of culture/groups

BUT, there is still a broad consensus

Major parties tend to take moderate stands on issue

Other types of political

systems

• Multiparty systems

• One Party systems—what comes to mind when you hear this?

• Which country would be more stable: a country with a two party system or a country with many parties?

Two Major

Parties:

• Democrats: LIBERAL

• Republicans: CONSERVATIVE

GOP: Grand Old Party

PartyFollowings • Traditionally, many parts of the

United States have been dominated by one party.

• What party dominates Baltimore?• What party dominates Howard

County?• What party dominates western

Maryland?• What party dominates Maryland?

• Red: Republican

• Blue: Democrat

Era’s for Presidents:

• 1800-1860: Democrats

• 1860-1932: Republicans

• 1932-1968: Democrats

• Start of a New Era: Era of Divided Government: 1968-present

Former Democratic PresidentsPresident Franklin Delano Roosevelt President Harry S. Truman

President John F. Kennedy President Lyndon B. Johnson

President Jimmy Carter President William Jefferson Clinton

Former Republican PresidentsPresident Abraham Lincoln President Dwight D. Eisenhower

President Ronald ReaganRichard M. Nixon

President George H.W. Bush President George W. Bush

Minor Parties in the United

States

• Ideological parties

• Single issue parties

• Splinter parties

Ideological Party

• Focuses on effecting overall change in society

• Views tend to be extreme

• Long-term

• Socialist, communist, Nazi

Single-issue party

• Focuses on one major social, economic, or moral issue

• Short term, issues are no longer important or absorbed by major party

Splinter Party

• Splits away from major party because of a disagreement

• Form around strong leader, who normally failed to win major party’s nomination

• Lasts until leader loses support or issued absorbed

• TR’s “Bull Moose” Progressive Party split from the Republican Party in 1912.

What do third

parties do? • Improve the system by focusing on issues

• Act as a “spoiler” in an election.

• What do you think happens if a third party gains a lot of support?

Organization

of political

parties

Impact of Federalism:

Parties have offices at local, State and federal levels.

The Role of the President:The President is the leader of his or her party.The party not in power has no comparable leader.

Organization

of political

parties

Impact of Federalism:

Parties have offices at local, State and federal levels.

The Role of the President:The President is the leader of his or her party.The party not in power has no comparable leader.

NATIONAL PARTY MACHINERY

• National Convention Committee

• The National Committee

• The National Chairperson

• The Congressional Campaign Committees

Three Basic Elements /

Levels• Party in the Electorate:

Voters

• Party Organization: Workers

• Party in Government: Office Holders

Characteristics of Political

PartiesParties are like HUGE

businesses:

• Have leaders

• Leaders fight within the business

• Pyramid structure

• Have workers

• Have meetings/conventions