what is a political party? a group seeking to control government by winning elections and holding...
TRANSCRIPT
What Is A Political Party?What Is A Political Party?
A group seeking to control government by winning elections and holding public office
Can be principle, issue, or election oriented
The Two Main Parties in the The Two Main Parties in the U.S. Are . . .U.S. Are . . .
DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
What Do Parties Do?What Do Parties Do?
Provide options to the people
Link between government and the people
Bring conflicting groups together
The Nominating FunctionThe Nominating Function
Selecting Candidates for public office
It’s an exclusive job for the parties, which helps set them apart from all of the other groups in politics
The Informer-Stimulator The Informer-Stimulator FunctionFunction
Inform people and activate their interest in pubic affairs
They campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates with the end goal of winning votes
The The ““Seal of ApprovalSeal of Approval”” FunctionFunction
They choose candidates who are qualified and of good character
The Governmental The Governmental FunctionFunction
Helps legislative and executive branches work together
Appoints made to executive branch are according to party allegiance
The Watchdog FunctionThe Watchdog Function
The party out of power criticizes the policies and behavior of the party in power
Done so to convince the voters that they should vote for them in the next election
Why A Two-Party System?Why A Two-Party System? Historical Basis Historical Basis
Debate over the Constitution’s ratification created the first political parties
Federalists & Anti-Federalists
The Force of TraditionThe Force of Tradition
Most Americans support the two-party system because it has always existed.
People are reluctant to support minor parties therefore they made little headway.
The Electoral SystemThe Electoral SystemSingle-member districts (winner take all) discourage voters from “wasting” votes on minor parties
Election laws are deliberately written to discourage minority parties
American Ideological ConsensusAmerican Ideological Consensus
Americans tend to agree on fundamental issues
Our major political parties take moderate stands and are built on compromise
Why DonWhy Don’’t Other Systems t Other Systems Work?Work? Multiparty SystemsMultiparty Systems
Each party represents a very different interest(s)
Creates an unstable governmentAmerican institutional and
ideological ideas make a multiparty system unlikely
One-Party SystemsOne-Party Systems
“No-Party” System
Nearly all dictatorships have one-party systems
How Do We Choose A Party?How Do We Choose A Party?
Membership is voluntary and generally composed of a mixture of the population
Segments of the population tend to support one party or the other (for a period of time)–Example: Unions favored Democrats– Big Business: Republicans
Reasons For Choosing a PartyReasons For Choosing a Party
FamilyMajor Events – war, depressionEconomic StatusPlace of ResidenceLevel of EducationWork Environment
The Two-Party System in The Two-Party System in American HistoryAmerican History
Ratification of the ConstitutionRatification of the Constitution
1787 - Two sides developedFederalists: did not want the Bill
of Rights written down
Anti-Federalists: wanted the Bill of Rights written down
The NationThe Nation’’s First Partiess First PartiesFederalists (pre 1800)
–Led by Alexander Hamilton–Supporters were rich, upper class
Democratic-Republicans (1800 – 1820)–Led by Thomas Jefferson–Supporters were the common people
The Era of One-Party DominationThe Era of One-Party Domination
The Era of the Democrats, 1800–1860 The Era of the Republicans, 1860–1932 The Return of the Democrats, 1932–1968 The Start of a New Era
– Since 1968 the Republicans dominated the White House, while Democrats controlled Congress
Minority Parties in the US Minority Parties in the US Ideological PartiesIdeological Parties
Based on a specific set of beliefs, including a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
Example: Libertarian Party
Green Party
Receive little votes, but are long-lived
Single-Issue PartiesSingle-Issue Parties
Concentrate on a single public policy matter
Examples: Know Nothings, Right-to-Life
Faded into history as issues disappear
Economic Protest PartiesEconomic Protest Parties
Focus on economic discontentExample: Greenback and Populist
Parties,
TEA Party
Splinter PartiesSplinter Parties
Groups that break off from one of the two major parties
Examples: “Bull Moose” Party and “Dixiecrats”, “TEA Party”
The Key Role of Minority PartiesThe Key Role of Minority Parties
Introduced useful ideas in American Politics
Can play a “spoiler role” in an election when the two major candidates are evenly matched.
Most important is their roles as critics and reformers
The Organization The Organization of Political Partiesof Political Parties
Reality of Political PartiesReality of Political Parties
Two major parties are highly decentralized (internal fighting)
No real chain of command–States parties loosely tied to national–Local parties independent of states
The Role of the PresidentThe Role of the President
The President’s party is usually more solidly united than the opposing
The President is the party leaderThe other party has no comparable
leader
National Party MachineryNational Party MachineryFour ElementsFour Elements
1. National Convention– Meet to nominate the presidential and
vice presidential candidate every 4 years
2. National Committee– Handles the party’s affairs between
conventions
National Party MachineryNational Party MachineryFour ElementsFour Elements
3. National Chairperson–Heads up the national committee
4. Congressional Campaign Committees–Job to increase party’s
congressional seats
State and Local Party MachineryState and Local Party Machinery
State – job is to further the party’s interests in that state
Local –follow the State’s electoral map, most active a few months before an election
Small unit of state party
Three Elements of the PartyThree Elements of the Party
Party Organization – leaders, activists, and hangers-on who
control party machineryParty in the electorate
– loyalists who vote their candidatesParty in government
– officeholders at all levels of government
The Future of the Majority PartiesThe Future of the Majority Parties
Political Parties have been in a state of decline since the late 1960s
Parties are unlikely to disappear as long as they continue to perform necessary functions
Reasons for DeclineReasons for Decline
• Larger number of voters registering as independent
• SPLIT-TICKET VOTING – voting for candidates of both parties for offices at the same election.
Reasons (cont)Reasons (cont)
• Greater internal conflict
• Changes in technology of campaigning.
• Growth of single-issue organizations who side with a candidate on a specific issue.