Political Parties

Magruder Chapter FiveMagruder Chapter Five

What is a Party?

A political party is a group who seek to A political party is a group who seek to control government through winning control government through winning elections and holding public officeelections and holding public office

Most are committed to a common set of Most are committed to a common set of public policies and programspublic policies and programs

Democrats and Republicans are coalitions Democrats and Republicans are coalitions that are election, rather than issue, centeredthat are election, rather than issue, centered

What Do Parties Do?

Nominating functionNominating function Parties recruit and choose candidatesParties recruit and choose candidates Parties provide nominees with a solid base Parties provide nominees with a solid base

of supportof support

What Do Parties Do?

Informer-Stimulator FunctionInformer-Stimulator Function Parties take stands on issues and criticize Parties take stands on issues and criticize

the stands taken by their opponentsthe stands taken by their opponents Parties use the media to perform this Parties use the media to perform this

educational functioneducational function

What Do Parties Do?

The Seal of Approval FunctionThe Seal of Approval Function Parties try to ensure that the people they Parties try to ensure that the people they

nominate are qualified and of good nominate are qualified and of good charactercharacter

Parties work to ensure that elected officials Parties work to ensure that elected officials do their job welldo their job well

What Do Parties Do?

The Governmental FunctionThe Governmental Function State and federal officials appointed on State and federal officials appointed on

partisan basispartisan basis Parties are the major agent for cooperation Parties are the major agent for cooperation

between the legislative and executive between the legislative and executive branchesbranches

What Do Parties Do?

Watchdog FunctionWatchdog Function The party out of power scrutinizes and The party out of power scrutinizes and

criticizes the actions of government criticizes the actions of government officialsofficials

Their watchfulness forces public officials to Their watchfulness forces public officials to be more responsive to popular concernsbe more responsive to popular concerns

The Two Party System

Reasons for the Two Party System

The Historical BasisThe Historical Basis The Framers of the Constitution were The Framers of the Constitution were

opposed to political partiesopposed to political parties In the debate over ratification of the In the debate over ratification of the

Constitution, Federalists and Anti-Constitution, Federalists and Anti-federalists became the country’s first two federalists became the country’s first two partiesparties

Reasons for the Two Party System The Force of TraditionThe Force of Tradition Most Americans support the two party Most Americans support the two party

system because it has always existedsystem because it has always existed Minor parties have; therefore, made little Minor parties have; therefore, made little

headwayheadway

Reasons for the Two Party System The Electoral SystemThe Electoral System Single-member districts preserve the two Single-member districts preserve the two

party systemparty system State election laws are deliberately written State election laws are deliberately written

to discourage minor partiesto discourage minor parties

Reasons for the Two Party System The American Ideological ConsensusThe American Ideological Consensus Although the United States is a pluralistic Although the United States is a pluralistic

society, Americans tend to agree on society, Americans tend to agree on fundamental issuesfundamental issues

America’s major political parties tend to America’s major political parties tend to take moderate stands in order to attract the take moderate stands in order to attract the largest possible number of voterslargest possible number of voters

Multiparty Systems

In a multiparty system, parties represent a In a multiparty system, parties represent a wide variety of class, religious, sectional, wide variety of class, religious, sectional, and political interests, often making and political interests, often making government unstablegovernment unstable

In America, institutional and ideological In America, institutional and ideological factors make a multiparty system unlikelyfactors make a multiparty system unlikely

One-Party Systems

Nearly all dictatorships have one-party Nearly all dictatorships have one-party systemssystems

Traditionally, many areas of the United Traditionally, many areas of the United States were dominated by a single partyStates were dominated by a single party

In recent years, two-party competition has In recent years, two-party competition has spreadspread

Membership of the Parties

Party membership is voluntary and is Party membership is voluntary and is generally composed of a cross-section of generally composed of a cross-section of the populationthe population

There are some segments of the electorate There are some segments of the electorate that tend to support one party or the otherthat tend to support one party or the other

The Two Party System in American History

The Nation’s First Parties

The first American political parties were the The first American political parties were the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and the Democratic-Republicans, led by the Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

The two parties differed in their views of The two parties differed in their views of economics, government’s proper role, and economics, government’s proper role, and the interpretation of the Constitutionthe interpretation of the Constitution

The Eras of One-Party Domination

The Eras of the Democrats (1800-1860)The Eras of the Democrats (1800-1860) A coalition of farmers, planters, debtors, A coalition of farmers, planters, debtors,

and pioneers backed the Democrats, who and pioneers backed the Democrats, who dominated the government after the election dominated the government after the election of 1800of 1800

The Eras of One-Party Domination The Era of the Republicans (1860-1932)The Era of the Republicans (1860-1932) Republicans dominated the government, Republicans dominated the government,

supported by Northern and Western supported by Northern and Western farmers, financial and business interests, farmers, financial and business interests, and African Americansand African Americans

Democrats during this period controlled the Democrats during this period controlled the “Solid South” and rebuilt national support “Solid South” and rebuilt national support from this basefrom this base

The Eras of One-Party Domination

The Return of the Democrats (1932-1968)The Return of the Democrats (1932-1968) During the Great Depression, Roosevelt During the Great Depression, Roosevelt

built a new Democratic coalition, based on built a new Democratic coalition, based on the support of the Southerners, small the support of the Southerners, small farmers, organized labor, minorities, and farmers, organized labor, minorities, and big-city political organizationsbig-city political organizations

The New Deal marked a fundamental shift The New Deal marked a fundamental shift in the public’s attitude toward big in the public’s attitude toward big governmentgovernment

The Eras of One-Party Domination Start of a New EraStart of a New Era Since 1968, Republicans have dominated Since 1968, Republicans have dominated

the White House, while Democrats the White House, while Democrats controlled Congress, but that situation is controlled Congress, but that situation is reversed todayreversed today

This era of divided government is This era of divided government is unprecedented in American historyunprecedented in American history

The Minor Parties

Minor Parties in the United States

Ideological parties (Communist and Ideological parties (Communist and Libertarian) are based on a particular set of Libertarian) are based on a particular set of beliefs and are often Marxistbeliefs and are often Marxist

Other parties (Know Nothings, Right-to-Other parties (Know Nothings, Right-to-Life) focus on single issuesLife) focus on single issues

Minor Parties in the United States

Economic protest parties (Greenback, Economic protest parties (Greenback, Populist) focus on economic developmentPopulist) focus on economic development

Splinter groups break off from the major Splinter groups break off from the major parties (Bull Moose, Dixiecrats)parties (Bull Moose, Dixiecrats)

The Key Role of Minor Parties

Third parties have introduced useful Third parties have introduced useful innovations in American politicsinnovations in American politics

A strong third-party candidacy can play a A strong third-party candidacy can play a spoiler role in an election where the two spoiler role in an election where the two major parties are evenly matchedmajor parties are evenly matched

The Key Role of Minor Parties

Minor Parties have played important roles Minor Parties have played important roles as critics and reformers in American as critics and reformers in American political lifepolitical life

When innovations proposed by minor When innovations proposed by minor parties gain popular support, they are parties gain popular support, they are usually adopted by one or both of the major usually adopted by one or both of the major partiesparties

The Organization of Political Parties

The Reality of Political Parties

The Role of the PresidencyThe Role of the Presidency The President is the automatic leader of his The President is the automatic leader of his

or her partyor her party The party not in power has no comparable The party not in power has no comparable

leaderleader

The Reality of Political Parties The Impact of Federalism – Because The Impact of Federalism – Because

American government is decentralized, with American government is decentralized, with offices available at local, state, and federal offices available at local, state, and federal levels, party organization is decentralized as levels, party organization is decentralized as wellwell

The role of the Nominating Process – the The role of the Nominating Process – the process of candidate selection is a diverse process of candidate selection is a diverse one that pits one party faction against one that pits one party faction against anotheranother

National Party Machinery The National Convention – National The National Convention – National

Conventions meet in the summer of each Conventions meet in the summer of each presidential election year to nominate the presidential election year to nominate the party’s candidate and write its rules and party’s candidate and write its rules and platformplatform

The National Committee – National The National Committee – National Committee stages the convention and Committee stages the convention and handles the party’s affairs between handles the party’s affairs between conventionsconventions

National Party Machinery

The National Chairman – chosen by the The National Chairman – chosen by the party’s nominee, works with committee to party’s nominee, works with committee to promote unity, raise money, and recruit promote unity, raise money, and recruit votersvoters

Congressional Campaign Committees – Congressional Campaign Committees – Congressional Campaign committees work Congressional Campaign committees work to increase their party’s congressional seatsto increase their party’s congressional seats

State and Local Party Machinery

The State Organization – the job of state The State Organization – the job of state chairman and committee is to further the chairman and committee is to further the party’s interests in that stateparty’s interests in that state

Local Organization – local party Local Organization – local party organizations vary widely, generally organizations vary widely, generally following the state electoral map, with a following the state electoral map, with a party unit for each district in which offices party unit for each district in which offices are to be filledare to be filled

The Three Elements of the Party

One element of each party is the party One element of each party is the party organization – leaders, activists, and organization – leaders, activists, and hangers-on that control the party machineryhangers-on that control the party machinery

Segment of the electorate that regularly Segment of the electorate that regularly votes for that party’s candidatesvotes for that party’s candidates

Elected officials who are members of the Elected officials who are members of the partyparty

The Future of the Major Parties

Political parties have been in a state of Political parties have been in a state of decline since the late 1960sdecline since the late 1960s

Parties are unlikely to disappear as long as Parties are unlikely to disappear as long as they continue to perform necessary they continue to perform necessary functionsfunctions