SUFFRAGE, VOTING
TURNOUT, AND THE
AMERICAN PARTY SYSTEMS
Topics #38-41
Suffrage and Voting Turnout
• Suffrage: the legal right to vote, which may be contingent
on
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age
citizenship
sex
race
religion
property ownership
tax paying
literacy
prisoners/felony convictions
– Suffrage laws determine the size of the eligible electorate.
• Voting turnout: the proportion of the (eligible) electorate
that actually votes in a given election.
Suffrage and Voting Turnout (cont.)
• Under the early Constitution, suffrage (for federal as well
as state elections)
– was determined entirely by state laws;
– which varied greatly from state to state.
– Most states restricted suffrage to adult white males who owned a
certain amount property on which they paid taxes.
• Moreover, voting turnout among eligible voters
apparently was quite low.
• During the period of the “Jacksonian revolution” (18251840):
– the right to vote was extended to almost all adult white males;
and
– party organizations were created and waged energetic election
campaigns,
– which greatly increased voting turnout.
Suffrage: Race
• 15th Amendment (1870): no abridgement of the right to
vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.”
• “Jim Crow” system in the South (1890-1965):
– Most African-Americans were effectively disenfranchised.
• The “Great Migration” [1910-1950] of African-Americans
from the South to other parts of the U.S., where they had
the right vote.
• 24th Amendment (1964): no abridgement “by reason of
failure to pay any poll or other tax.”
• Voting Rights Act (1965)
Suffrage and Voting Turnout
• Australian ballot and voter registration systems adopted
by states (1880-1900):
– guaranteed secret ballot;
– reduced voter fraud; but (arguably)
– suppressed voting turnout.
• 19th Amendment (1920): no abridgement “on account of
sex.”
• 26th Amendment (1971): no abridgement “on account of
age [18 or older].”
• “Motor Voter” Law (1993): see K&J, p. 432
• The 19th and 26th amendments increased the size of the
potential electorate but (initially) reduced voting turnout.
“actual vote”
recorded Presidential vote
VOTING TURNOUT =
=
“potential vote”
voting age [male] population
Voting Turnout: Post-WWII
• Voting Age Population vs. Voting Eligible Population vs.
Registered Voters
Voting Turnout in Presidential vs. Midterm
Congressional Elections
Voting Turnout in South vs. Non-South
Political Parties
• Negative popular vs. positive political science evaluations of political
parties.
• Elite vs. mass view of political parties:
– lessons of Presidential selection
– nominating function
• Party politics gives ordinary voters the final choice between
candidates.
• Party competition: the democratic method is that institutional
arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individual
acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for
the people’s vote. (Joseph Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism, and
Democracy, 1942)
– The market model of democracy (Anthony Downs, An Economic
Theory of Democracy, 1957)
– The jury model of democracy
– Party competition as a check on “special interests” and
unrepresentative activists
Two-Party vs. Multiparty Systems
• Different types of party systems result from different types of political
institutions (“Duverger’s Law”):
• Majoritarian electoral system:
– Single-winner elections (SMDs and separate executives + plurality
voting) => two-party systems.
• Typical in English-speaking countries.
• Two-party system is self-sustaining
– “wasted” vote argument
– serious candidates seek major-party nomination
– pressures against major party splits (like 1912)
• U.S. third parties:
– Enduring third parties in 19th century
– Factional / “flash” third parties in Presidential elections in 20th century
• Proportional electoral system:
– Multiple-winner elections (MMDs + proportional representation,
and no separate executives) => multiparty systems
• Typical in most other (non-English-speaking) countries
Two-Party vs. Multiparty Systems (cont.)
• Different party behavior as a consequence:
– Two-party systems:
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“catch-all” parties;
relative party convergence (typically);
relatively closely balanced elections; and
regular alternation in power.
– Multiparty systems:
• more differentiated parties;
• parties of greatly unequal size (though rarely any party with
majority support);
• party divergence;
• indecisive elections; and
• sometimes hardly changing centrist governing coalitions.
Weaknesses of American Political Parties
• Exemplified by Congressional roll-call voting
– lack of party-line votes
• Decentralized constitutional structure
– separation of powers
– federalism
• The direct primary (introduced around 1900):
– Deprives party organizations of their fundamental
nominating function.
– Historically unique but beginning to be copied in other
countries in limited ways (within party rules).
The American “Party Systems”
• Historical party systems separated by realigning
elections or periods:
– Typically business vs. non-business (agrarian/labor/consumer)
interests
Framers' Non-Partisan System (1789-1792)
First Party System (1796-1816)
Democratic-Republican vs.
Federalists
(agrarian/labor)
(commercial/financial)
(mostly South & “West”)
(Northeast & especially N.E.)
Congressional Caucus nominating system
Era of Good Feelings and One-Party Factionalism (1820-1824)
collapse of Federalist Party
collapse of Congressional Caucus
American Party Systems (cont.)
Second Party System (1828-1852)
Democrats
vs. Whigs (Nat. Reps.+ Anti-Masonic)
(agrarian and lower-class)
(commercial and upper-class)
largely non-sectional
rise of mass parties and campaigns
origins of party organization based on patronage
greatly increased franchise and turnout
creation national nominating convention
extensive third party activity (anti-slavery)
Civil War Disruption (1856-64)
Democrats
(pro-South)
vs. Republicans (N. Whigs + Free Soil)
(North)
American Party Systems (cont.)
Third Party System (1868-1892)
Democrats
vs.
Republicans
(agrarian + labor + immigrants)
(commercial/industrial)
(South plus some North)
(most of North)
very close and high-turnout elections from 1874 onward
frequent divided government
after 1876, consolidation of “Solid South”
rise of political machines based on patronage
highpoint of party-dominant nominating politics
introduction of Australian ballot
agrarian protest third party movements
Populist Party
American Party Systems (cont.)
Fourth Party System (1896-1928)
Democrats (+ Populists)
vs.
Republicans
agrarian plus immigrants)
(commercial/industrial)
(South plus some West and some cities)
(Northeast & Midwest)
maximal sectionalism
black disenfranchisement in the Jim Crow South
rise of Progressive political reforms
voter registration, primaries, initiative and referendum, etc.
decline of voting turnout
rise of “mixed system” of nomination (with Pres. primaries)
political machines begin to decline
American Party Systems (cont.)
Fifth (New Deal) Party System (1932-1968)
Democrats
vs.
Republicans
(labor/ethnic/urban plus South)
(business & prof. [outside of South])
class based politics (outside of South)
New Deal vs. anti-New Deal
increased turnout
civil rights movement and cracks in the old “Solid [Democratic] South”
conflict between “new reformers” and “old bosses”
origins of mass media campaigns, etc.
American Party Systems (cont.)
Sixth (Dealigned) Party System (1972-2000?)
Democrats
vs.
Republicans
(“liberals”)
(“conservatives”)
(pro-New Deal remnant)
(anti-New Deal remnant)
(great majority of non-whites)
(majority of whites)
largely non-sectional but low turnout
rise of social/cultural issues
rise of candidate-oriented Pres. nominating politics
migration of white Southerners from Dem ==> Rep
rise of candidate-centered politics and media campaigns
era of divided government (Rep. Presidents vs. Dem. House)
American Party Systems (cont.)
Seventh Party System (2000? - ???)
Democrats
vs.
Republicans
(“blue states”)
(“red states”)
coastal America
middle America
secular America
religious America
(great majority of non-whites)
(majority of whites)
increased turnout
solidification of a Republican South (Cong. + Pres.)
solidification of a Democratic Northeast
strengthened party identification in electorate
greatly strengthened party unity in Congress
close Presidential and Congressional elections
resumption of unified government?
Next level POLI Courses in American
Government and Politics
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POLI 230
POLI 240
POLI 320
POLI 323
POLI 324
POLI 325
POLI 327
POLI 334
Introduction to Constitutional Law
State and Local Politics
American Political Thought
The Presidency
The Congress
Political Parties and Elections
Interest Groups and Lobbyists
Judicial Process