Chapter 9
Political Parties
Political Parties
What Are Political Parties?
• Political parties: organized groups that attempt to
influence the government by electing their members
to local, state, and national offices.
• Important link between public and government
Voters
Parties
Elected Officials
– Especially true in elections, parties filter participation.
What Are Political Parties?
Utility in American government and politics
• Increase political participation
• Provide important information cues to voters
• Organize congressional business
What Are Political Parties?
• Party formation
– Internal mobilization
• Political conflicts prompt officials and competing
factions within government to mobilize popular support.
– External mobilization
• Group of politicians outside of government organizes
popular support to win governmental power.
What Are Political Parties?
• Defining traits of party systems
– Number of parties
– Organizational structure
– Balance of power between parties and within party
coalitions
– Institutional and social bases of support
– Issues and policies that define the party and their
competitors
What Are Political Parties?
• American two-party system
– Winner takes all single-member districts
• If candidates wins by 20 percent, or .001 percent, same
result
– Losing party gets no representation from that specific
district.
• Unlike proportional representation systems
– Multimember districts/states, party wins number of seats
in proportion to the share of votes won in election
• Third parties less viable; voters feel “wasted vote”
– No incentive to vote for candidates who cannot win
because that point of view will not get represented.
Political Parties
• Geographic vs. proportional representation
– U.S. party representation geographic WTA
• Congress in single-member districts (winner takes all)
• U.S. Senate allocated by state (winner takes all)
• President by way of electoral college (winner takes all)
– Many democracies have proportional representation
systems
• Parties get a share based on vote.
What Are Political Parties?
Electoral Alignments and Realignments
• Realignments
– Occur when issues that currently separate the two parties
decline in relevance
– New issues emerge that parties center around
– Dramatic shifts in which party governs
– Dramatic shifts on positions the parties support
• Example: Republicans and Democrats on civil rights
Party Systems
• First system: Federalists and Jeffersonian
Republicans
– Federalists: stronger federal government, assumption of
Revolutionary War debt, protective tariffs, commercial ties
with Britain
– Jeffersonians: free trade, agriculture, relations with France
Party Systems
• Second party system: Democrats and Whigs
– Intense competition for votes led politicians to increase
suffrage.
– Parties divided more by personalities and petty politics
than by significant ideologies
– Eventually, the Whigs are replaced by a coalition of free
labor, free soil, and free land supporters.
Party Systems
• The Civil War and postwar system: Republicans and
Democrats
– Republicans: higher tariffs to protect industry, no slavery in
new territories, westward expansion
– Democrats: lower tariffs to promote agriculture, smaller,
local government, proslavery
Party Systems
• System of 1896: Republicans and Democrats
– America more urban, industrialized by end of the
nineteenth century
– Populists and Democrats appealed to workers and farmers.
Party Systems
• The New Deal party system
–
–
–
–
–
Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected in 1932.
Expanded reach of government
Began regulating the workplace
Created a social safety net
Created a broad coalition of voters that sustained it until
the late 1960s
Party Systems
• The contemporary American party system
– GOP expands voter base, draws economic and social
conservatives, especially southerners.
– Ideological divide increases among elected officials; within
the ranks as well.
• The Tea Party (not an actual political party) illustrates
base frustration with GOP elected officials.
• Progressive activists, Occupy Wall Street most notably,
illustrate base frustration with Democratic party.
Party Systems
• Party polarization
– Sharp divisions between the two parties
– Congress is most polarized today since 1956
– Measured in Congress using roll call votes
• Party unity: frequency and strength
– How often does the party vote as a cohesive bloc?
– How strong is party bloc vote: unanimous, 90
percent,
or 60 percent?
– Measured in public opinion as well
• Party identification, election margins of victory
Electoral Realignments
American Third Parties
Electoral Alignments and Realignments
• Third parties
– Represent social and economic interests not voiced by the
two major parties
– Potential influence in pushing two parties to address their
issue(s), if they are taken seriously by voters and media
– Significant structural obstacles make it hard for third (or
more) parties to get on the ballot.
Parties and Candidates in 2012
Party Organization
Party Organization
• National committees
– Democratic National Committee (DNC)
– Republican National Committee (RNC)
• Raise funds for candidates
• Build party infrastructure
• Recruit and groom candidates
• Promote party interests through the media
• Unify supporting coalitions
Party Organization
• Hard money, soft money, and 527s
– Hard money was used for campaigning; soft money for
party building.
– 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act outlawed soft
money.
– 527s: nonprofits that can campaign for, but not coordinate
with, the candidates.
– Citizens United allows unlimited, anonymous donations via
interest groups; significant impact.
Party Organization
• Congressional committees
–
–
–
–
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
National Republican Senatorial Committee
• Recruit, raise funds for, and assist candidates
• High pressure for elected officials leading those
committees to raise millions
Parties and the Electorate
Party Identification 1952–2010
Group Affiliations
Parties and the Electorate
Racial and ethnic group party identification
– White voters (about 52–55 percent) identify as GOP
– 90 percent of African Americans identify as Democrats
– Latinos tend to vote for Democrats
• Cuban Americans more GOP, other Latinos more
Democrat
• Likelihood of supporting candidates from either party
depending on issues and candidates
– Asian Americans lean Democrat
• Ties not strong; cross-party voting common
Parties and the Electorate
• Gender and religion
– More women identify as Democrats; more men identify as
Republicans.
– ~90 percent of Jews identify as Democrats.
– White Catholics and Protestants are more likely to identify
Republican.
• Latino Catholics and Black Protestants, Democrats
Parties and the Electorate
• Class does not break down cleanly.
– Those lower on the SES still tend to support the
Democratic Party.
– Higher SES more likely to vote GOP.
• Of course, demographics don’t predict partisanship
for any one person.
Parties and the Electorate
• Ideology
– Conservatives support Republican Party.
– Liberals support Democratic Party.
– Moderates split between the two.
• Region
– Republicans strong in South and Mountain West
– Democrats strong in West Coast, Midwest, Northeast
WHO ARE AMERICANS?
Who Identifies with Which Party?
CHAPTER 9
WHO ARE AMERICANS?
Who Identifies with Which Party?
Gender
Age
Men
42%
11%
47%
Women
34%
11%
55%
18 – 29
33%
10%
58%
30 – 49
39%
10%
50%
50 – 64
38%
11%
51%
65 and over
40%
11%
49%
Republican Party
SOURCES: Harold W. Stanley, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 2011-2012
(Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2011), p. 110.
Democratic Party
Independent
WHO ARE AMERICANS?
Who Identifies with Which Party?
Race
Income
White
44%
10%
46%
Black
7%
8%
86%
Hispanic
27%
11%
62%
All others
15%
12%
73%
Under $20K
24%
12%
63%
$20K – $29,999
32%
10%
58%
$30K – $49,999
36%
9%
54%
$50K – $74,999
51%
8%
41%
$75K and over
48%
8%
45%
Republican Party
SOURCES: Harold W. Stanley, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 2011-2012
(Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2011), p. 110.
Democratic Party
Independent
WHO ARE AMERICANS?
Who Identifies with Which Party?
Region
Education
East
34%
11%
55%
Midwest
38%
12%
50%
South
41%
10%
49%
West
37%
10%
53%
< High school
27%
13%
60%
High school grad.
38%
11%
52%
College grad.
43%
10%
47%
Postgraduate
38%
9%
53%
Republican Party
SOURCES: Harold W. Stanley, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 2011-2012
(Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2011), p. 110.
Democratic Party
Independent
Political Parties
• Do the two parties represent all Americans?
– Significant body of research finds:
• GOP and Democrats focus on issues important to middleand upper-middle class.
– The environment, retirement benefits, and taxation are
middle/upper-class issues; central to political agenda.
– Parties compete for these groups of voters.
• Poor neglected in policy, debate, and issue priorities
– Welfare, housing, hunger, public transportation, not
discussed
– Neither party competing for their votes.
Political Parties
• What is wrong with the American party system?
– Vigorous debate to this question
• Party leaders (not voters) too polarized—Fiorina et al.
• Parties not strong enough, ineffective—Schattschneider
• Unrepresentative, need reform—Bowler and Donovan
Parties and Elections
• Parties in American elections
– Recruit candidates to run
– Mobilize supporters and voters
– Provide voters with choices
Parties and Elections
• Recruiting candidates
– A quality candidate needs:
• Good name recognition
• Previous experience in office
• Ability to raise large amounts of money
• Understanding of the key issues
• Ability to withstand severe scrutiny
Parties and Elections
• Mobilization: getting out the vote
–
–
–
–
–
–
Get supporters registered
Keeping online groups engaged
Turning out their base on election day
Operate phone banks, put up yard signs
Offer rides to polling stations
Parties subsidize the costs of informing and mobilizing
voters
Parties and Elections
• Facilitating voter choice
– Americans vote on many more officials than most citizens
of other countries do.
– This requires Americans to be informed about more
candidates.
– Parties make obtaining this information easier.
– People use party as an information “shortcut” when making
voting decisions.
Parties and Government
• Parties and policy
– GOP: wealthier Americans, white working-class, social
conservatives
• Cuts in social programs
• High military spending
• Tax relief for higher earners
• Low taxes for business
• Conservative social policy
Parties and Government
• Parties and policy
– Democrats: organized labor, working class, racial minorities,
liberal wealthier Americans
• Expanded social welfare spending
• Cuts in military spending
• Consumer and worker protection
• Protection for the environment
Parties and Government
• Parties in Congress
– Both chambers organize functions through committees that
are divided by party.
– The majority party has the leadership roles.
• President and party
– If Congress is controlled by the opposition party, then we
often see gridlock and delay rather than cooperation
(divided government).
– President is de facto head of his party.
Public Opinion Poll
There is ongoing debate about whether Americans are
politically polarized or not. What do you think?
a) The American media and public are polarized.
b) American media and parties are polarized, the mass public
(people) are not.
c) People who follow politics a lot are polarized, but they are a
small share of the American population.
d) There is no polarization.
Public Opinion Poll
Do you think more people would vote if there were
more viable political parties (maybe three to five)
instead of only two as we have now?
a) Yes, more people would vote.
b) No, more parties would have no impact on turnout.
c) Fewer people would vote; it would cause confusion.
Public Opinion Poll
Do you think there is a significant difference
between Democrats and Republicans in office?
a) Yes, they are very different.
b) No, politicians of both parties are mostly the same.
Public Opinion Poll
Do you think turnout rates would increase if all
elections were nonpartisan (like many local
elections)?
a) Yes, people would like to vote for people not associated with
a party.
b) No, people would be confused without party cues to help
them make their vote choices.
Public Opinion Poll
Do you think the Democratic Party and the
Republican Party are welcoming to voters of
different racial and ethnic backgrounds?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Yes, both parties are welcoming to all voters.
No, neither is welcoming.
Republicans are welcoming, Democrats are not.
Democrats are welcoming, Republicans are not.
Chapter 9: Political Parties
• Quizzes
• Flashcards
• Outlines
• Exercises
wwnorton.com/we-the-people
Following this slide, you will find additional images,
figures, and tables from the textbook.
Political Parties and the World
Parties and Candidates in 2012
How the Party System Evolved
Party Systems
Party Systems
Third Parties
National Convention
State and Local Party Organizations
Digital Citizens
Parties and Policy
Parties in Congress
Political Parties and the World