AP GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL PARTIES
Chapter 7
What is a political party?
• A group of political
activists who organize to
win elections, operate
government, and
determine public policy.
How do PPs differ from
Interest Groups?
• IGs do not want to
operate government
• IGs sharpen issues (make
distinctions) and PPs try
to manipulate issues in
order to get support
How do PPs differ from
factions?
• Factions come before the
PP
• Factions are not always
permanent
• Factions are smaller
• Factions are out to obtain
certain benefits for
themselves
What do political parties
do?
1. Organize the
competition
• Recruit and Nominate
candidates
• Register voters
• Train candidates
• Aid candidates ($)
• Organize volunteers
2. Unify the Electorate
• Moderate Conflict by
bringing together
different viewpoints
under one party
Extreme Liberal
Extreme Conservative
3. Help Organize
Government
• Not as cohesive or “vital”
in the US as in Europe
• Committees dictate the
issues Congress
addresses and
committee membership
is determined by pp and
seniority
4. Enact policies and
implement campaign
promises (effectively
changing government with
legislation)
•
•
No guarantee that
candidates will follow party
platform
Soft Money usually means
candidates follow party
platform
5. Provide opposition to
the party that controls
the White House or
Congress
• Honeymoon period
everyone gets along
• The “out” party provides
the public with
alternatives to the “in”
parties policies
The Three Faces of a
Party
1. Party-in-the-Electorate
• Those who identify
themselves with the
party
2. Party Organization
• Formal structure and
leadership
• National Convention
• Every 4 years
• To nominate a candidate
• Party platform (written &
ratified)
• National Committee -
direct party activities for
the next four years
• National Chairperson spokesperson for the
party AND Manage
national election
• State Central
Committee – runs the
party within the state
•Made up of
representatives
• Unit Rule – all of a
state’s electoral votes
are cast for the candidate
with the most votes
3. Party-in-Government
• Elected or appointed
officials from the party
• Ticket splitting – voting
for candidates from two
or more parties
• Prefer divided gov’t
• Other issues
How do parties nominate a
candidate?
• Caucus-closed meeting to
pick candidate
• Party convention-candidates
chosen by party members
• Direct primary-elections to
determine candidates
(mostly used today!)
Different types of
Primaries:
• Open Primaries-any voter
can participate in
elections (no matter the
party affiliation)
• Crossover voting
• Closed Primaries-only
voters registered as that
party can vote
Party System
• Know the following terms:
• Two-party system
• Multiparty system
• Presidential system
• Parliamentary system
• Coalition gov’t
• Proportional representation
• Winner-take-all system
Minor Parties
• Third parties
• Grouped by ideology
• Examples: Anti-Mason, Bull
Moose Party, American
Independent Party, Reform
Party, Green Party
History of Political
Parties in the US
• Founding fathers did not
support parties
• Not mentioned in Constitution
• Federalists v. DemocraticRepublicans
• Realigning Elections-turning
points in history that align
voters and political agendas
• 1824, 1860, 1896, 1932
1824 Jackson and the
Democrats
• Four Democrat-Republican
candidates
• Andrew Jackson won the popular
vote but did not get the majority
in the electoral college
• John Q Adams and the “corrupt
bargain” with Henry Clay
• 1828 Rematch-Jackson won
(Democrat v. National Republican)
• Two-party system established
1860 Civil War and the
Republicans
• Crisis of slavery lead to a new
party-the second Republican
party (“Grand Old Party” or
GOP)
• Abraham Lincoln won
• 1860, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 88, 96,
1900, 04, 08 –all Republican
victories
• 1884 &1892 –Cleveland’s (D)
• The Democrats survived b/c of
strong base of white males in
the south
1896 Repubican Party in
Transition
• Party does not lose power
but realigns due to the
industrial revolution
• Hard times for farmers and
miners
• United with workers in the
East and Midwest to combat
foreign investments in US
The Progressive Era in
the Republican Party
• 1900-1920
• Progressive wing of Republican
Party
• Focused on corrupt political
parties
• Direct primary elections
• 17th Amendment (1913)
Senators elected by popular
vote
• Remained dominate party until
the 1930s
1932 FDR and the New
Deal
• difficulty