Mr. Baumann’s Study Guide
Chap. 7 – Political Parties
OBJECTIVE: IN THIS CHAPTER WE EXAMINE THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL
PARTIES IN AMERICA AND WHY THEY ARE RELATIVELY WEAK TODAY COMPARED
WITH THEIR STRENGTH DECADES AGO AND WITH POLITICAL PARTIES ABROAD.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
WHAT DID THE FOUNDING FATHER’S BELIEVE ABOUT POLITICAL
PARTIES?
HOW HAS AMERICA’S TWO-PARTY SYSTEM CHANGED OVER THE PAST
CENTURY AND A HALF?
HOW DOES IT DIFFER TODAY FROM THE PARTY SYSTEMS OF OTHER
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACIES?
TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE DECLINE OF MASS ATTACHMENT TO THE
TWO MAJOR PARITES AFFECTED HOW AMERICANS VOTE?
IS THE FUTURE OF THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM INCREAINGLY SHAKY OR
VIRTUALLY ENSURED?
INTRODUCTION
AMERICA’S POLITICAL PARTIES ARE THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD, BUT THEY HAVE
CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST 150 YEARS BECAUSE THE LAWS AND RULES
UNDER WHICH THEY OPERATE HAVE TAKEN AWAY MUCH OF THEIR POWER AT THE
SAME TIME THAT MANY VOTERS HAVE LOST THEIR SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO PARTY
IDENTIFICATION. (149)
PARTIES – HERE AND ABROAD
DEFINE: POLITICAL PARTY –
1. IDENTIFY THE THREE POLITICAL ARENAS WHERE POLITICAL PARTIES MAY BE
FOUND.
2. IDENTIFY WHICH POLITICAL ARENAS HAVE GROWN WEAKER IN THE PAST 50
YEARS AND EXPLAIN THE REASONS:
3. IDENTIFY THE SEVEN FACTORS WHY ARE EUROPEAN PARTIES SO STRONG
COMPARED WITH OURS.
POLITICAL CULTURE
4. DESCRIBE HOW THE ATTITUDES AND TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN VOTERS ARE
DIFFERENT THAN THEIR EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS. (152)
THE RISE AND DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY (152)
THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTY CAN BE SEPARATED INTO FOUR
PERIODS.
5. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THESE FOUR PERIODS.
6. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN THE EFFECT OF THE PROGRESSIVE CHANGES TO PARTY
POLITICS.
DEFINE: STALWARTS –
DEFINE: PATRONAGE –
DEFINE: MUGWUMPS –.
THE NATIONAL PARTY STRUCTURE TODAY (157)
AMERICAS TWO-PARTY SYSTEM REMAINS STRONG, BUT
7. EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY IT HAS EVOLVED IN THE PAST THIRTY YEARS
DEFINE: NATIONAL CONVENTION –
DEFINE: NATIONAL COMMITTEE –
DEFINE: CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE –
DEFINE: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN –
DEFINE: RNC –
DEFINE: DNC –
DEFINE: SOFT MONEY –
NATIONAL CONVENTIONS (159)
8. DESCRIBE HOW A CANDIDATE IS NOMINATED AT A NATIONAL CONVENTION.
DEFINE: SUPERDELEGATES –
STATE AND LOCAL PARTIES (161)
9. IDENTIFY THE TWO EXTREMES OF STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS:
10. DESCRIBE A POLITICAL MACHINE AND EXPLAIN THE FOUR REASONS WHY IT HAS
LOST POLITICAL CLOUT OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS.
IDEOLOGICAL PARTIES (163)
11. DEFINE AND DESCRIBE: IDEOLOGICAL PARTY –
12. IDENTIFY FOUR EXAMPLES OF IDEOLOGICAL PARTIES:
SOLIDARITY GROUPS (164)
DEFINE: SOLIDARITY INCENTIVES –.
SPONSORED PARTIES
DEFINE: SPONSORED PARTY –
DEFINE: PERSONAL FOLLOWING –
SUMMARY: BY THE 21ST CENTURY, MOST STATES NO LONGER HAVE TRADITIONAL PARTY
ORGANIZATIONS, THAT ARE HEIRARCHICAL, LASTING, BASED ON MATERIAL ICENTIVE
AND CAPABLE OF INFLUENCING WHO GETS NOMINATED FOR OFFICE. ACCORDING TO
DAVID MAYHEW, THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ONLY IN 8 STATES.
THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM (165)
DEFINE: TWO-PARTY SYSTEM –
13. EXPLAIN THE TWO REASONS WHY THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM HAS SURVIVED IN THE
USA.
MINOR PARTIES (169)
14. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE FOUR KINDS OF MINOR PARTIES.
NOMINATING A PRESIDENT (172)
15. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN THE TWO CONTRARY FORCES THAT MAJOR POLITICAL
PARTIES FACE.
ARE DELEGATES REPRESENTATIVE OF THE VOTERS? (172)
SOMETIMES DELEGATES TO THE NOMINATING CONVENTION NOMINATE A PERSON WHO
IS NOT THE MOST POPULAR PERSON.
16. DESCRIBE WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE DISPARITY BETWEEN DELEGATE
PREFERENCE AND VOTER ATTITUDE?
WHO VOTES IN PRIMARIES? (173)
17. DESCRIBE AND COMPARE THE IDEOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS OF PRIMARY VOTERS
WITH THE PREFERENCES OF THE GENERAL ELECTION VOTERS.
DEFINE: CAUCUS –
WHO ARE THE NEW DELEGATES? (174)
18. DESCRIBE THE TYPICAL NEW DELEGATE.
PARTIES VERSUS VOTERS (174)
19. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN WHY HISTORICALLY ONE PARTY USUALLY WINS THE
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS, BUT TYPICALLY THE OTHER PARTY WINS THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
CONCLUSION
20. SUMMARIZE THE CHAPTER.