Parties and Elections in SC
Bob Botsch
The Development of Strong Parties
in SC
• Conditions for strong parties:
– Competition with another party (not SC—one
party factionalism, Dem and now Rep)
– Control over nominations (not SC—primaries)
– Control over campaign money (rise of PACs)
– Administrative control over bureaucracy
through appointments by party leader like
governor (not SC—govt mostly by boards and
commissions and legislature)
Periods of Party Competition
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Pre Civil War—two parties, but elite leadership
due to malapportionment
Reconstruction—temporary Republican Rule
(1868-1876)
White rebellion—led to “Solid Democratic”
South and SC (1877-1960’s)—one party
factionalism
Post Civil Rights Era (1970s–1980s) before
white flight to Republicans completed & before
reapportionment after 1990 census
Erosion of Party Competition since
1990
• Most whites move to GOP by mid 80s
• Most Democrats are African-Americans and that
gives them too small a base to compete (30%
statewide, but about 25% of the vote)
• Means Dem need 25 points of 70 points (or
35%) of the white vote to win
• Legislative districts drawn to maximize “minoritymajority” districts and thus minimize “minorityinfluence” districts
Structure of Political Parties in SC
• Democrats (www.scdp.org)
• Republicans (www.scgop.com)
• Hierarchical structure with:
– precincts at bottom, w/chair as minimum
– county party organization, organized at
annual county conventions, send delegates to
state convention
– State level has professional organization and
state chair and executive director
Sources of Campaign Funds in SC
• Individual contributions (indirect path for
interest groups)—about 60%
• PAC/corporate/labor contributions—about
25% (more for incumbents)
• Political parties and committees—about 510% (more for contested races)
• Personal money—about 5-10% (more for
challengers)
Spending of Campaign $ in SC
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Media, including internet
Direct mail (in decline as internet rises)
Phone banks
Canvassing
Polls
Professional managers, but most use volunteers
except for state-wide offices and competitive
legislative races
• Much emphasis on name recognition, e.g. yard
signs and billboards
Differences between Democrats
and Republican in SC
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Affirmative Action
Health Care
Abortion
Sex education
Gender roles (ERA)
Gay rights
Restrictions on firearms
Prayer in school
School vouchers
Environmental protection and global warming
Land use planning and regulation
Taxes at state and local levels
Note on “Tea Party” Republicans—the most
conservative of the conservatives
Redistricting since the 1990s
• Political alliance of convenience between
Legislative Black Caucus and Republicans
• Produced more black majority districts (minoritymajority districts)
• Each new one created two more white majority
precincts
• Losers were white Democrats in particular and
Democrats in general and perhaps blacks who
live in districts where white Republican
legislators can ignore them completely
• Impact on new 7th congressional district for 2012
Prospects for Change
• Younger people less conservative on range of
issues, especially social, environmental and
educational issues
• Growing minority population with rise of Hispanic
population
• In-migrants who are less conservative on most
issues
• Problem of attracting high quality candidates
• How long?