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Parties & What They Do
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A group of persons who seek to control
government through the winning of elections
and the holding of public office.
Or……
A group of persons, joined together on the
basis of certain common principles, who seek
to control government in order to secure the
adoption of certain public policies & programs.
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Examples:
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1. The party organization – the party “professionals”
who make the party run at the national, state, & local
levels.
2. The party in government – includes the party’s
candidates & officeholders.
3. The party in the electorate – the millions of people
who call themselves Republicans or Democrats and
who support the party and its candidates.
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Vital link between the people and their
government and between the government and the
governed.
Control the political spectrum of views which is
the range of political views. (extremists)
Nominate candidates (major function)
Informs & educates the people.
Acts as a “bonding agent” (ensures that candidates
are qualified and moral)
Exhibits partisanship which is strong support of
their party and policy stands.
Watchdog role – they watch over the other party.
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Democrats & Republicans – have their roots in
the beginning of the nation itself through the
Federalists & the Anti-Federalists.
Single-member districts – where only one
candidate is elected to each office on the ballot.
Plurality – the largest number of votes cast for
an office.
Bipartisan – the 2 major parties find common
ground.
Consensus – a general agreement among
various groups.
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Tend to produce a broader, more diverse
representation of the electorate.
Coalition – a temporary alliance of several
groups who come together to form a working
majority and so to control government.
Two-Party System in American History
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1st – Federalist – Alexander Hamilton – a party of
the rich and the well-born – most supported the
Constitution – worked to create a stronger national
government – their viewpoints appealed to
financial, manufacturing, & commercial interests.
2nd – Anti-Federalists – later known as Jeffersonian
Republicans or Democratic-Republicans – finally
known as the Democratic Party – favored the
“common man” – favored a very limited role for
the new government – favored Congress.
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Incumbent – the current officeholder
Factions – competing groups
Spoils System – the practice of awarding public
offices, contracts, and other government favors
to those who supported the party in power
Electorate – the people eligible to vote
Sectionalism – emphasizes a devotion to the
interests of a particular region.
Minor Parties
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Ideological Parties – those that are based on a
particular set of beliefs or a comprehensive
view of social, economic, & political matters.
Most of these parties were built on some idea
of Marxist thought. (Socialist, Socialist Labor,
Socialist Worker, & Communist Parties)
Single-Issue Parties – focus on one simple
social question (Right To Life Party – against
abortion)
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Economic Protest Parties – no clear cut
ideological base – rooted in economic
discontent.
Splinter Parties – those parties that have split
away from the larger parties ( The Bull Moose
Party & The Dixiecrat Party)
Their importance = started the use of national
conventions to nominate a president & play the
role of “spoilers”
Party Organization
Reasons for decentralization:
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Federalism
The nominating process
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Ward – a unit into which cities are often
divided for the election of city council
members.
Precinct – the smallest unit of election
administration