Political Parties
How does the two – party system
influence American democracy?
Functions of Political Parties
 A political party is a group of people with broad common interests
who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections,
conduct government, and determine public policy
 Political parties are an integral part of the American democratic
system.
 Parties bring key issues to public attention and involve people in the
political process.
Pamphlets, press conferences, speeches, television, radio,
newspaper
Functions of Political Parties
 Political parties help the government operate smoothly, and
they dispense political patronage
 The practice of granting favors to reward party loyalty
 The winning party implements its key policy initiatives, and the
losing party is a “watchdog.”
 Parties contribute to political stability.
Party Systems
 One-party systems are usually found in nations with
authoritarian governments because the governments
tolerate other opposition.
 Minor parties exist in two-party systems, but two major
political parties compete for power.
 In multi-party systems, several parties often combine
forces in a coalition government.
Evolution of American Parties
 Opposing political parties had organized before the end of
President Washington’s second term.
 The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans disagreed
over federal versus state power.
 The Democratic-Republican party split into the Democrats and
the Whigs.
 In the 1850s, a new Republican Party opposed the spread of
slavery.
 Following the Civil War, the two dominant parties were
Republican and Democrat
Minor or Third Parties
 Third parties have been on the American political scene since
the early days of the Republic.
 A third party generally forms as a single-issue party, an
ideological party, or a splinter party.
Third party – any political party other than one of the two
major parties
 Minor parties have influenced the outcome of national elections.
 As a result of the two-party tradition, third parties face a number
of obstacles.
Evolution of Political Parties
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Minor or Third Parties
 Single issue party – party that focuses exclusively on one major social, economic, or moral issue (usually
short lived)
 Liberty, Free Soil
 Ideological party – party that has a particular set of ideas about how to change society overall
 Socialist Labor, Communist
 Splinter Party – party that splits away from a major party because of some disagreement
 Bull Moose Party, Dixiecrats
 What could be an obstacle that these parties face?
 Single Member Districts
Obstacles for Third Parties
 Single Member Districts – an electoral district in which
only one candidate is elected to each office
 Proportional representation – a system in which several
officials are elected to represent the dame area in
proportion to the votes each party’s candidate
receives.
Party Identification and Ideology
 People with a liberal ideology are more willing to trade economic
freedom for greater equality.
 Belief that the proper role of government is to actively promote health,
education and justice
 People with a conservative ideology tend to believe the role of
government should be limited (traditional family values).
Party Identification and Ideology
 Most people are moderates, falling somewhere in between
liberal and conservative.
 Currently, the Democratic Party is more liberal and the
Republican Party more conservative
 Independent – a voter who does not support any particular
party
Party Platforms
 Platform – statement of a political party’s principles, beliefs, and
positions on vital issues.
 Both the Democratic and Republican Party agree on a number of
foundational beliefs and values.
 The Republican Party supports the rights of individuals as opposed to
large government.
 The Democratic Party supports governmental involvement in many
areas.
 American exceptionalism – belief that it is America’s responsibility to
take a significant role in world affairs.
Party Identification
 Party identification is a state of mind; voting is a behavior.
 The Republican Party tends to attract white, male, educated, and religious people.
 The Democratic Party tends to attract women, minorities, and young people.
 The Democratic Party tends to be stronger in the Northeast and in cities.
 The Republican Party tends to be stronger in the suburbs, South, mountain West, and rural
areas.
Political Party Polarization
 The two political parties have become more polarized and
ideologically homogenous.
 Both parties now tend to nominate ideological, rather than
centrist, candidates.
 Conservative “Tea Party” organizations helped shift Republican
Party ideology to the right.
 This more extreme party membership leads to increased political
gridlock
Party Organization and
Membership
 Each party needs strong leadership and good
organization at all levels.
 At each level, the party endorses and works for the
election of its candidates.
 Fundraising is a key function of state and national
parties.
 Generally, citizens join a political party when they
register to vote or vote in certain elections.
 Party membership provides a way for citizens to
increase their influence on government
Selecting Candidates to Represent the
Party
 A vital function of political parties is to nominate candidates for elected office.
 To get onto the ballot, a candidate must file by fee or by petition.
 Candidates are chosen by caucuses, primaries, or conventions.
 Caucus – private meeting of party leaders to chose candidates for office
 Types of primaries – open, closed, direct
 Rules for presidential primaries vary among the states and even within many states.
 Primaries are a long, costly process and states with late primaries may receive less
attention.
Primaries
 Direct primary – an election in which party members select people to run in the
general election
 Closed primary – an election in which only members of a political party can vote
 Open primary – an election in which all voters may participate
 In most states, a candidate does not need a majority to win in a primary election. Must
have a plurality (largest number of votes in an election)
National Party Conventions
 Every four years, delegates for each major party select a ticket for
the November election.
 Many delegates are pledged to a candidate, but others are
uncommitted.
 Delegates to the convention debate the various planks before
adopting the party’s platform.
 Delegates vote state by state, but there is rarely a mystery about
who will be nominated.
 The party’s presidential nominee is usually the one who selects the
vice presidential candidate