Parties, Interest Groups,
Elections/Campaigns in Texas
Chapter 26
O’Connor and Sabato
American Government: Continuity and Change
Parties, Interest Groups,
Elections/Campaigns in Texas
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In this chapter we will cover….
1. Roots of Political Parties, Interest
Groups, Elections, and Campaigns in
Texas
2. Political Parties in Texas
3. Interest Groups in Texas
4. Elections and Political Campaigns in
Texas
Roots of Political Parties, Interest
Groups, Elections, and Campaigns
in Texas
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Political parties and interest groups developed
slowly in Texas
Democratic Party dominance
Early interest groups - agrarian and Grange
Post WWII – economy and society became more
complex and represented broader interests
Campaigns were originally personal loyalties; were
transformed into partisan or faction groups
Political Parties in Texas
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Political Parties perform functions through
1. party organization
2. party in the electorate
3. party in the government
Party Organization
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Formal organization includes both a
temporary and permanent organization for
each political party
Functional organization provides a skeleton
for party organization
Political parties’ lack of unity detracts from
their effectiveness
Party in the Electorate
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Most important function for party organization
is to win elections – mobilizing interest in the
party’s goals and candidates among voters
Party in the electorate consists of people who
identify with the party and consider
themselves members
Party Identification in Texas,
Selected Years 1952-2001
Party in the Electorate
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Recent changes in party attachment shows
-decrease in Democrats
-increase in Republican
-increase in the percentage of
independent voters
Party realignment in Texas triggered by
critical elections has changed the distribution
of partisan attachments
Party in the Electorate
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Realignment has resulted in changes
including the following:
young voters more likely to be Republicans
new residents more likely to be Republican
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It is also possible that dealignment is
occurring, not realignment (in dealignment
party affiliation weakens)
Party in the Government
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Party in the government is the political party’s
mechanism for establishing cooperation among
separate branches of government
Considerations in party in the government:
executive branch – plural executive
legislative branch – institutional leadership reduces
party organizational strength
judicial branch – partisan elections ballot and
gubernatorial appointive authority impact effective
party organization
Interest Groups in Texas
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Types:
 Business and trade (oil and gas industry)
 Professional (lawyers and teachers)
 Labor (municipal workers)
 Racial and ethnic groups (NAACP &
LULAC)
 Public interest groups (common cause)
Interest Groups in Texas
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Interest activities
 Lobbying
 Electioneering
 Litigation
Elections & Campaigns
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Type of elections
In Texas elections are frequent, the ballots
tend to be longer, and the legislature has
established uniformed election dates.
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Primary
Special general
Local elections
Elections & Campaigns
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Texas Campaigns: should provide opportunity
for voters to compare candidates on issues
and views
Factors influencing campaigns
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Money
Media
Marketing
Elections & Campaigns
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Voters Decision (yes/no)
Turnout low in Texas:
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Benefits of voting
Impact of “motor voter” laws
Early voting rates
Legal requirements
Cost of voting
Changing composition of electorate
Elections & Campaigns
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Vote Decision
Psychological factors
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Party identification
Issues
Candidate characteristics
Voting behavior
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Split ticket
Straight ticket
Voter Turnout in Texas, 1958-2002