Political Parties
The Meaning of Party

Political Party:
– A “team of men [and women] seeking to
control the governing apparatus by gaining
office in a duly constituted election.”

Parties can be thought of in three parts:
– Party in the electorate
– Party as an organization
– Party in government
The Meaning of Party

Tasks of the Parties
– Linkage Institution: The channels through which
–
–
–
–
–
people’s concerns become political issues on the
government’s policy agenda.
Parties Pick Candidates
Parties Run Campaigns
Parties Give Cues to Voters
Parties Articulate Policies
Parties Coordinate Policymaking
The Meaning of Party

Parties, Voters, and Policy: The Downs Model
– Rational-choice theory: Assumes that individuals act in
their own best interest, weighing the costs & benefits.
Figure 8.1
The Party in the Electorate
Party identification is a citizen’s self-proclaimed
preference for one party or the other.
 Ticket-splitting:

– Voting for candidates of different parties.
Year
Dem
Ind
Rep
1964
52.2
23
24.8
1976
40.2
36.8
23.0
1988
35.7
36.3
28.0
2000
34.8
41.0
24.2
The Party Organizations: From
the Grass Roots to Washington

These are the people that work for the party.
 Local Parties
– Party Machines: A type of political party organization
that relies heavily on material inducements to win votes
and to govern.
– Patronage: A job, promotion or contract given for
political reasons rather than merit. Used by party
machines.
– Now urban party organizations are generally weak.
– County organizations have partially filled the void.
The Party Organizations: From
the Grass Roots to Washington

The 50 State Party Systems
– Closed primaries: voters must be registered with their
party in advance and can only vote for that party
– Open primaries: voters decide on election day which
party to participate in, and then only that party
– Blanket primaries: voters get a list of all candidates and
can vote for one name for each office, regardless of
party label
– State party organizations are on an upswing in terms of
headquarters and budgets.
The Party Organizations: From
the Grass Roots to Washington

The National Party Organizations
– National Convention: The meeting of party
delegates every four years to choose a
presidential ticket and the party’s platform.
– National Committee: One of the institutions
that keeps the party operating between
conventions.
– National Chairperson: Responsible for day-today activities of the party.
The Party in Government:
Promises and Policy

These are the party members actually elected to
government.
 Candidates are less dependent on parties to get
elected, but they still need help.
 Coalition:
– A group of individuals with a common interest upon
which every political party depends.

Parties & politicians generally do what they say
they will do.
Party Eras in
American History

Party Eras
– Historical periods in which a majority of votes cling to
the party in power.

Critical Election
– An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new
coalitions emerge.

Party Realignment
– The displacement of the majority party by the minority
party, usually during a critical election.
Party Eras in
American History

1796-1824: The First Party System
– Madison warned of “factions”
– First party were the Federalists

1828-1856: Jackson and the Democrats
Versus the Whigs
– Modern party founded by Jackson
– Whigs formed mainly in opposition to
Democrats
Party Eras in
American History

1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras
– Republicans rose as the antislavery party
– 1896 election revolved around the gold
standard

1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition
– Forged by the Democrats - relied upon urban
working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and
Jews, the poor, Southerners
Party Eras in American History

1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party
Government
– Party dealignment- disengagement of people
from parties
– Party neutrality- people are indifferent towards
the two parties
Party Eras in American History

Partisan Control of State Governments: 2003 (Figure 8.4)
Third Parties: Their Impact on
American Politics

Political parties other than Democrat or
Republican
 Rarely win elections
 But, they bring new groups and ideas into
politics
 Two-party system discourages extreme
views
Third Parties: Their Impact on
American Politics

Winner-take-all system:
– Legislative seats awarded only to first place
finishers.

Proportional Representation:
– Legislative seats awarded based on votes
received by the party- more votes, more seats

Coalition Government:
– Two or more parties join to run government
Understanding Political
Parties

Democracy and Responsible Party
Government
1. Parties have distinct comprehensive programs.
2. Candidates are committed to the program.
3. Majority party must carry out its program.
4. Majority party must accept responsibility.
Understanding Political
Parties

Individualism and Gridlock
– Easier to pass the buck than bite the bullet
– Lack of uniformity even within parties

American Political Parties and the Scope of
Government
– Lack of uniformity keeps government small
– But, it also makes cutting government programs
harder to do
Understanding Political
Parties

Is the Party Over?
– No longer the chief source of information for
voters
– But, state and national party organizations are
getting stronger
– Majority of people still identify with a party,
but still split their tickets
– Parties will continue to be around