Political Parties and their
functions
Daily Dilemma: What are the pros and cons of political
parties?
What is a political party?
Political Party:
An organization that sponsors candidates for political office
under the organizations name.
For example: Republican and Democratic
Party Functions
Political system: A set of interrelated institution that links
people with government.
Four party functions:
1) Nominating candidates for election
2) Structuring voting choice
3) Proposing alternative government programs 4)
Coordinating the Sections of Government Officials
Nominating candidates: Designation as an official candidate
of a political party.
Structuring the voting choices
Only put candidates on the ballot who have a realistic
chance of winning.
Discussion Question: Is every and any American citizen
qualified to hold political office?
Proposing Alternative Government Programs
and Coordinating the Actions of Government
Officials
People will vote for the party that has policies that they
agree with.
There are two ways parties coordinate the separation of
powers that can govern the country well.
1) Candidates' and officials' political success
2) Members of the same party share political
The Preparty Period
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Electoral college: A body of electors chosen by voters to cast
ballots for president and vice president.
Presidential elections in the early years were decided by a
handful of political leaders.
Caucus: A closed meeting of the members of a political party to
decide questions of policy and the selection of candidates for
office.
Factions in the Preparty Period.
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Factions are groups pursuing some common
political interest.
Tories/loyalists were supporters of the British rule
Whigs/patriots were opposers of British rule
Federalists are people who favor the Constitution
Antifederalists are people who oppose the
Constitution
The First Party System
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This system included the Federalists and
Democratic Republicans.
The nation's first party struggle over presidency
was in 1792 when Washington, a federalist, won
presidency but his vice president was opposed by a
Democratic Republican.
In the election of 1800, the party function of
nominated candidates became more clear. Both
parties nominated candidates for presidents. This
was truly the first party contest for presidency.
The First Party System (cont.)
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The two party organization worked well because
according to Constitution, each elector has to vote
for two people by ballot.
The twelfth amendment, ratified in 1804, prevented a
repeat of troublesome elections. It required the
electoral college to vote seperately for president
and vice president
The Second Party System
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The total number of people allowed to vote
increased by 300%. From 370,000 to 1.1 million.
Party Platform: The statement of policies of a
national political party
The old method of nominating presidential
candidates was not working so they switched to
national convention
National convention: Gathering of a single political
party across the country to choose candidates for
president and vice president to adopt a party
platform.
Do you think presidential elections should be
decided by a handful of political leaders?
Do you think that having more people to vote in
elections produces an equal decision?
Definition: The change in voting patterns that occurs after critical
election.
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The election of 1860, political division between North and
South. Northern states primarily Republicans and Southern
states Democrats.
Two-party system: A political system in which two major
political parties compete for control of the government, third
party has little chance of winning.
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Loyalty is a major concept when being a part of one party.
People change their identification over time.
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The GOP won 8 out of 10 presidential elections.
The Republican and Democrats won equal number of
congressional elections.
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Before the Great Depression the Republicans were favored
over the Democrats.
Republicans controlled the presidency, Senate, and the House.
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1932 Republicans fell from majority status.
FDR's promises for a better economy, persuaded Americans
to turn to Democratic solutions.
Continued its power to the House and Senate.
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The Fourth Critical election: Nixon won 5 out of 11 and
Humphrey won 1 out of 11 Southern states.
The parties are fairly even in electoral strength now.
Electoral Dealignment: A lessening of the importance of party
loyalties in voting decisions.
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Minor Parties in America
1. Boltier Parties: split off factions of the Major
Parties
2. Farmer-Labor Parties: Workers and farmers
that believe the working class is not getting
enough wealth
3. Ideological Protest Parties: Reject popular
ideas in favor of more extreme principles
(Socialist Parties)
4. Single-issue Parties: Only promote 1 issue
(Green Party)
Functions of Minor Parties
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3rd Parties do better supporting policies
(women's suffrage)
Express discontent with Major Party
objectives
Allow people not satisfied with the status quo
to conventionally participate through 3rd
Parties.
Why a Two-Party System?
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Majority Representation: System where one
office with two or more candidates, is won by
the candidate with the most votes.
Proportional Representation: System where a
party is given seats in proportion to how many
votes they get in an election.
Two Parties pass laws making it harder for 3rd
Parties to get on the ballot, like needing
thousands of signatures
Over 1/2 the public want
a 3rd major party. yet
don't support them in
polls.
People that identify
with Independents
are growing.
Final Question
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Should the U.S. create a third Major party?
Why or why not?
The Federal Basis of the Party System
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Voting for president is convenient and informative to
American history.
Americans tend to only concentrate on presidential
vote and ignore electoral patterns
- Even if defeated in a presidential election, that
party can still claim victory for state offices. Gives a base
of support that keeps oiled for the next contest.
Party Identification in America
Do you think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, or
an independent?
Party Identification-A voter's sense of psychological attachment to a
party. (one of the most important in political science.)
Voting is a behavior; identification is a state of mind.
o The number of Republicans and Democrats combined has far
exceeded the independents every year.
o The number
Republicans.
of Democrats has consistently exceeded that of
o The number of Democrats has shrunk over time, mainly to the
benefit of independents.
Who are Democrats and Republicans?
Republicans:
~North Central States
Democrats:
~Religious groups [Jews], Non-whites, Women
About half of all Americans tend to adopt their parent's party views but it
takes time for the actual party identification to develop
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Youngest Group = Independent
30's -40's = Republicans
-Reagan and Bush presidencies
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Oldest Group = Strongly Democratic & Partisan Committee
Party Ideology and
Organization
Differences in Party Ideology
"There isn't a dime worth of difference between Democrats
and Republicans" - George Wallace
• Democrats tend to spend more on advance social
welfare than Republicans.
• Republicans decry about massive social spend but they
do it also.
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Ronald Reagan spend one trillion dollar on
defense
George W. Bush's massive tax cut but still
spend money on a missile defense, $400
billion in Medicare, and a space platform
Voter & Activists
Voters: 16% Democrats
compared to 63%
Republicans described
Platforms: Freedom, Order,
and Equality
" Not Only Idea but Words"
Democrats mentions: equal or
equality, crimes or criminal,
marriage and abortion, poverty.
Delegates: 3% Democrats
Republicans mentions: free or
freedom, order, taxes.
compared with 72%
themselves conservative
Republicans described
The Federal Basis of the Party
System
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Democrats
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Republicans
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Independents (Independents have chosen their
political beliefs based on things other than
parties; they won't back an idea because a certain
party backs it.)
Apolitical (Usually found in swing states, apolitical
Party Identification in America
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Party Identification: A voter's sense of psychological
attachment to a party.
A person will consider him/herself as a Republican,
Democrat, or Independent.
Why might Party Identification be important in
political science?
Why would Party Identfication matter?
Party Identification in America(cont.)
Americans tend to find their political niche and stay
there. This is, however, a state of mind and not actually
voting.
EX: A person who considers him/herself a Republican
may vote for a Democrat presidential candidate
because the candidate may provide the Republican
voter more opportunities.
Voting for one side or another does not signify your party
identification.
Party Ideology And Organization
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Democrats spend a lot of money in order to
further social spending and enforce equality,
among them is Obamacare. Democrats are
usually liberals.
Republicans, on the other hand, think that
spending money on a majority of social
wellfare is unnecessary and spend money on
different things, such as the military.
Republicans are usually conservatives.
Platforms: Freedom, Order, and Equality
Freedom, order, and equality actually play a HUGE role
in what political party people associate themselves
with.
People sided with equality and freedom are usually
Democrats. They support everyone having equal
rights.
People sided with order are usually Republicans. They
support having a more firm government.
Page 274-277
$unny Moua, Jame Moua, Toua Lee
Oraganizations
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At one time, both major parties were firmly anchored by
powerful state and local party organizations.
Big-city party organizations, such as the Democrats, Tammy
Hall in New York City and the Cook County Central
Committee in Chicago, were called party machines.
A party machine is a centralized organization that dominated
local politics by controlling elections - sometimes by illegal
means, often by providing jobs and social services to urban
workers in return for their votes.
Both RNC and DNC share similar campaign activities.
Whereas once both RNC and DNC were dependent for their
funding on "quotas" paid by state parties, now the funds flow
Decentralized but Growing Stronger
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American political parties are still among the most
decentralized parties in the world.
Not even the president can count on loyalty from the
legislative members of his party.
In the 2009 congressional vote on reforming health
care, (President Obama's most important policy
initiative) 39 of the 258 seats of Democrats voted
against it.
The Model of Responsible Party
Government
Responsible Party Government1. Parties should present clear and coherent programs to
voters.
2. Voters should choose candidates on the basis of party
programs.
3. The winning party should carry out its program once
in office.
4. Voters should hold the governing party responsible at
the next election for executing its program.
Summary