Influencing Government

Unit III

Functions of Parties

Write down everything you think you know about the

Republicans and Democrats

What is a Party?

• A political party is a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office.– Sponsors people for election under organization’s

name• People in political parties do not always get along.

Functions of Parties

• Informer-stimulator Function– Encourage people to vote– Discouraging third parties– Providing citizens with

information necessary to make a decision.

Nominating Function – Nominate Candidates, ensure qualifications and raise quality.

Functions Continued• Seal of Approval Function

– Proposing Alternative Government Programs

• Even if citizens know little about candidates they can vote for the party because it supports similar ideas.

• Governmental Function– Coordinate actions of government

officials.– Allowing politicians to work

within their party.

Functions of Parties

• Watchdog Function– Held by party out of power.– Monitors and reports on

other parties actions.

CONTROLLING GOVERNMENTMulti Party, Two Party and Single Party systems

Multiparty System

• Several major and many lesser parties exist.– Europe

• Parties are each based on some particular interest – economic class, religious belief, sectional attachment, etc.– Tends to produce instability.

One Party System

• Nearly all dictatorships today.Reality there is no party system.

US it may seem like some states only have one party. –

Examples?

The Two-Party System

Historical Basis – Beginnings of the

Nation.Federalist and Anti-Federalist

• The Force of Tradition.• The Electoral System – promote the existence of

only 2 parties.• The American Ideological Consensus.

Organization of Political Parties

• The Reality.– May appear to be highly centralized and

organized. – NOT REALLY SO!• Fragmented and disjointed.

– There is no chain of command at any level.• Each state is loosely tied to the national.• Often local organizations are independent.

Role of Presidency

• President’s party is usually more closely organized and united.– POTUS is automatically the leader.

Other party has no direct leader.-- Many people usually compete for leadership.

Michael Steele

National Party Machinery

• National Committee. (RNC and DNC)• National Convention.• Congressional Campaign Committees.

– Work to reelect incumbents and to save the seats given up by retiring members.

– Tries to unseat incumbents in other party.

Party Ideology

What makes a democrat a democrat and a republican a republican?

Two Party System In the USDemocrats Republicans

Are these your only two options?

Key Role of Minor Parties

• Take clear-cut stands on the controversial issues of the day.

• Draw attention to a particular issue ignored by major parties– When proposal gains major support a major

party will take it over• Strong third party candidacy can play a

major role. – Often a spoiler in an election.

Ideological Protest Parties• Based on a particular set of

beliefs.• Many are organized around

Marxist thought.– Socialist labor, Socialist worker

and Communist Parties.

Libertarian party of today.– Emphasizes individualism and reduction of most government

functions.

Not often able to win many votes– Parties are long lived.

The Single-Issue Parties• Concentrating on a single public policy

matter.• Names usually indicate major concern.

– I.e. Prohibition party.• Most have faded over time as the issue has

lost importance.

Farmer-Labor Parties

• Economic Protest Parties– Rooted in Periods of economic discontent.

• No clear cut ideological base.• Demand better times • Focused anger on real or imagined

enemies.• Disappear as the nation gains better

economic status

Splinter/Bolter Parties• Split away from one of the

major parties.– Most important minor parties

have been of this kind.

• Form around a strong personality.

– Often someone who has failed to win a majority of the original party’s vote.

Have faded or collapsed when that leader stepped aside.

Creating a Political Party

• Your group has decided that your are not fully represented by today’s political parties and have decided to create your own.

– Create a party ideology.– Create a party platform that candidates will run upon.– Create a party slogan.– Create a party logo/emblem.– Who would you nominate for president and why?

VOTINGWho can vote and who does vote

Voting Amendments 15th Amendment (1870)

Right to vote cannot be denied due to race, color or previous slavery.

19th Amendment (1920)The right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by

the Unite States or by any state on account of sex.

26th Amendment (1971)The right of citizens, who are eighteen years of age

or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Voter Qualifications

• Each state requires these three things in order to vote.– Citizenship – aliens are generally

denied the right to vote.– Residence – must live in a state a

certain amount of days (PA 30 Days)– Age – 26th Amendment says 18.

(1971)

Motor Voter Law

• Eligible citizens can register when getting a drivers license.

• Can register by mail.• At local offices.• Even online (only to change

your residence.)

Who can’t vote - Disenfranchised

• People in mental institutions or those found legally incompetent.

• Dishonorably discharged from the Armed Services.

• Felons – in some states. PA can vote as long as you are not in jail for a felony.– 4.7 million Americans (1 in 43 adults)– 2.3% of the entire population.

Non Voting• 1996 only 49% of eligible voters voted.• 2000 54.2% of eligible voters voted. • 2004 – 60% of eligible voters voted.• 2008 – 64% of eligible voters voted.

– Eligible means those who are over 18 and meet all other requirements.

• Greater the competition the greater the turnout!

Why don’t we vote!!!!

• Cannot Voters• Actual Non-Voters• Time Zone Factor?

• What are the characteristics of someone likely to vote?

• What are the characteristics of someone unlikely to vote?

HOW AND WHY WE VOTEThe sociological and psychological reasons for voting and part choice.

Voter Behavior

• Sociology – study of groups and how people behave in groups.– Pieces of a voter’s social and economic life.

• Personal characteristics.• Group affiliations.

• Psychology – Study of the mind and individual behavior.– Voters perception on politics I.e. how they see

politics, parties, the candidates and issues in the election.

Sociological Factors

• Income and Occupation– Middle to upper middle class – D or R– Lower middle to lower class – D or R– professional or White Collar – D or R– Manual or Blue Collar work – D or R

• Education– College graduates are more likely to be - D or R

than high school graduates.– High school graduates are more likely to be - D or R than

high school drop outs.

Effects of Education on Political Participation

Sociological Factors

• Gender– Men are more likely to be – D or R– Women are more likely to be – D or R

• Age– Younger voters more likely to be - D or R– Older voters more likely to be - D or R

Sociological Factors

• Religion– Protestants tend to favor - D or R.– Catholics and Jews tend to favor - D or R

• Minorities – Non Whites.– Tend to support - D or R

• Geography– Rural & suburban voters tend to vote - D or R– Urban voters tend to vote – D or R

Psychological Factors

• Party identification– Where does this develop?

• Independent Voters– Why are they important?– What percentage of the population do they make up?

• Candidate and the issues.– How are they important?

Voting Campaigning

• Need to enter instructions.

FINANCING A CAMPAIGNIt costs how much?

Campaign Financing

• Pretend you are running for President of the United States:

– What do you need to do in order to run a successful campaign?

– What types of people would have to work for you?– What would you have to spend money on?– Where would you campaign and how often?

It’s all about the Money• Your campaign for presidency will cost you:

– $15,000 per month for campaign manager.– $50,000 for a direct mail fundraising letter to

100,000 people you HOPE will donate to your campaign

– $525,000 for a week’s worth of TV commercials in just in New York!

– $600,000 for telephone bank with operators to make two million calls.

• An average day of campaigning can run to $100,000

Where would you spend your money?

Amount of Attention

Total Spending by Presidential Candidates

Year Total

2008 Predictions over $1 Billion

2004 $717.9 million

2000 $323.1 million

1996 $239.9 million

1992 $192.2 million

1988 $210.7 million

1984 $103.6 million

1980 $92.3 million

1976 $66.9 million

Brief History of Big Spenders• 1800’s big business played major role in elections.

– Steel, oil, banks and railroads.

• 1907 all corporate contributions banned

• 1947 all Union contributions banned– Enter the PAC –more on this later

• 1974 creation of Federal Electing Commission (FEC)– Presidents receive matching funds

• 1976 Congress can limit contributions, but not expenditures

New Laws

• 2002 McCain Feingold Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA)

• Limits Soft Money Donations– Soft Money – anything of value that is given or spent for

federal election purposes outside of federal contribution limits.

• Mailings, get out the vote campaigns, party functions.

– Hard Money – money or anything of value that a political committee receives that satisfies federal contributions limits.

Two ElectionsPrimaries

• Federal Govt will match funds raised – Must agree not to spend more

than $42 mil

• Only if candidate raises $100,000

• Discourage hopeless and frivolous candidates from wasting money.

• Can Reject federal matching funds – Why?

General Election

• Federal Government will match funds.– Must agree not to spend more

than $84.1 mil.

• Only after accepting the nomination of party.

• Cannot spend any previously raised funds.

• Can reject funds.– 2008 is the first time any

candidate has ever rejected these funds!

What can you give• Individuals

– $2000 per election per candidate• primary and general.

• Political Action Committees – $5000 per election per candidate

• primary and general

• Who can’t give– Businesses, Unions and Special Interest Groups.– Foreign countries– Foreign national

• Why not?

• I am not going to ask you to memorize this information I promise it’s just an FYI!

THE MEDIA’S INFLUENCE

Mass Media

• Medium – A means of communication. It transmits some kind of information.– Media is plural of medium.

• Include the means of communication that reach large widely dispersed audiences at one time.

– Mass media are not a part of government or political parties.– Do not exist to influence government.– Do Provide people with political information.– Where people get most of their information!

Television

• Readily available in the late 1940’s.– 1950 – 9% of homes had TV.– 1954 – 60% of homes had TV.– 1960 – 90% of homes had TV.– Today – 99% of homes have TV.

• Major Networks and Cable.• Cable is gaining popularity.

– Fox News, CNN and CSpan

• Principle source of information for 80% of US.

Newspapers

• Original papers carried mostly political news.• ½ of US adults (95 million) read a paper every

day.• Number of papers has been declining for

decades. – Why?• Papers cover stories much more in depth.• Try to present different points of view.

Radio

• Used since the 1920’s.– NBC, CBS and ABC all began as radio stations.

• By 1930’s radios held the role that television holds today.– Still a major source of news and political

information.• Average person hears about 20 hours of radio

a week.

Magazines

• Before television and radio magazines were the ONLY NATIONAL medium.

• Over 10,000 magazines are published in the US Today.– Most are related to a trade such as teachers or

doctors.– Or particular interests such as sports or fashion.

The Internet

• Newest Medium of all!• Full potential is still untapped.• Over 900 million people have access to the

internet.• By 2010 – 80% of the world will have access.• There are problems with legitimacy of

information.

Impact on Politics

• Report and comment on events, issues, problems and personalities.

• Determine what the people will think and talk about.

• Do not tell people what to think – tell people what to think about.

Electoral Politics

• Television has made candidates less dependent on party organizations.

• Allows candidates to appeal directly to the people.

• How voters see a candidate is important.• Image a candidate projects in the media can

effect the outcome of an election.

Campaigns and Media

• News coverage is often brief and condensed into sound bites.– Brief catchy phrases that the media can pick up.

• Strategically placed into speeches.

• Name recognition – candidates try to simply get their names out there.– Incumbent has the upper hand in this.

• Voters can get more information from campaign commercials than the nightly news!

Analyzing News Sources

• Shister asserts that students (citizens) your age “will continue to ignore such traditional news sources in favor of mavericks like Stewart’s The Daily Show” – Do you agree with her? Explain your answer.

• What are some of the promises and limitations of a news broadcast like what you just watched? What makes it a powerful or flawed way to communicate ideas and information?

Propaganda

• Technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual or group behavior.

• Begins with a conclusion and disregards information that doesn’t support.

• Seven major types of propaganda.

Types of Propaganda

• Glittering generalities – First type of ad used in a campaign– Spots designed to introduce a candidate to the

voters. – Positive good first impression– Vague words and phrases that have a positive

effect on the viewer and appeal to a variety of interests

Types of Propaganda

• Testimonial– endorsements from celebrities and other well-

known people.• Bandwagon

– An attempt to convey a sense of momentum and to generate a positive ‘everybody’s doing it so you should too’ mentality.

• Plain folks – an attempt by a candidate to appeal to the

average voter as just ‘one of the people.’

Types of Propaganda

• Mudslinging (attack ads)– Name-calling and or groundless accentuations.– May backfire and create a negative impression.

• Transfer – Popular symbols create a positive connotation.– Negative or controversial symbols to create a negative connotation of

one’s opponent.

• Card Stacking – Use of statistics and the omission of information that is crucial to

drawing an informed and balanced conclusion.

INTEREST GROUPS AND PACSLobbyist, lots of money and fast talkers.

Interest Groups

• A private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitudes of its members.– Pressure groups or special interests.

• Try to influence public policy.• Society is pluralistic – many different views

and ideas. Many different voices to express these.

Examples of Interest Groups

Composition

• Interest Groups are made up of people who join together for some political purpose.– Political Parties are similar in this way.

• Political Parties and Interest Groups differ in three major ways.– In the making of nominations.– Primary focus.

• Parties = who.• Interest groups = what.

– Scope of their interests.

Functions

• Stimulate interest in public affairs.• Developing and pushing policies they favor and

opposing those that are threats.• Represent members on the basis of shared attitudes

– not geography.• Provide useful specialized and detailed information

to the government.• Vehicles for political participation.• Element of the Checks and Balances of government.

Criticisms

• Groups push own interests– not always in the best interest of other Americans.

• Some have too much influence.• Difficult to tell who and how many people groups

are represented by.– Many groups do not actually represent those who

they say that they will.• Some use unjust tactics such as bribery, overt

threats of revenge and heavy-handed uses of money.

Interest Groups and Elections

• Provide funding to candidates through PACs.

• Will not offend opposing political party because will want support.

• Main goal is changing public policy, don’t really care what party is elected.

•Interest groups try to influence the behavior of political parties.•Keep close ties with one of the major parties – hope to eventually secure the support of both.

Lobbying

• How group pressures are brought to bear on all aspects of the law-making process.

• Try to support or block legislation.• Can focus on how laws are interpreted

(judicial) or enforced (executive)• Try to ensure that any favorable information

reaches their target.

Lobbying Continued

• Major techniques are: friendliness, persuasion and helpfulness.

• Make campaign contributions, provide information, write speeches, and draft legislation.

• Are good at what they do.– Must be in order to encourage Senators and

Congressmen to vote a certain way.