Chapter 9 It’s Party Time!!!!!!!!Political Parties

What is a political party? An organized group that seeks to

Win elections Hold public office Operate the government Determine public policy

Parties exist to: Label candidates (Party ID)

Helpful for voters, shorthand… Govern

Congressional rules and organization are based on the 2 party system

Critique party in power Organize election process

Recruit candidates, mobilize voters, info on issues…

What else do they do? Serve as a linkage institution that

connects citizens to government

Why do we have a two party system?

1. Congressional and local elections Winner take all , plurality (as opposed to

proportional: win 20% of votes get 20% of the seats)

single member district (1 candidate per office) 2. Electoral College Names of Democratic and Republican

candidates are automatically placed on ballots 3rd party candidates must obtain a certain #

of signatures to get on the ballot

One / Multiparty systems One party: a single party exercises total

control over whole government China , Iran

Multiparty: a number of parties compete for offices Parties are often based on a few issues ,

illustrating widely differing views on policy France , Italy, Israel

Benefits of political parties Offer clear choices to voters

No need to gather volumes of information on tons of candidates

Eases transition of officials after elections

Weakening of parties (Party De-alignment) Less people identify with single party

More split ticket voting Dem for Pres / Rep for Congress More identify as independent (about 38%)

Organization Parties no longer run the general elections,

less local influence Prior to progressive era parties organized

election, printed ballots, provided incentive for voters to turn out (28 gallons of rum)

Weakening of party identification

Trends in split ticket voting

Parties in US vs. Parties in Europe

US: weaker parties

Federal system: decentralizes party

Regulated by federal and state laws

Candidates picked through primaries, not selected by party leaders

President and Congress elected separately

Presidential appointees

Europe: stronger parties

National government has much more power

Less regulation on parties

People vote more for party than for individual

History of political parties Reading: Due Tomorrow (1/3/13)

Create a chart for each party system with the following information: (there are 6) Dominant party of the time Core beliefs of each party Voting coalitions for each side

Any particular regions? Groups of people?

What caused the change in party systems to occur?

History of the 2 party system Why have there been changes in political

parties? New issues emerge causing new voter

coalitions to be formed :known as Realigning / critical elections

2 types: 1 – parties disappear

Federalist / Whigs 2- coalitions of voters switch party loyalty

1896, 1932, 1968

1st party system: Federalists vs. Democratic Republicans 1796-1816 (DR’s dominate) Starts at the Federal Level: Loose political parties form

in Congress to help pass legislation Federalists = strong Fed gov’t, close relationship with

Brits New England, commercial interests Starts diminishing in power after election of 1800, fades

away after War of 1812 Democratic Republicans = loose coalition organized

against Feds South, agrarian interests Created to defeat Adams in 1796 (he wins) The sole ruling party from 1816-1824: Era of Good Feelings

Really party is dividing

2nd party system emerges because Federalists disappear!!!!!

2nd Party system: Democrats and Whigs 1828-1860 (Dem’s dominate)

Democratic Republicans split to form the Dems and Whigs Dems: South and West, farmers Whigs: North, business interests… loose association of

groups opposed to Jackson Breaks apart due to divisions over slavery

Parties controlled at local level (rather than national level) Nominating conventions, patronage Political participation increases dramatically

Universal white male suffrage

3rd party system emerges because Whigs disappear

3rd party system: Democrats and Republicans 1860-1896 1856: Republicans emerge as a 3rd party to

challenge Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 (slavery allowed in new territories)

Only 3rd party to become a major party Attracted anti-slavery dems and Whigs

Anti-slavery Free market (as opposed to slave labor) Expansion of railroad High tariffRepublicans dominate presidency and Senate, Dems often control the House

3rd party system: Democrats and Republicans 1860-1896

During this era Dems continue to appeal to Southern, agrarian interests, also appeal to urban workers, immigrants, and Catholics…

Election of 1896: WJ Bryan, dem nominee adopts populist platform and alienate many Northern Dems Nativist ideas alienate immigrants Protestant ideology alienates Catholics Free silver alienates urban workers

Realigning because coalition of voters switch partyDems loose key coalitions of voters and realize they can’t just appeal to farmers (as they tried to in 1896)!!!

4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) Republicans win presidency 7 of 9 elections,

control Congress in 15 of 18 elections Start of solid red/ blue divide (although

Republicans dominate North and Democrats dominate the South)

Many election reforms introduced during period ( starts to diminish the power of local parties) Primary / caucus Direct election of Senators Civil Service

4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) 1901-1912: Progressive Republicans prevail

The popularity of progressivism influence the national and local agendas of both parties causing them to espouse similar ideology

1912-1920 (Dems win presidency 2x’s, control Congress 1913-1917) Republican party splits

Progressive republicans: low tariff, regulation of business, progressive income tax, support of the worker…

Conservative “traditional” republicans: high taxes, little gov regulation, support industry…

1920-1932: Conservatives emerge Reps: high tariff, low taxes, little regulation of business

4th party system : Democrats and Republicans 1896-1932 (Reps dominate) Election of 1928: Catholics and immigrants start

to move back to the Democratic Party due to the nomination of Al Smith (wet, Catholic)

Great Depression hits 1929 Continues through Hoovers term, getting worse!!!!!

FDR wins election of 1932: New Deal coalition emerges Catholics, immigrants, Jews, African Americans ,

Urban workers, Dems also keep Southern Whites

5th Party System: Democrats and Republican 1932-1968 (Dems dominate) Dems: keep New Deal coalition Reps: struggle to offer an alternative, many

programs very popular (majoritarian / Social Security) ; division within their party Liberal republicans = supported bigger gov’t and New

Deal ideology but felt republicans could administer programs more efficiently (dominant in Northeast)

conservative republicans = wanted to dismantle much of the New Deal legislation as well as Lower taxes, less gov’t regulation of business, less

federal control

5th Party System: Democrats and Republican 1932-1968 (Dems dominate) Dems coalition breaking by the 1960s

Civil rights legislation ( alienates S. Dems as early as the late 1940s, alienates working class Northern Dems by 1960s)

Johnson’s Great Society ( blue collar / white collar divide)

Vietnam War (alienates young dems and upper class intellectuals)

6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present

What causes it to emerge: Disintegration of the New Deal coalition leaves the door open for Republicans to re-emerge

Characteristics of this era: Congress and the Presidency often controlled by

different parties Red/ Blue states switch: Why? (2 reasons)

1. Nixon and the “Southern Strategy”: 1968 &72 Race becomes more important than class

For the first half of the 20th century, white protestant southern voters were more liberal on every issue than white protestant northern voters, with one exception: race.

Class was more important than race for decades because of poverty. With growing affluence in the 1960s, however, race began to be more important than class.

6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present 2. Reagan (1980) brings religious

conservatives solidly into the Republican party Concentrated more heavily in the South By the election of 1980 the South

becomes solidly republican

6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present Democrats continued to appeal to union

members, upper class intellectuals, racial minorities, and progressives (abortion, gay rights, environmentalism, feminism) Women move in larger numbers into the

Democratic party during this era Republicans appeal to Southern, rural,

white, protestant, wealthier individuals

6th Party System: Divided Government 1968-Present During this time period each party has become more

ideologically distinct Why?

Less party identification by voters (de-alignment) Those who continue to identify are less moderate

Nominating process Must appeal to liberal / conservative activists to secure parties

nomination Activist within parties discourage compromise

If you work across the aisle you’re a “sell out”

Pros: clear alternatives are evident for votersCons: inaction

Party system review 1. What is the only 3rd party to become

a majority party?

Republicans

2. Which political party forms as a loose coalition opposed to Andrew Jackson?

2. Whigs

3. What event lead to the dissolution of the Federalist party?

3. War of 1812

4. What 3 groups of voters did Democrats alienate during the election of 1896, starting the 4th party era?

4. Catholics, immigrants, urban workers

5. Why did Southern Whites begin to flee the democratic party in the 1960s?

5. Democrats pushing Civil Rights legislation

AWESOME graph depicting history of parties http

://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/03/politics-newnation.jpg

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/06/politics-antebellum.jpg

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/09/politics-gildedage.jpg

3rd / minor parties Types:

Ideological: radically different view on government Communist Party Libertarian Party Green Party

Single-issue parties Prohibition Party

Factional / Splinter Parties: break off from existing party Bull Moose Progressives (1912) Dixicrats (1948) American Independent Party (1968)

Economic-protest parties: usually form during economically depressed periods Populists (1892)

What purpose do 3rd / minor parties serve? Often influence platform of major party,

and then die out 1896: Dems/ Populists 1968 & 1972: Reps / American

Independent Party 1992: Dems & Reps / Ross Perot

3rd / minor PartiesCandidate / Party

year % of popular vote

Electoral vote

Ross Perot (Reform Party)

1992 18.9 0

George Wallace

1968 13.5 46

T. Roosevelt 1912 27.4 88

James Weaver

1892 8.5 22

1992: Who voted for Perot?

Impact / importance of 3rd /minor parties Often push a major party to adopt their

ideas Can play the “spoiler role”

Ralph Nader: 2000 / 2% of vote TR: 1912

Why is it difficult for 3rd parties to emerge in Presidential elections? Electoral College

Winner take all Public Financing

Must be a member of a political party Must show broad based support by raising at least $5,000 in

at least 20 states (100,000) Ballot Access: reading Participation in debates

Must meet constitutional requirements Must be on enough state ballots to theoretically win 270 5 separate polling organizations must indicate that the

candidate has a rating of at least 15%

Nominating process History

1st party era: picked by Congress 2nd party era-6th Party era: Nomination

conventions that rely more heavily on party officials than primary results Non-binding primaries Factional / splinter parties more common

1912, 1948, 1968 6th party era: current primary / caucus system

Delegates representing a candidate are chosen during these elections (similar to electoral college)

What is the solution to our era of divided government? Minor Parties? Changes in the electoral system? 7th party system?

What might it look like? Will a Critical issue emerge? Will a Party fade away?

George Washington on political parties: “serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”

Problems?!?