POLS 125POLS 125Political Parties & ElectionsPolitical Parties & Elections

Lib-er-alLib-er-al  [lib-er-uh l][lib-er-uh l] : Open-minded : Open-minded or tolerant, especially free and not or tolerant, especially free and not bound by traditional or conventional bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.ideas, values, etc.

Con-serv-a-tiveCon-serv-a-tive  [kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv][kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv] : : Disposed to preserve existing Disposed to preserve existing conditions, and institutions, or to conditions, and institutions, or to restore traditional ones, and to limit restore traditional ones, and to limit change.change.

What do these terms mean?What do these terms mean?

X

Political IdeologyPolitical Ideology

LIBERALISM:LIBERALISM: A belief in the positive A belief in the positive uses of government to bring about uses of government to bring about justice and equality of opportunity. justice and equality of opportunity.

CONSERVATISM:CONSERVATISM: A belief that limited A belief that limited government ensures order, government ensures order, competitive markets, and personal competitive markets, and personal opportunity.opportunity.

A Working DefinitionA Working Definition

LIBERALLIBERAL CONSERVATIVCONSERVATIVEE

MODERATEMODERATE

Is a single dimension really adequate?Is a single dimension really adequate?

SO

CIA

L P

OLIC

YS

OC

IAL P

OLIC

Y

ECONOMIC POLICYECONOMIC POLICY

Government Control

Government Control

Freedom

Social and political liberals favor

limited government regulation of

individual behavior

Social and political conservatives favor broad government

regulation of individual behavior

Economic conservatives favor fiscal responsibility and limited government involvement in economic policymaking and regulation of business

Economic liberals favor spending and broad

government involvement in economic policymaking and

regulation of business

CONSERVATIVECONSERVATIVE STATISTSTATIST

LIBERTARIANLIBERTARIAN LIBERALLIBERAL

CENTRISTCENTRIST

A Primer on Party FactionsA Primer on Party Factions

““New Democrats”New Democrats” – Centrists who take liberal positions on social – Centrists who take liberal positions on social issues, and conservative positions on economic issues, organized as issues, and conservative positions on economic issues, organized as members of the Democratic Leadership Council (e.g., Bill Clinton)members of the Democratic Leadership Council (e.g., Bill Clinton)

““Blue Dog Democrats”Blue Dog Democrats” – Choked “blue” by the party’s more liberal – Choked “blue” by the party’s more liberal leadership, a group that pushes an agenda of social conservatism leadership, a group that pushes an agenda of social conservatism and fiscal responsibilityand fiscal responsibility

““Boll Weevils”Boll Weevils” – 1980s term for socially conservative southern – 1980s term for socially conservative southern Democrats Democrats

““Dixiecrats”Dixiecrats” – 1950s term for socially conservative southern – 1950s term for socially conservative southern DemocratsDemocrats

““DINOs”DINOs” – Democrats-in-name-only (e.g., Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman) – Democrats-in-name-only (e.g., Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman) ““Progressives”Progressives” – Preferred term for those who find the “L-word” – Preferred term for those who find the “L-word”

(liberal) pejorative(liberal) pejorative

The Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party

A Primer on Party FactionsA Primer on Party Factions

““Rockefeller Republicans”Rockefeller Republicans” – 1970s term for those who were socially – 1970s term for those who were socially liberal, pro-business, and conservative on foreign policy, willing to liberal, pro-business, and conservative on foreign policy, willing to raise taxes instead of running deficits. The social conservatism of the raise taxes instead of running deficits. The social conservatism of the Reagan Revolution pushed them to the left edges of the partyReagan Revolution pushed them to the left edges of the party

““The Mod Squad”The Mod Squad” – Group of moderate, socially liberal U.S. Senators – Group of moderate, socially liberal U.S. Senators (e.g., Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, etc.)(e.g., Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, etc.)

““Gypsy Moths”Gypsy Moths” – Republican moderates from the North East and – Republican moderates from the North East and Midwest, 1980sMidwest, 1980s

““Log Cabin Republicans”Log Cabin Republicans” – Gay, lesbian, and bisexual supporters of the – Gay, lesbian, and bisexual supporters of the Republican PartyRepublican Party

““Neo-Cons”Neo-Cons” – Big government conservatives, foreign policy hawks – Big government conservatives, foreign policy hawks (e.g., Paul Wolfowitz)(e.g., Paul Wolfowitz)

““Pro-Cons”Pro-Cons” – a.k.a. “Progressive Conservatives,” fiscal conservatives, – a.k.a. “Progressive Conservatives,” fiscal conservatives, social moderates, foreign policy eagles (not hawks)social moderates, foreign policy eagles (not hawks)

““RINOs”RINOs” – Republicans-in-name-only (e.g., John McCain, Arlen Specter) – Republicans-in-name-only (e.g., John McCain, Arlen Specter)

The Republican PartyThe Republican Party

SO

CIA

L P

OLIC

YS

OC

IAL P

OLIC

Y

ECONOMIC POLICYECONOMIC POLICY

Government Control

Government Control

Freedom

DLCDemocratic

Party

Republican Party

G.W. Bush?

“Blue Dog” Democrats

“Mod Squad”

Bill ClintonSocial and political liberals favor

limited government regulation of

individual behavior

Social and political conservatives favor broad government

regulation of individual behavior

Economic conservatives favor fiscal responsibility and limited government involvement in economic policymaking and regulation of business

Economic liberals favor spending and broad

government involvement in economic policymaking and

regulation of business

“Pro-Cons”

FOREIGN FOREIGN POLICY?POLICY?

Political Ideology vs. Partisan Political Ideology vs. Partisan IdentificationIdentification

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 70

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strong Democrat

Strong Republican

IndependentExtremely Liberal

Extremely Conservativ

e

Moderate

Percent responding Percent responding

Rebranding the Republican Rebranding the Republican PartyParty

Rebranding the Republican Rebranding the Republican PartyParty

Rebranding the Republican Rebranding the Republican PartyParty

Rebranding the Republican Rebranding the Republican PartyParty

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Perc

ent r

espo

ndin

g

Democrat Republican Independent Apolitical

Source: National Election Studies, various years.

Trends in Partisan Identification, 1952-Trends in Partisan Identification, 1952-20042004

Including “Leaners”Including “Leaners”