Course Description. Course Goals. 1. Gain a better understanding of key concepts and literature on American political parties and politics.

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1 Course Description Department of Political Science POLS 212: American Political Parties and Politics Michael K. Fauntroy, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Political Science 112A Douglass Hall Office Hours Mondays from 2:10pm to 3:30pm, Wednesdays from 2:10pm to 4:30pm, and by appointment This course is dedicated to the intensive analysis of American political parties. This course examines a mix of theoretical and practical issues including: the development of political parties; alignment and realignment; the two-party system and their ideological evolution; minor parties; party behavior in legislatures and the bureaucracy; parties and elections; and the influence of money on party behavior. Course Goals 1. Gain a better understanding of key concepts and literature on American political parties and politics. 2. Develop ability to construct well organized, clearly written, informatively presented, and persuasive arguments on issues related to American political parties and politics. 3. Improve ability to engage in oral debate and dialogue on issues and ideas concerning American political parties and politics. Course Objectives 1. Students will be better, more confident writers and thinkers. 2. Students will analyze critical concepts in a variety of settings. 3. Students will improve their ability to analyze historical and contemporary political events and claims.

2 Instructional Methods This course is part lecture, part seminar. A premium is placed on high quality writing and class participation. You are expected to ask and answer questions and offer informed analysis in class. Please be civil to and respectful of your colleagues when they express opinions with which you disagree. Make sure that your commentary is relevant to the discussion and literature. Textbooks Required John Aldrich, Why Parties? A Second Look, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011). Marjorie Hershey, Party Politics in America, (New York: Pearson, 2012). L. Sandy Maisel, American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007). Please note that numerous journal articles are also included in the required reading. They are accessible online from a variety of databases. I have found JSTOR to be the best source. Recommended Matthew J. Burbank, Ronald J. Hrebenar, and Robert C. Benedict, Parties, Interest Groups, and Political Campaigns, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011). Michael K. Fauntroy, Republicans and the Black Vote, (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008). Michael Hanchard, Party/Politics: Horizons in Black Political Thought, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006). L. Sandy Maisel and Jeffrey Berry, Oxford Handbook on Political Parties and Interest Groups, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010). Howard Reiter and Jeffrey Stonecash, Counter Realignment: Political Change in the Northeastern United States, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011). Hanes Walton, Jr., Black Political Parties: An Historical and Political Analysis, (New York: The Free Press, 1972). Hanes Walton, Jr., Black Republicans: The Politics of the Black and Tans, (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1975). 2

3 Grading Your final grade will reflect your performance in the following areas: 1. Three literature reviews, which will require written assessments of assigned and unassigned readings. See final page of this syllabus for details (75% of your final grade). 2. Informed discussion of assigned reading (15%). 3. Article Presentations (10%). Each student is expected to complete all of the assigned readings for each class session, and be prepared to summarize, offer assessments, or both, of the literature as well as discuss the comments of fellow classmates. Instructions for research paper and literature reviews will be provided. Please Note: For this course, an A grade is reserved for sustained outstanding performance in all aspects of the course writing assignments, class participation, and presentations. A B grade is assigned to those who demonstrate mastery of the course readings and above average performance in all aspects of the course. The grade of C denotes average/marginal performance. D and F grades are unacceptable. A few words on class participation: Class participation encompasses questions and comments that demonstrate knowledge of though not necessarily agreement with assigned course readings or other information that sheds light on a topic relevant to the course. Expert scholars must be able to speak effectively in small groups and to make presentations of their work. The only way to learn these skills is to practice, so students are expected to contribute to discussions and will be required to present summaries of selected readings. I place a heavy emphasis on class participation. Please note that it is likely that a student who earned an A on the writing assignments will end up with a final grade of B if he or she does not regularly participate in class discussions. Class attendance is considered in student assessments. While it is understandable you will occasionally conflict with class times, missing more than two class sessions will make it virtually impossible to earn a grade of A for the course. Missing more than three sessions make a grade of C or lower likely. Policies Laptop Computers: Permissible, though I prefer that you take notes by hand. Mobile Phones: Please respect your colleagues and instructor by turning off your phone before entering the classroom. Extra Credit: No extra credit assignments will be given in this course. Late Submission of Research Papers: All papers should be submitted on time. Any paper 3

4 submitted after the deadline will be penalized one full letter grade (no exceptions). Incomplete Grades: No incomplete grades will be assigned at the end of this semester. Academic Accommodation for a Disability: Howard University is committed to providing an educational environment that is accessible to all students. In accordance with this commitment, students in need of accommodations due to a disability should contact the Office of the Dean for Special Student Services for verification and determination of reasonable accommodations as soon as possible after admission to the University, or at the beginning of each academic semester. Contact the Office for Special Student Services, Howard Center Suite 725, 2225 Georgia Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20059, at for more information. Please notify me within the first two weeks of class if you require such accommodation. Howard University Academic Code of Student Conduct (Revised 2010) Approved by the Board of Trustees, June 29, 2010 Howard University is a community of scholars composed of faculty and students both of whom must hold the pursuit of learning and search for truth in the highest regard. Such regard requires adherence to the goal of unquestionable integrity and honesty in the discharge of teaching and learning responsibilities. Such regard allows no place for academic dishonesty. To better assure the realization of this goal any student enrolled for study at the University may be disciplined for the academic infractions defined below. Definitions of Academic Infractions Academic Cheating any intentional act(s) of dishonesty in the fulfillment of academic course or program requirements. This offense shall include (but is not limited to) utilization of the assistance of any additional individual(s), organization, document, or other aid not specifically and expressly authorized by the instructor or department involved. (Note: This infraction assumes that with the exception of authorized group assignment or group take-home assignments, all course or program assignments shall be completed by an individual student only without any consultation or collaboration with any other individual, organization, or aid.) Plagiarism to take and pass off intentionally as one s own the ideas, writings, etc. of another without attribution (without acknowledging the author). Copy Infringement Copy infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner. 4

5 Administration of the Code This Academic Code of Student Conduct applies in all schools and colleges. In professional schools and colleges that have adopted honor codes, the honor code may supersede this Code. The authority and responsibility for the administration of this Academic Code of Conduct and imposition of any discipline upon any particular student shall vest in the Dean and faculty of the School or College in which the student is enrolled but may be delegated by the faculty to the Dean of the School or College in which the student is enrolled. The Dean shall be assisted in this responsibility by any faculty members and administrative officers in the School or College the Dean shall consider appropriate. Any student accused of an infraction of this Code shall have a right to a limited hearing, as described herein, of the charges against him before a committee of faculty members, at least three in number, none of whom shall be the accuser or witness to the alleged infraction. The committee may be either a standing of the School or College, whose responsibilities are considered appropriate by the Dean to conduct a hearing under this code, or a committee appointed by the Dean for the special purpose of conducting only a particular hearing or all such hearings that may arise during an annual period. The hearing committee shall be chaired by a member designated by the Dean and the chairperson shall have the right to vote in cases of a tie vote. Procedure Any faculty member who has knowledge of an infraction of this Code shall assemble all supporting evidence and identify any additional witnesses to the infraction and make this information known to the Dean of the School or College in which the student is enrolled at least ten (10) business days after the date of the infraction. Upon being notified of an alleged infraction of this Code, the Dean shall, as soon as possible, consider the weight of the assembled evidence and, if the Dean considers the evidence sufficient to warrant further action the dean shall notify the alleged offender of the charge(s) against him/her together with a designation of a hearing time and place where the accused may respond to the charge(s). The hearing date shall be no later than ten (10) business days after notification to the accused of the charge(s) against him/her. The Dean shall similarly notify the hearing committee members of the time and place of the hearing together with identification of the accuser and accused. The limited hearing authorized by this Code is not an adversarial proceeding. Constitutional principles of due process are not applicable to these proceeding. The faculty member concerned shall present the case for the University. Both shall be allowed to present witnesses and evidence in support of their positions concerning the charge(s). However, no legal counsel for either side shall be allowed. The members of the hearing committee may question the accused and the accuser and examine all evidence presented. The standard of proof for the proceeding under this Code shall be the standard of substantial evidence. The proceedings may be tape recorded but will not be transcribed. After the hearing of the charge(s) against the accused, the hearing committee shall, in closed session, 5

6 vote by secret ballot to sustain or reject the charge(s). If the charges are sustained, the committee shall transmit the results and recommendation of the hearing committee to the Dean five (5) business days after the hearing. Upon receipt of the results and recommendations of the hearing committee, the Dean may sustain the recommendation of the Committee concerning the penalty or may reduce or increase the severity of the penalty, and shall, within five (5) business days, notify the student of the Dean s determination. The student may appeal directly to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer or Senior Vice President for Health Sciences (Health Science students) for reconsideration of any disciplinary penalty. The student shall have five (5) business days to make such appeal from date of receipt of notification. After hearing any appeal from a student, the Provost and Chief Academic Officer or Senior Vice President for Health Sciences shall make a decision that shall be communicated to the student within ten (10) business days. This decision shall be final. Penalties The minimum disciplinary penalty imposed upon a student found to have committed an infraction(s) of this Code shall be no credit for the course assignment or examination in which the infraction(s) occurred; however, a more severe penalty, such as failure in the course involved or suspension from the University, may be imposed depending upon the nature and extent of the infraction(s). Additional Thoughts on Plagiarism The profession of scholarship and the intellectual life of a university as well as the field of political science inquiry depend fundamentally on a foundation of trust. Thus any act of plagiarism strikes at the heart of the meaning of the university and the purpose of the Department of Political Science. It constitutes a serious breach of professional ethics and it is unacceptable. Plagiarism is the use of another s words or ideas presented as one s own. It includes, among other things, the use of specific words, ideas, or frameworks that are the product of another s work. Honesty and thoroughness in citing sources is essential to professional accountability and personal responsibility. Appropriate citation is necessary so that arguments, evidence, and claims can be critically examined. Plagiarism is wrong because of the injustice it does to the person whose ideas are stolen. But it is also wrong because it constitutes lying to one s professional colleagues. From a prudential perspective, it is shortsighted and self-defeating, and it can ruin a professional career. 6

7 The following poem offers some food for thought about the importance of politics. It is called Why You Should Be Involved in Politics. Politics and politicians decide the wars you fight the interest you pay the speed you drive the taxes you pay Politics and politicians control the purity of your food the schooling of your children the value of your money the weights and measures you use the floor under your wages Politics and politicians use taxpayer money to hand out subsidies to farmers subsidies to airlines subsidies to oil companies subsidies to magazines and newspapers subsidies to bankers subsidies to builders Politics and politicians protect or destroy your right to speak freely your right to worship freely your right to organize your right to vote Politics and politicians control your life The author of this poem is unknown to me, but his or her words strike at the core of my professional and political interests. There may well be very few things in this world you can do that are not shaped, directly or indirectly, by politics. To sit on the sidelines and not be involved could literally be hazardous to your health. 7

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9 1. Course Overview (January 15) Required Reading Course Outline Marjorie Hershey, Party Politics in America, (New York: Pearson, 2012), Chapters 1 and 16. The Federalist, No. 10. Recommended Reading Wilfred Binkley, American Political Parties: Their Natural History, 4 th Edition, (New York: Knopf, 1962). James Reichley, The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political Parties, (New York: The Free Press, 1992). Maurice Duverger, Political Parties: Their Organization and Activities in the Modern State, (University Paperbacks, 1965). Discussion Questions How do Burke, Downs, Aldrich, Chamber, and Key define political parties? Do we need parties? Are parties good for democracy? What are the three interacting parts of an American political party? What are the responsibilities of political parties? What environmental forces shape party politics? 2. Theories on and Development of Political Parties (January 22, 29, and February 5) Required Reading John Aldrich, Why Parties? A Second Look, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011), Chapters 1-3, 5, and 9. Hershey, Chapter 2. L. Sandy Maisel, American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), Chapters 1 and 2. Gilat Levy, A Model of Political Parties, Journal of Economic Theory, V. 15, pp

10 Austin Ranney, Toward A More Responsible Two-Party System: A Commentary. American Political Science Review, V. 45, pp Ingrid van Biezen, Political Parties as Public Utilities, Party Politics, V. 10, No. 6, pp Recommended Reading Michael K. Fauntroy, Republicans and the Black Vote, (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2007). Howard Reiter, The Study of Political Parties, : The View from the Journals, American Political Science Review, V. 100, No. 4, pp Gerald Stanley, Slavery and the Origins of the Republican Party in California, Southern California Quarterly, V. 60, No. 1, pp Warren Miller and M. Kent Jennings, Parties in Transition: A Longitudinal Study of Party Elites and Party Supporters, (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1986). APSA s Committee on Political Parties, Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System, American Political Science Review, V. 44: Supplement. Julius Turner, Responsible Parties: A Dissent from the Floor, American Political Science Review, V. 45, pp Joseph Schlesinger, The New American Political Party, American Political Science Review, V. 79, No. 4, pp Leon Epstein, Political Parties in the American Mold, (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1986). Discussion Questions Aldrich identifies a number of approaches to the study of American political parties. What are they and how does he describe them? What is Aldrich s theory of political parties? What are collective action problems within government? In which ways were there unstable majorities in the First Congress? What were among the earliest political parties? How does Aldrich assess the changing for of political parties? What were the issues around which the parties formulated their policy positions? How did the Democrats and Republicans come into existence? What causes a two-party system? How does Maisel describe the development of modern parties? 10

11 3. Two-Party Dominance in the U.S. (February 12) Required Reading William Riker, The Two-Party System and Duverger s Law: An Essay on the History of Political Science, American Political Science Review, V. 76, pp Andre Blais and R. K. Carty, The Psychological Impact of Electoral Laws: Measuring Duverger s Elusive Factor, British Journal of Political Science, V. 21, pp Pradeep Chhibber and Ken Kollman, Party Aggregation and the Number of Parties in India and the United States, American Political Science Review, V. 92, pp Recommended Reading Steven Callander, Turnout, Polarization, and Duverger s Law, The Journal of Politics, V. 69, No. 4, pp Byron Shafer, Quiet Revolution: The Strugle for the Democratic Party and the Shaping of Post- Reform Politics, (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1983). Michael Holt, The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999). Josep Colomer, It s Parties That Choose Electoral Systems (Or, Duverger s Laws Upside Down), Political Studies, V. 53, No. 1, pp Discussion Questions Why do the Republicans and Democrats dominate American politics? What circumstances would be necessary to challenge their dominance? What is Duverger s Law and how does it impact the American two-party system? 4. Minor Parties (February 19) Required Reading Paul Abramson, John Aldrich, and Phill Paolino Third-Party and Independent Candidates in American Politics: Wallace, Anderson, and Perot, Political Science Quarterly, V. 110, pp Travis Coan, Jennifer Merolla, Laura Stephenson, and Elizabeth Zechmeister, It s Not Easy Being Green: Minor Party Labels as Heuristic Aids, Political Psychology, V. 29, No. 3, pp

12 Howard Gold, Third- Party Voting in Gubernatorial Elections: A Study of Angus King of Maine and Jesse Ventura of Minnesota, Polity, V. 35, No. 2, pp Howard Gold, Third Party Voting in Presidential Elections: A Study of Perot, Anderson, and Wallace, Political Research Quarterly, V. 48, No. 4, pp Howard Reiter and Julie Walsh, Who Votes for Non-Major-Party Candidates? The Cases of Longley, Sanders, and Weicker, Polity, V. 27, No. 4, pp Recommended Reading Christopher Gilbert, Timothy Johnson, and David Peterson, The Religious Roots of Third Candidate Voting: A Comparison of Anderson, Perot, and Wallace Voters, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, V. 34, No. 4, pp Dean Lacy and Quin Monson, The Origins and Impact of Votes for Third-Party Candidates: A Case Study of the 1998 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election, Political Research Quarterly, V 55, No. 2, pp Geoff Peterson and J. Mark Wrighton, Expressions of Distrust: Third-Party Voting and Cynicism in Government, Political Behavior, V. 20, No. 1, pp Shigeo Hirano, Third Parties, Elections, and Roll-Call Votes: The Populist Party and the Late Nineteenth-Century U. S. Congress, Legislative Studies Quarterly, V. 33, No. 1, pp Steve B. Lem, Conor M. Dowling, Picking Their Spots: Minor Party Candidates in Gubernatorial Elections, Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 3, pp Omar Ali, In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third-Party Movements in the United States, (Columbia: Ohio State University Press, 2008). Donald Green, Third-party Matters: Politics, Presidents, and Third Parties in American History, (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2010). Steven J. Rosenstone, Roy L. Behr, Edward H. Lazarus, Third Parties in American Politics, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996). J. David Gillespie, Politics at the Periphery: Third Parties in Two-Party America, (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1993). J. David Gillespie, Challengers to Duopoly: Why Third Parties Matter in American Two-Party Politics, (University of South Carolina Press, 2012). 12

13 Scot Schraufnagel, Third Party Blues: The Truth and Consequences of Two-Party Dominance, (New York: Routledge, 2011). Discussion Questions Why do minor parties remain minor? To what extent do the Democrats and Republicans prevent minor party growth? What connections can be drawn between distrust in government and support for a third-party candidate? Why do third-party candidates do well in some elections and poorly in others? 5. Party Organization (February 26) Required Reading Hershey, Chapters 3-5. Maisel, Chapter 3. Recommended Reading Edmond Costantini and Linda Valent, The Motives-Ideology Connection Among Political Party Activists, Political Psychology, V. 17, No. 3, pp Leon Epstein, Political Parties in the American Mold, (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1986) V.O. Key, Jr., Politics, Parties, and Pressure Groups, (New York: Crowell, 1964) Samuel Eldersveld, Political Parties: A Behavioral Analysis, (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1964) M. Craig Brown and Charles Halaby, Machine Politics in America, , Journal of Interdisciplinary History, V. 17, pp David Mayhew, Placing Parties in American Politics, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986) Sidney Milkis, The President and the Parties, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993) Paul Herrnson, Party Campaigning in the 1980s, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988). Paul Herrnson, Do Parties Make a Difference? The Role of Party Organizations in Congressional Elections, Journal of Politics, V. 48, pp

14 Marty Cohen, David Karol, Hans Noel, and John Zaller, The Party Decides, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008). Geoffrey Layman, Thomas Carsey, John Green, Richard Herrera, and Rosalyn Cooperman, Activists and Conflict Extension in American Party Politics, American Political Science Rev iew, V. 104, pp John Bruce, John Clark, and John Kessel, Advocacy Politics in Presidential Parties, American Political Science Review, V. 85, pp John Frendreis, James Gibson, and Laura Vertz, The Electoral Relevance of Local Party Organizations, American Political Science Review, V. 84, pp James Gibson, Cornelius Cotter, John Bibby, and Robert Huckshorn, Whither the Local Parties? American Journal of Political Science, V. 29, pp Discussion Questions What were machines and what is your assessment of them as a reflection of party organizational strength? What are the key points that Hershey makes regarding state parties? What have been the two paths to power taken by the Democrats and Republicans? What is the impact of stronger national parties on state party behavior? What draws people into party activity? What kinds of people become party activists? How does Maisel describe national party organizations? 6. Party Evolution and Realignment (March 5 and 12) Required Reading Aldrich, Chapters 6 and 8. Hershey, Chapter 7 Thomas Brunell and Bernard Grofman, Explaining Divided U.S. Senate Delegations, : A Realignment Approach, American Political Science Review, V. 92, pp Kara Lindaman and Donald Haider-Markel, Issue Evolution, Political Parties, and the Culture Wars, Political Research Quarterly, V. 55, No. 1, pp Gary Miller and Norman Schofield, Activists and Partisan Realignment in the United States, American Political Science Review, V. 97, No. 2, p

15 The Whig Party in the South, The William and Mary Quarterly, V 23, No. 1, pp Recommended Reading Vanessa Williamson, Theda Skocpol, John Coggin, The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism, Perspectives on Politics, V. 9, No. 1, pp John Sacher, The Sudden Collapse of the Louisiana Whig Party, The Journal of Southern History, V. 65, No. 2, pp David Lublin, The Republican South: Democratization and Partisan Change, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004). Arthur Paulson, Realignment and Party Revival: Understanding Electoral Politics at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century, (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2000). John Petrocik, Realignment: New Party Coalitions and the Nationalization of the South, Journal of Politics, V. 49, pp V.O. Key, Secular Realignment and the Party System, Journal of Politics, V. 21, pp John Petrocik, Realignment: New Party Coalitions and the Nationalization of the South, Journal of Politics, V. 49, pp Kara Lindaman and Donald Haider-Markel, Issue Evolution, Political Parties, and the Culture Wars, Political Research Quarterly, V. 55, No. 1, pp Howard Reiter and Jeffrey Stonecash, Counter Realignment: Political Change in the Northeastern United States, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011). Byron Shafer, Bifurcated Politics: Evolution and Reform in the National Party Convention, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1988). John Kenneth White and Matthew Kerbel, Party On! Political Parties from Hamilton and Jefferson to Today s Networked Age, (Boulder: Paradigm Press, 2012). James Gibson, Cornelius Cotter, John Bibby, and Robert Huckshorn, Whither the Local Parties? American Journal of Political Science, V. 29, pp Everett Carll Ladd, 1996 Vote: The No Majority Realignment Continues, Political Science Quarterly, V. 112, pp

16 Discussion Questions What are among the most important points to understand regarding the party-in-elections? How have the ideological positions of the Republicans and Democrats evolved? Why? Why do some parties go out of business? What are the notable features of the first five party systems? What are among the social bases of party coalitions? How did the sixth party system emerge? 7. Parties in Government (March 26) Required Reading Aldrich, Chapter 7. Hershey, Chapters Jean-Phillippe Therien and Alain Noel, Political Parties and Foreign Aid, American Political Science Review, V. 94, No. 1, pp Keith Krehbiel, Adam Meirowitz, and Thomas Romer, Parties in Elections, Parties in Government, and Partisan Bias, Political Analysis, V. 13, pp Steven Levitt and James Snyder, Political Parties and the Distribution of Federal Outlays, American Journal of Political Science, V. 39, pp W. Robert Reed, Democrats, Republicans, and Taxes: Evidence that Political Parties Matter, Journal of Public Economics, V. 90, pp Sean Theriault, Party Polarization in the U.S. Congress: Member Replacement and Member Adaptation, Party Politics V. 12, No. 4, pp Recommended Reading Melissa Collie, Universalism and the Parties in the U.S. House of Representatives, , American Journal of Political Science, V. 32, pp Gerald Wright and Brian Schaffner, The Influence of Party: Evidence from the State Legislatures, American Political Science Review, V. 96, No. 2, pp Nolan McCarty, Keith Poole, and Howard Rosenthal, The Hunt for Party Discipline in Congress, American Political Science Review, V. 95, No. 3, pp

17 Robert Erickson, Gerald Wright, and John McIver, Political Parties, Public Opinion, and State Policy in the United States, American Political Science Review, V. 83, pp David Primo and James Snyder, Party Strength, the Personal Vote, and Government Spending, American Journal of Political Science, V. 54, pp Joseph Harrington, The Role of Party Reputation in the Formation of Policy, Journal of Public Economics, V. 49, pp Jonathan Woon and Jeremy Pope, Made in Congress? Testing the Electoral Implications of Party Ideological Brand Names, Journal of Politics, V. 70, pp Steven Levitt, How Do Senators Votes? Disentangling the Role of Voter Preferences, Party Affiliation, and Senator Ideology, American Economic Review, V. 86, pp James Snyder and Tim Groseclose, Estimating Party Influence on Congressional Roll-Call Voting, American Journal of Political Science, V. 44, pp Stephen Ansolabehere, James Snyder, and Charles Stewart, The Effects of Party and Preferences on Congressional Roll Call Voting, Legislative Studies Quarterly, V. 26 pp Gary King and Michael Laver, Party Platforms, Mandates and Government Spending, American Political Science Review, V. 87, No. 3, pp John Coleman and Paul Manna, Above the Fray? The Use of Party System References in Presidential Rhetoric, Presidential Studies Quarterly, V. 37, No. 3, pp Gerald Wright and Brian Schaffner, The Influence of Party: Evidence from the State Legislatures, American Political Science Review, V. 96, No. 3, pp Discussion Questions How are parties organized in Congress? What are among the various theories of legislatures and political parties? What impact did the Gingrich Revolution have on congressional party behavior? How does Hershey measure party influence on legislative voting? How do parties influence the bureaucracy? How do parties influence the judiciary 17

18 8. Parties, Elections, and the Electorate (April 2 and 9) Required Reading Hershey, Chapters 6 and Maisel, Chapters 4-7. Amy Bridges and Richard Kronick, Writing the Rules to Win the Game, Urban Affairs V. 34, No. 5, pp Review, Recommended Reading Victoria DeFrancesco Soto and Jennifer Merolla, Vota por tu Futuro: Partisan Mobilization of Latino Voters in 2000 Presidential Election, Political Behavior, V. 28, No. 4, pp Cherie D. Maestas, L. Sandy Maisel and Walter J. Stone, National Party Efforts to Recruit State Legislators to Run for the U.S. House, Legislative Studies Quarterly, V. 30, No. 2, pp Gian Vittorio Caprara, Claudio Barbaranelli and Philip G. Zimbardo, Personality Profiles and Political Parties, Political Psychology, V. 20, No. 1, pp Morris Fiorina, Parties and Partisanship: A 40-Year Retrospective, Political Behavior, V. 24, No. 2, pp Joseph Schlesinger, Political Parties and the Winning of Office, (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1991). Geoffrey Layman, Thomas Carsey, John Green, Richard Herrera, and Rosalyn Cooperman, Activists and Conflict Extension in American Party Politics, American Political Science Review, V. 104, pp Gerald Pomper, The Decline of the Party in American Elections, Political Science Quarterly, V. 92, No. 1, pp Brett Clifton, Romancing the GOP: Assessing the Strategies Used by the Christian Coalition to Influence the Republican Party, Party Politics, V. 10, No. 5, pp Jason Berggren, Two Parties, Two Types of Nominees, Two Paths to Winning A Presidential Nomination, , Presidential Studies Quarterly, V. 37, No. 2, pp Wendy Rahn, The Role of Partisan Stereotypes in Information Processing About Political Candidates, American Journal of Political Science, V. 37, pp

19 James McCann, Ronald Rapoport, and Walter Stone, Heeding the Call: An Assessment of Mobilization into H. Ross Perot s 1992 Presidential Campaign, American Journal of Political Science, V. 43, pp Milton Lodge and Ruth Hamill, A Partisan Schema for Political Information Processing, American Political Science Review, V. 80, pp Jeffrey Koch, When Parties and Candidates Collide: Citizen Perception of House Candidate Positions on Abortion, Public Opinion Quarterly, V. 65, pp Michael Malbin, Political Parties Under the Post-McConnell Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, Election Law Journal, V. 3, No. 2, pp Jeffrey Grynaviski, A Bayesian Learning Model with Applications to Party Identification, Journal of Theoretical Politics, V. 18, no David Plotke, Party Reform as Failed Democratic Renewal in the United States, , Studies in American Political Development, V. 10, pp James Snyder and Michael Ting, Roll Calls, Party Labels, and Elections, Political Analysis, V. 11, pp John Frendreis, James Gibson, and Laura Vertz, The Electoral Relevance of Local Party Organizations, American Political Science Review, V. 84, pp Everett Carll Ladd, Party Reform and the Public Interest, Political Science Quarterly, V. 101, pp Robert Huckfeldt and John Sprague, Political Parties and Electoral Mobilization: Political Structure, Social Structure, and the Party Canvass, American Political Science Review, V. 86, pp Ian Budge and Michael McDonald, Choices Parties Define: Policy Alternatives in Representative Elections, , Party Politics, V. 12, No. 4, pp John Bruce, John Clark, and John Kessel, Advocacy Politics in Presidential Parties, American Political Science Review, V. 85, pp Discussion Questions What are the arguments for and against the notion that campaigns make a difference in voter behavior? What shapes an individuals party identification? 19

20 How has the national electorate s party identification changed over the years? Why does Hershey see independent voters as a myth? What is Hershey s analyst of voting rights for African American voters? Why is American voter turnout generally low? What are the different types of primaries and how do they effect electoral outcomes? What is the invisible primary and what is its importance? What are the key features of party conventions? How have they evolved overtime? What are the three ways in which the party in the electorate is analyzed? What alternatives to the Electoral College does Maisel identify? Which kinds of election laws discourage electoral participation? 9. Money and Parties (April 16 and 23) Required Reading Hershey, Chapter 12. Jeffrey Stonecash and Sara Keith, Maintaining a Political Party: Providing and Withdrawing Party Campaign Funds, Party Politics, V. 2, p Stephen Ansolabehere, James Snyder, and Michiko Ueda, Did Firms Profit from Soft Money? Election Law Journal, V. 3, pp Stephen Ansolabehere, James Snyder, Money and Institutional Power, Texas Law Review, V. 77, No. 7, pp Recommended Reading Thomas Romer and James Snyder, An Empirical Investigation of the Dynamics of PAC Contributions, American Journal of Political Science, V. 38, pp Discussion Questions What explains the grown in campaign spending? From where does the campaign funds come? What is the impact of all the spending? What attempts have been made to reform campaign finance rules? What loopholes still exist? What is McCain-Feingold? 20

21 American Political Parties and Politics Literature Review Assignment What? You are to prepare a review of important literature on American political parties and politics. The literature must be in book or journal form (no blogs, newspaper, or magazine articles). Each review should explore at least one book and five journal articles. While you are not obligated to do so, I encourage you to consider the citations in the recommended readings section of your syllabus. Items in the required readings section cannot be used for these reviews. While you are free to choose which area you will review each month, please be sure to talk with me as you begin preparing each document. We need to be on the same page regarding what is considered important literature. Each review should not exceed 12 pages. The first review will examine the literature on one of the following areas: theories on and the development of American political parties or two-party dominance in the U.S. The second review will examine the literature on one of the following areas: minor parties; party organization; and party evolution and realignment. The third review will examine the literature on one of the following areas: parties in government; parties, elections, and the electorate; and money and politics. Why? To more deeply immerse you the extant literature on American political parties and politics. To prepare students for a portion of their comprehensive examinations. To give students training on how to prepare the literature review section of the dissertation or master s thesis. To identify possible voids in the literature that present opportunities for your own research and publishing When? The first review is due not later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, February 12. The second review is due not later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, March 19 The third review is due not later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, April 23 21