Political Parties and Ideology in a Diverse Society Part I

Transcription

1 Plitical Parties and Idelgy in a Diverse Sciety Part I Plitical parties exist t secure respnsible gvernment and t execute the will f the peple. Frm these great tasks bth f the ld parties have turned aside. Instead f instruments t prmte the general welfare they have becme the tls f crrupt interests, which use them impartially t serve their selfish purpses. Behind the stensible gvernment sits enthrned an invisible gvernment wing n allegiance and acknwledging n respnsibility t the peple. T destry this invisible gvernment, t disslve the unhly alliance between crrupt business and crrupt plitics, is the first task f the statesmanship f the day. Teddy Rsevelt

2 What Is A Plitical Party?...a grup f ffice hlders, candidates, activists and vters wh identify with a grup label and seek t elect t public ffice individuals wh run under that label... central institutin f demcratic gvernments...represents the primary cnnectin between rdinary citizens and the public fficials they elect But many peple d nt cnsider plitical parties the heart f demcracy. Many seem t think gvernment wuld be better withut them....cnsists f three separate but related parts: party rganizatin party in gvernment party in the electrate

3 The Rle f Plitical Parties in a Demcracy plitical parties...recruit and run candidates fr public ffice under the party label...try t rganize and crdinate activities f gvernment fficials under the party name Many believe that parties are essential t demcracy.

4 The Rle f Plitical Parties in a Demcracy Parties enhance ppular svereignty and plitical equality by keeping elected fficials respnsive including a brad range f grups stimulating plitical interest ensuring accuntability helping peple make sense f the cmplexity in plitics making gvernment wrk

5 The Rle f Plitical Parties in a Demcracy Parties enhance ppular svereignty and plitical equality by mbilizing supprt and gathering pwer acting as frces fr stability and mderatin prmting unity and linkage enabling vting and issue cues encuraging plicy frmatin and prmtin natinal party platfrm: frmal set f principal gals which are supprted by the plitical party

6 US Demcrats and Republicans unlike parties in ther rich demcracies nt really rganizatins, but rather lse cllectins f grups and individuals n clear chain f cmmand n clear membership requirements n lnger any cntrl ver nminatin f candidates

7 Histry f the Tw-Party System Mst natins have either a ne-party system r a multiparty system. Mst Western demcracies have multiparty systems. Yet in the US, tw parties have dminated the plitical scene since Demcrats and Republicans have cntrlled the Presidency and Cngress since 1860.

8 Histry f the Tw-Party System

9 Histry f the Tw-Party System American plitics has been characterized by a series f stable plitical party eras punctuated by perids f transitin sme sudden, thers mre sustained frm ne party era t anther. The present party system, characterized by near parity between the parties and a large blck f independent vters, is unique in American histry.

10 Histry f the Tw-Party System Plitical change ccurs cnstantly, but the system as a whle remains relatively stable. Occasinally, dramatic events can cause change t ccur quickly. Majr changes in the system are called realignments. Fur stable characteristics describe a party system: the identity f the majr parties the parties relative balance f strength the majr issues the party calitins

11 Histry f the Tw-Party System

12 The First Party System: Federalists vs. Demcratic Republicans The US pineered the mass parties that are cnsidered vital in mdern Eurpe. The Funders were hstile t parties in thery, yet created them almst immediately. The first parties were cmpsed f plitical ntables wh supprted Jeffersn and Hamiltn. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Alexander Hamiltn vs. Thmas Jeffersn and James Madisn Hamiltn s grup preferred a strng central gvernment. Jeffersn s grup (later the Demcratic Republicans) preferred a federal system with mre pwerful states. N brad-based party rganizatins existed n either side t mbilize ppular supprt. Cngressinal factins were primarily gvernmental party factins. Quickly these persnal fllwings became mass parties.

13 The First Party System: Federalists vs. Demcratic Republicans

14 The Secnd Party System: Demcrats vs. Whigs Federalists faded. James Mnre s presidency Era f Gd Feelings: reflected a sense f natinal purpse and a desire fr unity amng Americans in the aftermath f the Naplenic Wars, the cllapse f the Federalist Party and an end t the bitter partisan disputes between it and the dminant Demcratic- Republican Party grwth f newspapers clsely linked t rise f a cmpetitive party system

15 The Secnd Party System: Demcrats vs. Whigs James Mnre s presidency party plitics suspended at natinal level (Mnre: plitical parties are by their very nature incmpatible with free gvernment... gverning is best cnducted by disinterested statesmen acting exclusively in the natinal interest... amalgamatin: end f party warfare and beginning f the "plitics f cnsensus ) expansin f demcracy States mved t chse electrs thrugh ppular electins. Party membership bradened. natinal cnventins emergence f Jacksnian Demcrats and ppsitin party, the Whigs (related t Federalists)

16 The Secnd Party System: Demcrats vs. Whigs 1830s: develpment f strng tw-party system Demcrats (frmerly the Demcratic Republicans) Whigs very different parties frm thse in the first party system... resulted frm a significant demcratizatin f American life The Civil War split the parties int nrthern and suthern wings.

17 The Third Party System: Republicans and Demcrats in Balance frm the Civil War t 1896 Slavery split the Whig supprt acrss sectinal lines. replaced by the Republican Party Jhn C. Fremnt lst in Lincln wn in 1860 with a fragmented vte. Suth slidly fr Demcrats Nt a single suthern state vted fr a Republican president until Nrth fr Republicans

18 The Third Party System: Republicans and Demcrats in Balance Republicans business middle class newly-enfranchised male African-Americans ften referred t as the GOP (Grand Old Party) Demcrats white sutherners nrthern urban wrkers Cathlics

19 The Furth Party System: Republican Dminance the party system f rapid ecnmic and scial change in the late 19 th century: Ecnmic and scial changes fllwing the industrializatin f America psed new prblems fr the plitical system. rise f the Ppulist party: Demcrats reacted t new ecnmic challenges by adpting the Peple s Party (Ppulist) platfrm, initiating ecnmic refrms... Republicans received an infusin f supprt, especially in grwing urban areas. Presidential electin f 1896: Republican Wm McKinley defeated Demcrat-Ppulist Wm Jennings Bryan... ne f mst dramatic and cmplex races in American histry.

20 The Fifth Party System: Demcratic Party Dminance the New Deal System grew frm the crisis f the Great Depressin: Fllwing the Great Depressin and the 1932 electin, a new perid f Demcratic dminance began. Public reacted favrably t Demcratic effrts t deal with the ecnmic cllapse. New Deal calitin: calitin that supprted Franklin D. Rsevelt was frmed, including a variety f grups... New Deal scial welfare plicies further weakened patrnagebased urban party machine, depriving them f their traditinal service functins.

21 The Fifth Party System: Demcratic Party Dminance Scial, plitical, technlgical and gvernmental changes have cntributed t party decline since the 1920s. Gvernment assumed functins f the party. printing ballts, cnducting electins, prviding scial welfare services. 1930s scial services seen as a right, nt a privilege, extended in exchange fr supprt. Flw f immigrants slwed dramatically.

22 The Sixth Party System: Dealignment and Parity In 1968, the New Deal calitin began t deterirate... In 1994, it cllapsed. causes: Demcratic supprt fr civil rights led t the defectin f white sutherners and blue-cllar wrkers. Demcratic supprt fr feminists and gays, as well as a strict separatin f church and state, led t the defectin f religius cnservatives. Demcratic ppsitin t Vietnam War led t defectin f freign plicy hawks.

23 The Sixth Party System: Dealignment and Parity features: n new party has risen (dealignment) near parity between the parties declining party identificatin mre sharply divided views between Republicans and Demcrats Tday, parties are weaker but still very imprtant.

24 Histry f the Tw-Party System

25 Histry f the Tw-Party System

26 Histry f the Tw-Party System parties evlved, changed frm reliable vehicles fr mass participatin in a representative demcracy rchestrated the gradual expansin f suffrage in quest f new supprters sme effrts t cntract electrate suthern Demcrats and black participatin flexible and pragmatic cmpetitive Of the 33 presidential electins frm 1884 t 2012, Republicans have wn 17 and Demcrats 16. bunced back frm landslide defeats Cntemprary parties are starting t stand fr very different pictures f plitical reality.

27 Tw-Party and Multi-Party Systems tw-party system...system in which nly tw majr parties cmpete fr ffice Tw-party systems are in the minrity amng wrld demcracies. Mst demcracies have multi-party systems. electral system...a means f translating ppular vtes int cntrl f public ffices

28 Tw-Party and Multi-Party Systems single-member, simple plurality system (SMSP)...electral system in which the cuntry is divided int gegraphic districts, and the candidates wh win the mst vtes within their districts are elected t the legislature The almst exclusive use f the SMSP electral system in the US is an imprtant part f the explanatin fr the American tw-party system. prprtinal representatin (PR)...electral system in which parties receive a share f seats in the legislature that is prprtinal t the ppular vte they receive... Eurpean demcracies

29 Why a Tw-Party System? US tw-party system unique amng Western demcracies. Why? electral rules multi-member districts vs. single-member districts prprtinal representatin vs. winner-take-all plurality electins Fr example, belw are tw pssible utcmes t Huse electins under the tw systems. current winner-take-all system prprtinal system

30 Why a Tw-Party System? In additin t the SMSP system, ther factrs hurt the develpment f minr parties in the US. plethra f varying state regulatins, including ballt access laws that determine whether and hw a candidate r party can get n the ballt federal campaign finance laws, including ineligibility fr federal campaign funds rules that dictate wh can enter presidential debates lack f media attentin

31 Why a Tw-Party System? In additin t the SMSP system, ther factrs hurt the develpment f minr parties in the US. a significant amunt f paperwrk is required, including huge numbers f petitin signatures Demcrats and Republicans in state legislatures prtect their interests. can t win syndrme: vters wrry that a vte fr a minr party candidate is wasted since he r she is unlikely t win In the winner-take-all system, there s n reward fr secnd place and a minr party has truble winning first.

32 The Rle f Minr Parties in the Tw-Party System Minr parties have played a less-imprtant rle in the US than in virtually any ther demcratic natin. In ur entire histry, nly the Republican party has managed t replace ne f the majr parties. Still minr parties have a tendency t rise with sme regularity in a tw-party system and fulfill sme imprtant rles in the US. articulate and ppularize new ideas that are eventually taken ver by ne r bth majr parties change the utcme f presidential campaigns by changing the utcme f the electral vte

33 The Rle f Minr Parties in the Tw-Party System imprtant rles in the US majr influence n US plicy and plitical debate incrprate alienated grups act as a gadfly: push issues that are being neglected r purpsely excluded frm natinal debate because neither majr party wants t face the plitical criticism that they might bring... Slavery is a perfect example. Minr parties make electral prgress in direct prprtin t the failure f the tw majr parties.

34 Types f Minr Parties ecnmic prtest parties: parties rted in pr ecnmic times, lacking a clear idelgical base, dissatisfied with current cnditins and demanding better times... example: Greenback Party ( ) idelgical parties: parties based n a particular set f beliefs, a cmprehensive view f scial, ecnmic and plitical matters... example: Libertarians single-issue parties: parties that cncentrate n nly ne public plicy matter... party name usually indicates the issue... generally fail t gain vters and eventually fade away... example: Right t Life Party which fcused n abrtin

35 Types f Minr Parties splinter parties: parties that have split away frm ne f the majr parties... mst have frmed arund a strng persnality, mst ften smene wh has failed t win his majr party's presidential nminatin... mst f mre imprtant minr parties have been splinter parties... example: Thedre Rsevelt's Bull Mse Prgressive Party (1912)

36 Minr Parties by Ppular Supprt

37 Cntinued in Plitical Parties and Idelgy in a Diverse Sciety Part II