CHAPTER 12 POLITICAL PARTIES President Bush and the implementations of his party s platform Party Platforms: Moderate But Different (Table 12.1) 2006 midterm election and the political parties What is a Political Party? political party (1) governmental party (2) organizational party (3) party-in-the-electorate The Evolution of American Party System George Washington s farewell warning end of the brief era of partyless politics in the U.S. American Party History at a Glance (Figure 12.10 Hamilton s Federalists Jefferson Democratic-Republicans Jefferson s attitude toward the party system
The Early Parties Fade Era of Good Feelings fuel for the growth of political parties popular election of Electoral College delegates party membership broadens Democratic Party and Andrew Jackson Whigs Henry Clay and Whig Party Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln Democrats and Republicans: The Golden Age central traits of the Golden Age machines population s desire for important services Boss Tweed The Modern Era government s gradual assumption of key functions of parties
Franklin Roosevelt s New Deal direct primary civil service laws issue-oriented politics ticket-split candidate-centered politics population shift from urban to suburban Realignment party realignment critical elections three tumultuous eras producing significant critical elections (see Figure 12.2) 1) 2) 3) dominant outcome of elections since WWII
recent research suggests partisanship is responsive to Secular Realignment secular realignment prospects of a national realignment Democratic Party shift toward civil rights and social spending The Functions of the American Party System two-party system Mobilizing Support and Gathering Power how party affiliation is helpful to elected leaders coalition GOTV signals of partisan resurgence A Force for Stability and Moderation mechanisms for organizing and containing political change FDR s New Deal coalition white southerners leave the Democratic Party for the GOP in the South
more partisan in Congress Unity, Linkage and Accountability why parties are the glue holding together fragmented U.S. governmental and political apparatus division in government by design of the Federalists basis for mediation and negotiation laterally among the branches of government- basis for mediation and negotiation vertically among national, state and local layers of government party-linkage function how parties dampen sectionalism The Electioneering Function how political parties assist in the great function of elections elections in a democracy can have meaning if what? Party as a Voting and Issue Cue party identification as a perceptual screen party identification as filter for information Policy Formulation and Promotion national party platform
impact and influence of platform Crashing the Party: Minor Parties in the American Two-Party System proportional representation winner-take-all-system effect of the adaptive nature of the two-party system on the growth of third parties in the United States impact of minor parties on American politics roots in sectionalism Dixiecrats Populists Green Party ideology and third parties Bull Moose Party George Wallace and the American Independent Party in 1968 Ross Perot in 1992 Third Parties: Good or Bad for the American Political System?
minor parties in congressional elections when third parties do best two major parties no-opt third party popular issues Party Organization Political Party Organization in American: From Base to Pinnacle (see Figure 12.3)- National Committees Democratic National Committee (DNC) Republican National Committee (RNC) National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) National Democratic Congressional Committee (NDCC) 17 th Amendment and creation of Senate campaign committees for both parties Leadership role of chairperson of the national committee role of the president post-campaign, out-of-power party committee and chairperson National Conventions
national convention television coverage of national conventions ultimate governing body for the party Howard Dean State Localities where are the parties structurally based? what level of government is responsible for virtually all regulation of political parties party leadership comes from what level of government? precinct precinct committee members state central (or executive) committee national party and state party organizations division of powers New Hampshire resists DNC in 2006 effect of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 527 groups
Informal Groups groups affiliated with the parties supportive interest groups and associations think tanks The Transformation of Party Organization Republican versus Democratic fund-raising efforts soft money hard money Republican versus Democratic fund-raising in 2006 midterm elections Political Party Finances (Figure 12.4) network of donors technology and the parties money spent on surveys and data accumulation technological and fund-raising modernization by the Democratic Party
The Party in Government The Congressional Party political parties most visible in Congress; why? party caucus at beginning of each congressional session party leadership selection in Congress party discipline Senate majority leader pork barrel projects limits to coordinated, cohesive party action in Congress the most powerful predictor of congressional roll-call voting Congressional Party Unity Scores, 1959-2005 (Figure 12.5) reasons for recent growth of congressional party unity The Presidential Party significance of political party of the president nonpartisan presidents presidential neglect and personal use of the their party
pro-party presidents The Parties and the Judiciary party affiliation influence on judicial decisions areas where party affiliation is a moderately good predictor of judicial decisions partisanship and elected judges as opposed to appointed judges The Parties and State Government parties and governors governor s influence over state party significance of line-item veto for governor parties and state legislatures the state with a nonpartisan legislature comparison of effects and powers of party affiliation in legislatures versus Congress The Party-in-the-Electorate party-in-the-electorate aspects and influences of party identification Party Identification, 1952-2004
loyalty generated by party label A Purple Electorate? legal institutionalization of the major parties and party identification single greatest influence in establishing a person s first party identification aspects of adult life that influence party identity Group Affiliation Party Identification by Group Affiliation (Table 12.2) geographic region gender race and ethnicity Gender Gap: Men and Women s Vote Choices in the 2004 Presidential Election (Figure 12.6) race and ethnicity age Party Affiliation Among College Students (page 454) social and economic factors
religion marital status ideology Is the Party Over or Has It Just Begun? dealignment rise of independents self-identified Democratic and Republican partisans the two stages pollsters go through when asking for party identification information how independent learners vote much like real partisans importance of partisan affiliation in the community in the past reasons for anti-party attitudes today how voter-admitted partisanship has dropped (despite the underlying partisanship of the American people) has the decline of the parties been exaggerated? strengths of parties in the broad sweep of American parties: 1)
2) 3) 4) 5)