POLITICAL PARTIES

I. Parties-here and abroad

A. Decentralization

1. A party is a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label (party identification)

2. Arenas of politics in which parties exist:

a. In minds of the voters as label

b. Organization recruiting and campaigning for candidates

c. Set of leaders in government

3. American parties have become weaker in all three arenas

a. As label, more independents and more ticket-splitting

b. As set of leaders, organization of Congress less under their control

c. As organization, much weaker since 1960s

B. Reasons for differences with European parties

1. Federal system decentralizes power in U.S.

a. Early on, most people with political jobs worked for state and local government

b. National parties were then coalitions of local parties.

c. As political power becomes more centralized, parties did not do the same

2. Parties closely regulated by state and federal laws

3. Candidates chosen through primaries, not by party leaders, in U.S.

4. President elected separately from Congress

5. Political culture

a. Parties unimportant in life; Americans do not join or pay dues

b. Parties separate from other aspects of life

II. The rise and decline of the political party

A. The Founding (to 1820s)

1. Founders' dislike of parties, viewing them as factions

2. Emergence of Republicans, Federalists: Jefferson vs. Hamilton

a. Loose caucuses of political notables

b. Republicans' success and Federalists' demise

3. No representation of homogeneous economic interests-parties always heterogeneous coalitions

B. The Jacksonians (to Civil War)

1. Political participation a mass phenomenon

a . More voters to reach; by 1932, presidential electors controlled mostly by popular vote

b. Party built from bottom up

c. Abandonment of presidential caucuses

d. Beginning of national party conventions to allow local control

C. The Civil War and sectionalism

1. Jacksonian system unable to survive slavery and sectionalism

2. New Republicans became dominant because of

a. Civil War-Republicans rely on Union pride

b. Bryan's alienation of northern Democrats in 1896

3. Most states one-party

a . Factions emerge in each party

b. Republicans with professional politicians (Old Guard) and progressives (mugwumps)

c. Progressives moved from shifting between parties to attacking partisanship

GILDED AGE –

Gilded Age – unprecedented social, economic, industrial expansion

“Gilded” – because only the very top got money

Also, an era of CORRUPTION – corrupt state governments, massive fraud in cities (Chicago, NYC), political payoffs, gov’t corruption (Ulysses Grant)

In the 1890s, Republicans became POPULIST (Populism – representation of the common person, the working class, the underdog, etc)

Support for the Republicans surged because they were anti-inflation (and it was believed that inflation would reduce the value of your paycheques)

Ex: Boss Tweed’s Tammany Hall

Political bosses emerged, controlling city machines

1. Ward captains turned out voters on election day
2. Jobs handed out as political favors, as were tax breaks and licenses
3. While some machines provided welfare services, opportunities for corruption were great

a. Boss Tweed in New York's Tammany Hall controlled 60,000 jobs. He was arrested, bribed his way out of jail, escaped, re-caught and finally died in jail.

Responsible for 60,000 jobs in City

Motto: “Vote early, and vote often” – used to take the names of dead people

Political machines are dying out – but one still exists

Nassau County – Republican Political Machine

The political machine consisted of three elements: part bosses or a county committee, which governed the party, machine and controlled the politicians; election district captains who mobilized and organized support at the neighborhood level; and party loyalists who supported the machine with votes and financial support in return for jobs, favors and help provided by bosses and election district captains.

The Republican Party of Nassau County, New York, for example, retains control of more than 20,000 patronage jobs in the county.

D. The era of reform

1. Progressive push measures to curtail parties

a. Primary elections and direct elections of Senators

b. Nonpartisan elections at city and (sometimes) state level

c. No party-business alliances-corrupting

d. Strict voter registration requirements

e. Civil service reform

f. Initiative and referendum

2. Effects

a. Reduction in worst form of political corruption

b. Weakening of all political parties

III. The national party structure today

A. Parties similar on paper

1. National convention ultimate power; nominate presidential candidate

2. National committee composed of delegates from states manages affairs between conventions

3. Congressional campaign committees

4. National chair manages daily work

B. Party structure diverges in late 1960s

1. RNC moves to bureaucratic structure; a well-financed party devoted to electing its candidates

2. Democrats move to factionalized structure to redistribute power

3. RNC uses computerized mailing lists to raise money

a. Money used to provide services to candidates

4. DNC adopted same techniques, with some success

5. DNC and RNC send money to state parties, to sidestep federal spending limits

6. RNC now tries to help state and local organizations

7. Democrats remain a collection of feuding factions

C. National conventions

1. National committee sets time and place; issues call setting number of delegates for each state

2. Formulas used to allocate delegates

a. Democrats shift formula away from South, to North and West

b. Republicans shift formula from East to South and Southwest

c. Result: Democrats move left, Republicans right

3. Democrat formula rewards large states; and Republican rewards loyal states

4. Democrats set new rules

a. In 1970s, rules changed to weaken local party leaders and increase influence of women, youth, minorities

b. Hunt Commission in 1981 increases influence of elected officials and makes convention more deliberative

5. Consequence of reforms: parties represent different sets of upper-middle class voters

a. Republicans represent traditional middle class-more conservative

b. Democrats represent new class-more liberal

c. Democrats hurt since traditional middle class closer in opinions to most citizens

6. To become more competitive, Democrats adopt rule changes

a. In 1988, number of superdelegates increased while special interest caucuses decreased

b. In 1992, three rules:

(1) Winner-reward system of delegate distribution banned

(2) Proportional representation implemented

(3) States that violate rules penalized

7. Conventions today only ratify choices made in primaries

IV. State and local parties

A. State-level structure

1. State central committee

2. County committee

3. Various local committees

4. Distribution of power varies with state

B . The machine

1. Recruitment via tangible incentives (money, jobs, political favors)

2. High degree of leadership control

3. Abuses

a. Gradually controlled by reforms

b. Machines continued until voter demographics and federal programs changed

4. Machines both self-serving and public-regarding

5. New machines a blend of old machine and ideological party traits

C. Ideological parties--extreme opposite to machine

1. Principle above all else so contentious and factionalized

2. Usually outside Democratic and Republican parties-third parties

3. But some local reform clubs in 1950s and 1960s

4. Reform clubs replaced by social movements with specific demands

D. Solidary Groups

1. Most common form of party organization

2. Members motivated by solidary incentives (companionship)

3. Advantage: neither corrupt nor inflexible

4. Disadvantage: not very hard working

E. Sponsored parties

1. Created or sustained by another organization

2. Example: Detroit Democrats controlled by United Auto Workers (UAW) union

3. Not very common in U.S.

F. Personal following

1. Examples: Kennedys (MA), Talmadges (GA), Longs (LA), Byrds (VA)

V. The two-party system

A. Rarity among nations today

B . Evenly balanced nationally, not locally

C. Why such a permanent feature?

1 . Electoral system-winner-take-all and plurality system

2. Opinions of voters-two broad coalitions work, although times of bitter dissent

3. State laws have made it very difficult for third parties to get on the ballot

VI. Minor parties

A. Ideological parties--comprehensive, radical view; most enduring

Examples: Socialist, Communist, Libertarian

B. One-issue parties-address one concern, avoid others

Examples: Free Soil, Know-Nothing, Prohibition

C. Economic protest parties-regional, protest economic conditions

Examples: Greenback, Populist

D. Factional parties-from split in a major party

Examples: Bull Moose, Henry Wallace, American Independent

E. Movements not producing parties; either slim chance of success or parties accommodate via direct primary and national party convention

Examples: civil rights, antiwar, labor

F. Factional parties have had greatest influence

G. Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996

VII. Nominating a president -By tradition, the party "out of power"-the one not holding the presidency-holds its convention first.

A. Two contrary forces: party's desire to win motivates it to seek an appealing candidate, but its desire to keep dissidents in party forces a compromise with more extreme views

B . Are the delegates representative of the voters?

1. Democratic delegates much more liberal

2. Republican delegates much more conservative

3. Explanation of this disparity?

a. Not quota rules alone-women, youth, minorities have greater diversity of opinion than do the delegates

C. Who votes in primaries?

1. Primaries now more numerous and more decisive

a. Stevenson (1952) and Humphrey (1968) won the presidential nomination without entering any primaries

b. By 1992: forty primaries and twenty caucuses (some states with both)

2. Little ideological difference between primary voters and rank-and-file party voters

3. Caucus: meeting of party followers at which delegates are picked

a. Only most dedicated partisans attend

b. Often choose most ideological candidate: Jackson, Robertson in 1988

D. Who are the new delegates?

1. However chosen, today's delegates are issue-oriented activists

2. Advantages of new system

a. Increased chance for activists within party

b. Decreased probability of their bolting the party

3. Disadvantage: may nominate presidential candidates unacceptable to voters or rank and file

VIII. Parties versus voters

A. Democrats: have won more congressional elections than presidential contests

1. Candidates are out of step with average voters on social and taxation issues (hmm.. rather strange assertion here! Clinton has a 70% aqpproval rating!)

2. So are delegates ... and there's a connection

B. Republicans had same problem with Goldwater (1964)

C. Rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans differ on many political issues

1. But differences are usually small

D. Delegates from two parties differ widely on these same issues

1. Delegates (and candidates) need to correspond with views of average citizens

2. But candidates must often play to the ideological extremes to win delegate support.

Electoral and Party Systems Section introduction The U.S. traditionally has had a two-party system: Federalists vs. Jeffersonian Republicans Whigs vs. Democrats Republicans vs. Democrats Most democracies have multiparty system, in which three or more parties have the capacity to gain control of government, separately or in a coalition The Single-Member-District System of Election The nation chooses its officials through plurality voting in single-member districts, which discourages minor parties Each constituency elects a single candidate to particular office, such as U.S. Senator or representative By comparison, most European democracies use some form of proportional representation, in which seats in the legislature are allocated according to a party's share of the popular vote Policies and Coalitions in the Two-Party System Seeking the Center The two parties stay close to center of political spectrum (shifts are costly) The true balance of power in American elections rests with America's pragmatic and moderate voters Nonetheless, the Republican and Democratic parties do offer somewhat different alternatives, an at times a clear choice Roosevelt vs. Hoover Johnson vs. Goldwater Reagan vs. Carter Public opinion is the critical element in partisan change Party Coalitions The groups and interests supportive of a party are collectively referred to as the party coalition European parties tend to divide along class lines American parties: Broad range of interest Since the 1930's, the major policy differences between the Republicans and the Democrats have involved the national government's role in solving social and economic problems The Democratic party's biggest gains recently have been with women The Republican coalition consists mainly of white middle-class Protestants The GOP has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians The differences in the party coalitions was clearly evident in the 2000 presidential vote Women, minorities, and lower-income Americans cast a majority of their votes for the Democratic nominee Al Gore Men, whites, and higher-income Americans aligned primarily with Republican nominee George W. Bush The larger a party becomes, the greater is the likelihood that conflict among the groups within it will occur Minor Parties Section Introduction Only one minor party, the Republican party , has ever achieved majority status Minor parties in the U.S. have formed largely to advocate positions that their followers believe are not being adequately represented by either of the two major parties Single-Issue Parties Right-to-Life Party Prohibition Party Single-issue parties usually disband when their issue is favorably resolved or fades in importance Factional Parties Factional conflict within the major parties has led to the formation of minor parties The Bull Moose party The States' Rights party Deep divisions within a party can lead to a change in its coaliton Ideological Parties Other parties are characterized by their ideological commitment, or a belief in a broad and radical philosophical position Modern day ideological parties Citizens party Socialist Workers party Libertarian party One of the strongest ideological parties in the nation's history was the Progressive party The strongest minor party today is the Green party Before the 2000 presidential election the strongest minor party was the Reform party Are Conditions Ripe for a Strong Third Party? The Perot and Nader candidacies are the first substantial third-party presidential candidacies in a quarter-century The U.S. electoral system frustrates smaller parties There is no powerful issue on the horizon that could serve as a rallying point for a strong third-party movement Although, 30 percent of Americans, surveyed in 2000, believe a third party is needed

Party Organizations The Weakening of Party Organizations Nomination Until the early twentieth century, nomination s were entirely the responsibility of party organizations Progressives argued for nominating primaries Primaries are the severest impediment imaginable to the strength of the party organizations Different types of primaries closed primaries open primaries blanket primaries Party organizations also lost influence over elections because of a decline in patronage In the process of taking control of nominations, candidates have also acquired control of most campaign money In Europe, there are no primaries The Structure and Role of Party Organizations Section Introduction Although the influence of party organizations has declined, they still provide support: fund-raising polling research media production U.S. parties are loose associations of national, state, and local organizations Local Party Organizations In a sense, U.S. parties are organized from the bottom up, not the top down Local parties tend to be strongest in urban areas in the Northeast and Midwest State Party Organizations At the state level, each party is headed by a central committee made up[ of local party organizations and state officeholders In recent decades the state parties have expanded their budgets and staffs considerably They play a smaller in campaigns for national or local offices National Party Organizations Organizational structure Day-to-day operations Republican National Committee (RNC) Democratic National Committee (DNC) Committee structure Campaign finance laws Soft money limits

Candidate-Centered Campaign Running for Office Seeking Funds: "The Money Chase" High campaign costs force candidates to spend much time raising money Creating Organization: "Hired Guns" "New politics" centered on consultants, pollsters, fundraisers, etc. EMILY's List - fundraising organizations for liberal women candidates Devising Strategy: "Packaging the Candidate" Today, candidates' media images are crucial Going Public: "Air Wars" and "Spin" Candidates use TV ads and appearances and seek to put favorable "spin" on news coverage Internet Politics: "In the Web" Although television is still the principal mechanism of election politics, some observers believe that the Internet may eventually replace it, particularly in congressional races

Parties, Candidates, and the Public's Influence Candidate-centered campaigns Advantages Provide flexibility and new blood to electoral politics Encourage national officeholders to be responsive to local interests Disadvantages Prominent influence of special interests and stress on campaign funding Can degenerate into personality contests and "attack politics" (Robb-North) Blur the connection between campaigning and governing