Ms. Davis
AP Government Chapter 8 Political Parties
America’s constitutional framers feared that political parties could be forums for corruption and
national divisiveness. Political scientist and politicians believe that a strong party system is desirable.
The strength of the parties has an impact on how we are governed and what government does.
The democrats and the republicans differ greatly about the scope of government. Which party controls
the Presidency and whether or not the same party also controls the congress makes a big difference.
Party competition between the Democrats and the Republicans for control of public office provide
Americans with choice. Without choice there would be no democracy.
The Meaning of Party:
Parties try to win elections. Interest groups do not nominate candidates for office although they try to
influence elections. A Political party is a team of men and women who seek to control the governing
apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election. But Party team members do not always agree
and can be describe as a three headed giant.
The party as an organization – has a national office, full time staff, rules bylaws and budgets, maintains
state and local head quarters including precinct leaders, country chairpersons, state chairpersons state
delegates to the national committee and officials in the party’s Washington office. The Political Party
pursues electoral victory.
The party in government – consist of elected officials who call themselves members of the party. The
party members do not always agree with each other on policy issues and are known to put personal
principles or ambition above loyalty to the party leaders. The words of the party leaders personify the
party. To translate promises into policy the work must be done by the government. The main job of
political parties is to link the people to the government and its policies.
Tasks of the Parties
In a large democracy linkage institution inputs from the public are translated into outputs from the
policy makers.
Parties pick candidates – almost no one gets elected without winning a party’s endorsement which is
called a nomination. At first candidates were chosen without voter input. The Progressives led the
charge for primary elections.
Parties run campaigns – The coordinate political campaigns but television makes it possible for
candidates to campaign without party help.
Parties give cues to voters. Image is what the party stands for. Parties articulate policies. Each party
advocates specific policy alternatives.
Parties Coordinate Policymaking
Virtually all major public officials are also party members. When they need support the first place they
look is to their fellow partisans.
Parties, Voters and Policy: The Downs Model
Rational Choice Theory – consequences of purposeful behavior. Voters want to maximize the chance
that their favorites will be adopted by government and parties want to win office. Candidates primarily
use their accomplishments and policy positions to attract voters.
In the American Party System the majority of voters are in the middle of liberal and conservative.
People say there is little difference between Democrats and Republicans. This is because they must
appeal to the majority of voters who are in the middle. However respondents frequently see that
Democrats favor more government programs and Republicans favor less government spending.
In Europe, being a party member means formally joining a political party. In the United States of
America no formalities, only wages. Party images help shape peoples party identification -the self
proclaimed preference for one party or the other. Trend: over the last 5 decades people decline to
identify a party. Most young people identify as independent.
Ticket Splitting is voting for one party for one office and another party for the other office.
Party Organizations: National committees and convention, state party organizations and local party
organizations.
American political parties are decentralized and fragmented. Party organizations have a limited role and
candidates can get elected without the organizations help.
Local Parties
Urban political parties dominated American from 1880s – 1930s. They were called party machines.
Party machines are organizations that depend on rewarding its members in some material fashion.
Patronage – key inducement used by party machine.
Patronage: key inducement used by party machine. A patronage job is awarded for political reasons
rather than merit or competence along. Some patronage jobs were sold to the highest bidder in the late
1890s. Government positions were sold to raise money for the party. This money was used to buy
votes and to line the pockets of the politician. Example: Boss Tweed, New York. (Video Clip of Boss
Tweed)
Urban Machines in Albany, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Kansas depended heavily on ethnic group
support. The survival of party machines can be traced to its ability to limit the scope of reform
legislation. People receiving patronage jobs were expected to deliver 10 votes at election. There were
40,000 patronage city jobs. Progressive reforms that placed jobs under the merit system rather than at
the machines discretion weakened the machines power. Regulations concerning fair bidding on
government contracts also took away much of their ability to reward the party faithful.
The 50 State Party Systems
No two state party systems are exactly alike. There is wide discretion in regulation of party activities.
Closed primaries – must register in advance with party to vote.
Open primaries – can decide which party on the day of the election
Blanket Primary –receive a list of all party candidates to vote for.
General Elections – some ballots are designed to support straight ticket voting.
Some political parties are well organized like Pennsylvania and some are not like California most state
party organizations have permanent head quarters near the state capitols.
The job of the state party is to provide technical services within the context of a candidate centered
campaign.
The National Party Organization
Supreme power in the party is the national convention which meets every four years and writes the
party’s platform and then nominates its candidates for President and Vice President. Keeping the Party
operating between conventions is the job of the National Committee composed of representatives from
states and territories. Each state has a national committee man and woman as delegates. Day to day
activities of the national party are the responsibility of the party’s national chairperson who hires the
staff raises money, pay bills and attends daily duties. Chairman of the party controls the white house.
The Party in Government: Promises and Policies
Each elected official tries to turn campaign promises into action. The Party that has the most control
over government offices will have the most influence in determining who gets what, where, when and
how. What a party has done and will do influences who will join the coalition- a set of individuals and
groups.
Broken Promises – Lyndon Johnson sends Americans to fight in Vietnam, Ronal Regan incurred a huge
national debt, George Bush raises taxes, and Bill Clinton did not reduce taxes for the middle class. There
have been more promises kept then broken. Reagan stepped up defense spending and reduced
spending on social welfare programs, Clinton passed bills supporting family leave and easing voting
registration procedures as well as tightening gun control. Bush delivered major tax cuts for every tax
payer. If parties generally do what they say they will do then party platforms are blueprints for action.
Party Eras in American History
America is a two party system and always has been. There are many minor parties – libertarians,
socialist, reform, and greens. They rarely have a chance of winning office. Throughout American History
one party has been dominant for long periods of time. A majority of voters identify with the party in
power.
Party Eras come as a result of a critical election. Fissures appear in the party coalition, fracture begins,
new issues appear, the electorate is divided, a new coalition is formed and the party is realigned.
Party Realignment is associated with a major trauma, for example, the Civil War or the Great
Depression.
1796 – 1824 – America’s first political party was the Federalist Party. They were poorly organized and
supported by capitalist. They were replaced by the Democratic – Republicans or Jeffersonians who were
supported by agrarian interests.
1828 – 1856 – Democrats v Whigs: This Democrats was a new coalition; Westerners as well as
southerners and new immigrants. Their cause was to broaden political opportunity by eliminating
vestiges of elitism and mobilizing the masses. Van Buren was behind the scenes arguing that one party
could not please all the people all the time and needed a loyal opposition. The Whig Party was its
opposition appealing to the Northern Industrialist and southern planters.
1860s – 1928 – Two Republican Eras – slavery split the Whigs and the Democrats. In Dred Scott the
court ruled that slaves could not be citizens and that former slave could not be protected by the
constitution. Republicans rose in the late 1850s at the antislavery party. 1860 the Republican Party
formed a coalition and elected Abraham Lincoln the Civil War followed.
1896 – The Republicans were challenged by William Jennings Bryan (a populist proponent of free silver)
the movie – the Wizard of Oz was made to depict the battle between Silver and Gold. Followers of
Bryan were accused of being too radical terrifying the country’s conservatives. Republicans continue to
dominate until the Great Depression.
1032 – 1964 – The New Deal – Herbert Hoover, Republican said that the depression could not be cured
by legislative action. Roosevelt promised a New Deal and realignment began. Urban dwellers once
republican became democrats, Franklin Delano Roosevelt supports labor unions and they support him,
Catholics and Jews support democrats, the poor support democrats, southerners continue to support
democrats, and African Americans support democrats. The democratic platform was to help labor,
working class and minorities, and to expand government programs to help the poor, homeless and
minorities. Vietnam tears the Democratic Party apart.
1968 – Present – is the era of party divided. Historically, newly elected Presidents bring their party with
them. Nixon 1968 - republican president, democratic congress. Clinton 1992 briefly restores party
government. Bush 2000 - brief republican control. Dealignment – can cause grid lock. 90% of
Americans say they always vote for the person they believe is the best, regardless of party. They are
expressing party neutrality.
Third Parties- Their impact on American Politics
Occasionally attract the public’s attention. There are three different varieties 1) those that promote
certain causes either controversial or single issue, 2) splinter parties; off shoots of major party and 3)
extension of a popular individual.
Third parties almost never win office, but bring new groups into the electorate, and serve as safety
valves for popular discontent – the Free Soilers were the first antislavery party. The Populist and
Progressives were social reform parties.
George Wallace – American Independents who want tougher laws. Ross Perot wants to decrease the
federal deficit. Ralph Nader environmentalist drew votes away from Gore.
The most obvious consequence of 2 party governance is the moderation of political conflict.
Understanding Political Parties - Democracy and responsible party government – candidates say what
they will do and do it.
Responsible Party Model – candidates present distinct and comprehensive programs for governing;
commitment to program with internal cohesion, majority party must implement its program and accept
responsibility while the minority party must state what they would do differently. American parties are
too decentralized to take a national stand and hold it. Most candidates are self selected. Parties cannot
control who runs under their name. There is no mechanism for the party to discipline office holders and
ensure cohesion in policy making. Decentralized party systems protect individual freedom.
American Political Parties and the Scope of Government
No single party in the US has controlled the government even when it dominated the government.
Is the Party Over?
Parties are no longer the main source of political information, attention and affection. Their rivals are
the media and Interest groups.
Summary – Political Parties are key linkage organizations.