Political Parties Notes
What is a Political Party?
 Group of people who seek to control gov’t through the winning of
elections and holding of public office
 Major parties
o Democrats = Liberal = Donkey
o Republicans = Conservative = Elephant
 Form vital link b/t people and their gov’t
o Helps people hold the gov’t accountable
 Moderate impact of extremists on both ends of the political spectrum
Political Party Functions:
1. Nominating Candidates – Parties select candidates and present them
to voters
2. Informing and Activating Supporters – By campaigning for
candidates, taking stands on issues, and criticizing the opposition
o Present info and candidates in best possible light = SPIN
3. Bonding Agent Function – Like a bail bondsman
o Ensures the good performance of its candidates and officeholders
4. Governing – gov’t in the U.S. is gov’t by party
o Congress and State legislatures organized on party lines
o Appointments to executive offices are made on the basis of
political party
5. Acting as Watchdog – Especially party out of power
o Criticizes policies and behavior of party in power (party that
controls Executive branch)
Why A Two-Party System?
 Historical Basis – Ratification of Constitution created our 1st two
parties: Federalists & Anti-Federalists
 Tradition – Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system b/c
it’s always been that way
 Electoral System:
o Single Member Districts – only 1 candidate is elected to each
office on the ballot = WINNER TAKE ALL!
o Election law is purposely written to discourage minor parties
 More difficult for minor party candidates to get on ballot
 American Ideological Consensus:
o No major disputes over economic class, social status, religious
beliefs, or national origin
o We agree on a lot of the “major stuff”
o Parties are a lot alike – middle of the road
Other Options:
 Multiparty System
o Common in Europe
o Parties based on common interests or beliefs and govern by
coalition (temporary alliance of several groups who come together
to form a working majority and so to control a gov’t)
 One-Party Systems
o Nearly ALL dictatorships today
Party Membership:
 Democrats = African Americans, Catholics, Jews, Union Members,
Academia, Youth
 Republicans = White Males, Protestants, Business Community
What Determines Your Political Party?
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Family – 2/3 follow party of their parents
Major Events – Civil War, Great Depression
Economic Status - income = Republicans; income = Democrats
Other Factors: Age, where you live, education, work environment
Four Major Party Eras
1800: Jefferson elected
ushering in era of Dem.
domination
Era of Democrats
(1800 - 1860)
1932: Great Depression & FDR
change perception of the
role of gov’t in society
Era of
Republicans
(1860 - 1932)
1860: Lincoln
Start of Civil War and
75 yrs of Republican control
Era of
Democrats
(1932 - 1968)
Era of
Divided Gov't
(1968 present)
Since 1968, neither Reps or Dems
consistently hold Presidency &
Congress is often of the other party
Minor Parties:
1. Ideological Parties – Based on a particular set of beliefs; a comprehensive
view of social, economic, and political matters
 Most Marxist ideas
 Examples: Communist Party, Socialist Party
2. Single-Issue Parties – concentrate on only one public policy matter
 Examples: Prohibition Party, Right to Life Party
 Often major parties adopt their ideas and the party disappears
3. Economic Protest Parties – Parties rooted in poor economic times,
lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and
demanding better times
 Disappear as country pulls out of difficult economic period
4. Splinter Parties – split away from one of the major parties
 Most of the more important minor parties have been splinter parties
 Usually form around a strong personality
 Party collapses when leadership steps aside
 Examples: Bull Moose Progressive Party (T. Roosevelt – 1912),
American Independent Party (George Wallace – 1968)
Roll of Third Parties
1. Spoiler Roll – A strong 3rd party candidate can pull votes from one of the
major parties and affect election outcome
 Example: 2000 – Nader pulling votes away from Gore
2. Critic and Innovator – Draw attention to issues that major parties ignore
or straddle
 Most important roll
 Examples: Progressive income tax, women’s suffrage, old-age pensions
 Frustrating roll to minor party b/c once their issue becomes popular,
major parties claim them as their own & minor party disappears
Party Organization (or lack thereof…):
 Highly decentralized, fragmented, disjointed b/c party is organized on
national, state and local levels = FEDERALISM
 President is automatically the party leader
 Opposition party seldom has one person who can truly be called its
leader
National Party Machinery:
 National Convention – meets summer of every Presidential election
year to nominate party’s President and VP candidates
o Also write party platform – formal statement of basic principles,
stands on major issues, and objectives
 National Committee – Handles party business between conventions
o National Chairperson – leader of the National Committee
 Congressional Campaign Committees – work to re-elect incumbents
and to make sure seats given up by retiring party members remain in
the party
State & Local Party Machinery:
 Structure is set by state law and varies widely
Three Rolls of Party Members:
1. PIG (Party In Government) – party’s officeholders at all levels of gov’t
2. PIE (Party In the Electorate) – party’s loyalists that vote straight party
ticket
3. PO (Party Organization) – leaders and activists that control and run the
party machinery (committee members, precinct chairs, etc…)
Future of Major Parties:
 In decline since late 1960’s
o Growing # of Independents
o Big increase in split-ticket voting (voting for candidates of
different parties for different offices in same election)
o Parties more “open” and allows for disagreement and
disorganization
o Candidates less dependent on party organizations for campaigns
b/c of TV and internet
o PACs (Political Action Committees) – donate $$ to candidates
and makes candidates less dependent on party for $$