Monroe, Chapter 3 Federalism
Monroe, Chapter 9 (part) Parties
Exam I Wednesday
Friday: Ellis & Nelson, Chpt 10. Party
nominations
I. Political Parties
• Why Parties?
• What do Parties do?
• How do parties resolve problems of "Madisonian
Democracy?"
• Why usually just two main US parties?
A. Parties, defined:
 A group that seeks to elect candidates to office by
supplying them w/ a label
 A broad coalition of interests (factions)
 NOT an interest group (or single faction)
 A Solution to collective action problems
contesting election
promoting policy goals
1) Madison (1780s):
• feared majority “faction” of property owners
• designed constitution to choke parties, not outlaw
irony:
without parties, system might fail
2) E.E. Schattchneider (1950s):
Madison wrong about political parties:
• wrong about how interests are mobilized
• people have many different, cross-cutting interests
• impossible to form unanimous (tyrannical) party
• parties organized around broad, common interests
Law of imperfect mobilization of interests
• diversity of interests = party cant act easily
(kind of like Madison's idea of extended republic)
II. Three General Functions of Political Parties
A. Party in Government
• a set of leaders who control and organize the
institutions of government
• majority “caucus” of people w/ similar goals
• rules of conducting business
• communication between houses
• coordinate activity across levels of government
deal with fragmentation of institutions
requires certain level of discipline over rank and file
party unity
B. Party as Organization / Bureacracy
• machinery dedicated to winning elections
• recruit/nominate candidates to run under label
Conventions, primaries
• develop policy "platform"
• finance campaigns
Republican National Committee
Democratic National Committee
Dem Congressional Campaign Com.
Dem Senatorial Campaign Com.
Republican National Congressional Com.
WA State Dem Central Com.
WA State Republican Party
• supply labor for campaigns
• mobilize supporters
• expand popular base of support
System of rewarding supporters to maintain loyalty
Traditional party organization:
material rewards
patronage/spoils system
Modern party organizations:
Fund campaigns
money laundering machines
C. Party in Electorate
• Facilitates election choices
• brand-name identification in mind of voter
• long-term, socialized loyalty that rarely changes for
voter
• Projecting, filtering
• long-term balance of support for parties
• organizing principle to political behavior
• Staight-ticket voting
what if people have no party loyalties,?
what if loyalties of all in constant flux?
about 65% ID w/ one of major parties
D. Legal Status of Parties
1. Not in Constitution (not banned, not planned)
2. Private actors with self-regulating power
Parties nominate general election candidates
is a “primary” election private or public?
National parties ignore Washington’s Presidential primaries
3. Courts say states have legitimate interest in protecting
a "two party" system
E. Early History
1. Why did parties form?
a) Do business in legislature (late 1700s)
parties put together majority votes on bills
 universalism:
• super-majority on each bill
• distribute stuff to each legislator
 OR, win with 50% + 1
• minimum winning coalition
• costs less, winners get more
• requires organization, discipline
b) Contest elections: (1820s)
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mobilize voters
recruit candidates
raise resources
spread information
to win requires broad-based support
cant pass policies if not in office
F. US Major Party History =
Six Different “Systems” of 2 Party Competition
PARTY SYSTEM as long-term balance of power between 2 parties
• Often one clear majority party, one minority party
• Majority party may dominate for decades…OR,
• Majority and minority change control of government
Each party retains same coalitional base during period
1. First political parties in US
First “party system”= The Jeffersonian Era
Pre-modern parties
Parties as caucuses of elites
 Federalists v. Democratic Republicans (1790-1828)
 Federalists largely gone after 1812
Federalists:
• pro-GB,
• tariffs,
• Bank of US,
• commerce
• Northeast states
Dems Reps (Jefferson):
• France
• agricultural
• popular democracy
• state sovereignty
• South & West
2. Mass-based parties form latter (post 1820s)
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local voter-based organizations
broad slates of candidates for different races
contest local, state, and national races
recruitment, assistance to candidates
• national nominating conventions for President
• 3x more voters in 1828 than 1824
Extension of franchise (Age of Jackson)
not until 1830s
2nd party system Democrats v Whigs (1828-1860)
The Jacksonian Era
Democrats dominant
Origin of 'modern' mass-based parties
Whig coalition =
• “free-soil”
• pro manufacturing
• commerce,
• northern states
• tariff
• infrastructure development
• stronger national powers
Democrat coalition =
• pro slave
• some anti slave
• agricultural
• strong in South
• state sovereignty
• anti-tariff
3rd system = Republicans (GOP) v. Democrats (1860 - 1896)
Reconstruction Era
No clear majority party, Republicans won more
Age of the Urban Party Machines
GOP coalition =
• anti-slave Democrats
• free-soil Whigs
• pro-union (anti-confederacy)
• commercial, industrial
• Southern Blacks
Democratic coalition =
• white Southern
• farmers
• western Populists
• some urban Catholics (more latter)
4th system = Republicans v Democrats (1896 - 1932)
Industrial Republican Era
Republicans dominant
Anti-party reforms adopted
Republicans =
• commercial interests
• Progressive reformers
• Pro gold standard
• East and West
• Protestant
• some urban workers
Democrats =
• agricultural
• Free Silver (west)
• Labor
• Immigrants
• South
Third Parties:
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Populists
Prohibition
Progressives
Socialists
5th system = Democrats v Republicans (1932 - 1968)
New Deal Era
Democrats dominant
Class-based parties
Democrats=
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Republicans =
Labor
Northern blacks,
Southern whites
Catholics
Urban
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commercial
Small business
middle class
Northeast
6th system = Democrats v. Republicans (1972 – today ??)
Divided Government
Rise of ideology
Decline of partisanship?
No majority party until 2008
Democrats=
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Republicans=
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Coastal (east & west)
Urban
Blacks
Ethnic minorities
Public service unions
Rural
White
Protestant
Southern whites
• Mountain west
what long term “balance of power” now?
who is the majority party?
who is the minority party?