CIS Political Science
Chapter 8
Political Parties
Mr. Makela
St. Clair High School
University of Minnesota

What is a Political Party?
◦ organization that
sponsors
candidates for
political office
◦ Like an interest group,
except sponsors
candidates
Parties’ Roles in a Democracy

Main functions of political parties
 Nominate
candidates
 Minimum
qualifications
 Peer reviews
 Structure
 Reduce
voting choices
number of candidates on review
 Propose
 Government
programs
 Voter choice on policies and candidates
 Coordinate
 Government
official actions
 Help bridge separation of powers
A HISTORY OF U.S. PART Y POLITICS
 The Preparty Period-----before political parties
 Parties were not mentioned in the Constitution
 Parties did not exist in any recognizable form: factions
(interest groups) were a source of concern
 Constitution provided for president and vice president to be
chosen by an electoral college
 Electoral college: a body of electors chosen by voters
to cast ballots for president and vice president
 Electors often met in caucuses: a closed meeting of
the members of a political party to decide questions of
policy and the selection of candidates for office
A HISTORY OF U.S. PART Y POLITICS
 Fir s t Par ty Sys tem : Feder alists and Democratic Republicans
 Election of 1796:
 Federalists, led by John Adams
 Democratic Republicans, led by Jefferson
 Election of 1800:
 Tie for the President (Jefferson/Burr)
 7 days and 36 votes, Jefferson won
 12th Amendment (1804)
 electoral college vote separately for President & V -President
 Election of 1820:
 Federalists no longer exist; Monroe runs unopposed for presidency
 Election of 1824:
 J.Q. Adams loses the popular vote but wins in the House to become president
 Democratic Republicans split into two parties
A HISTORY OF U.S. PART Y
POLITICS
Democrats & Whigs
 Election of 1828
 Democratic party is formed
 First mass election in U.S. history because of voting relaxed requirements
 More states begin to allow voters to choose electors
 Watch video on Election of 1828
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilKbDsRRBs0
 Parties begin holding national conventions in the 1830s
 National convention: a gathering of delegates of a single political party from
across the country to choose candidates for president and vice president and
adopt a party platform
 Party platform: the statement of policies of a national political party
 Whig Party is formed
 1834 formed & 1848 President Zachary Taylor
 Gone by 1856
A HISTORY OF U.S. PART Y POLITICS
 Current Par ty System: Democrats and Republicans
 The Republican party was formed in 1854 in
opposition to slavery
 Critical Elections: elections that produced a sharp change in
patterns of party loyalty among voters and lasting electoral
realignment voting patterns that occurs after a critical election
 Electoral realignment: the change in voting patterns that
occurs after a critical election
 The election of 1860 was the first critical election (Reps
North/Dems South)
A History of U.S. Party Politics
 Eras of Party Dominance Since the Civil War
 Election of 1860 established the twoparty system
 Two-party system: a political system in
which two major political parties
compete for control of the government
 Third party candidates may be more
successful at state or local level
 Voters in a given region (or states) may
strongly favor one party over another
A History of U.S. Party Politics
 Eras of Party Dominance Since the
Civil War
 The balance between the two major
parties at the national level
 A Rough Balance: 1860-1894
 A Republican Majority: 1896 – 1930
 A Democratic Majority: 1932-1964
 A Rough Balance: 1968-Present
 Electoral dealignment: a lessening
of the importance of party loyalties
in voting decisions
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The American Two-Party System
 Minor Parties in America

Types of minor parties


Bolter parties

Splits from existing parties

Tea Party in 2010
Farmer-labor parties

Working class not getting its share
 EX: Minnesota (DFL)

Parties of ideological protest


Attack the establishing parties
Single-issue parties

Prohibition Party in early 20th century
THE AMERICAN TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
 Why a Two-Party System?
Majority representation: the system by which one
office, contested by two or more candidates, is won
by the single candidate who collects the most votes
(U.S. system—we do this)
Proportional representation: the system by which
legislative seats are awarded to a party in proportion
to the vote that party wins in an election (used by
numerous other democracies)
THE AMERICAN TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
 Federal Basis of the Party System
 Party politics on the state and local levels often functions quite
differently than on the national level
Why is that??
 Candidates win state and local offices even when the presidential
candidate is defeated
 Very conservative/liberal districts across the USA
 Party Identification in America
 Party identification: a voter’s sense of psychological attachment to a
party
 A state of mind; may or may not reflect behavior (how one votes)






Conservative
Lean towards the ‘right’
Emphasis on order
Freedom over equality
Lean towards higher
income
Support defense
spending
Republicans





Liberal
Lean towards the ‘left’
Emphasis on equality
Lean towards lower
income
Supports social welfare
Democrats
Four main organizational components
* Watch video on what is a national convention
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfAcyBzyek4
• National Convention
– Every four years
– Nominates presidential
candidate
– Set party platform and rules
• National Committee
– Leaders from state parties
– Serves as steering committees
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
• Congressional party
conferences
– Guides each parties
legislative actions
• Congressional
campaign committees
– Raises funds to support
candidates
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PART Y IDEOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION
 State and Local Party Organizations
Party machines : a
centralized party organization that
dominated local politics by controlling
elections
 Sometimes by illegal means (jobs for
your vote)
 Party Machines ultimately
declined because they were
crippled by the federal
expansion of social services
which had been popular
The Model of Responsible Party Government
 Four principles of responsible party government:
 Parties should present clear and coherent programs to voters
 Voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs
 The winning party should carry out its program once in office
 Voters should hold the governing party responsible at the next
election for executing its program
 Parties seem to be fulfilling the 1st and 3rd principles
 But do voters really pay attention to the 2nd and 4th principles when then cast
their ballots?
End of Chapter 8 PP Notes
• Remember to do your reading with pages 226-257
for this chapter
Sources
Janda Textbook: 10th edition
Dale Anderson: Shakopee HS
Photos: Google Images
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
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