Political
Parties
Lecture
7-1
What
is a political party
•
A political party is an organization that seeks
to influence public policy by putting its own members into positions of
governmental authority
•
It is in this way that parties differ from large
interest groups
What
do parties do? electoral functions include
•
Groups of like-minded people tend to pull
together around candidates whose positions on issues coincide with their own
political needs
•
The set of alternatives voters can pick from is
simplified
What
do parties do? electoral functions
include
•
The parties complement the legally established
process for choosing public officials
•
Parties are a prime means of recruiting and
training political leaders
What
do parties do? Governmental functions
include
•
Parties give coherence to governmental policy
•
Parties help to make governmental responsible to
the people
How
the American Party System Developed
Federalists
and Antifederalists (1789-1824)
•
American history has been divided into five
major party systems, with the possibility that America has recently entered
into a sixth
•
Each party system has evolved from its
predecessor in a period called realignment
Federalists
and Antifederalists (1789-1824)
•
The Antifederalists favored more
decentralization of power among the states and less government involvement in
the economy.
•
The Antifederalists soon came to be called
Democratic Republicans
Democrats
and Whigs (1824 - 1860)
• The
Democratic party evolved from the Democratic Republican party under the
leadership of Andrew Jackson and spoke for the “common people” against the
economic pressures they were facing
• The
Whig party drew from the federalists the vision of a nation modernized by
government-encouraged commerce.
Democrats
and Whigs (1824-1860)
•
The Whig
party was the party of successful people and “good, clean” government.
•
Slavery as an issue undid the Whig-Democratic
alignment
Democrats
and Republicans in close competition (1860-1896
•
The Republican party took a strong antislavery
stance and drew on the Federalist and Whig legacies of government as a promoter
of commerce
•
The Democrats after the Civil War competed
vigorously with the Republicans, with both parties vying for the electoral
support of business
Republican
ascendancy (1896-1932)
•
The Republican party dominated the fourth party
system
•
In opposition were the populists, who merged
with the Democratic party, and the Progressives
Democratic
Ascendancy (1932-1968)
•
The Great Depression brought Republican
ascendancy to an end
•
Democratic programs of social welfare became established and
persisted through later administrations, including Republican one.
A
Sixth Party System? (1968-1990)
•
By the
late 1960's, the Roosevelt-inspired Democratic coalition was wakening
•
Differences between the Democrats and Republicans were not as
great as before since many Republican accepted the social welfare programs
instituted during the 1930's
A
Sixth Party System? (1968-1990)
• Each
party now has diversity within it, with “Neoliberals” in the Democratic party
and the “New Right” in the Republican party
• The
main feature in the government of this party system has been a series of
Republican presidents and Democratic congresses, with only minor deviations
from this pattern.
Theories
of realignment
•
Realigning elections
•
Deviating elections
•
Reinstating elections
Democrats
and Republican: Is there a Difference?
•
Neither party ahs the support of a majority of
voter, so they must garner support from outside of their party
•
To win a presidential election, candidates
usually appeal to the ideological center, so both parties try to sound
“centrist”
Key
Constituencies - Republicans
•
Business
•
Conservatives
•
Christian Fundamentalists
Key
Constituencies - Democrats
•
Organized Labor
•
Racial Minorities
•
“Intellectuals”
Typical
Party Members
•
Democrats
•
Republicans