Post on 31-Dec-2015
Traditionally Traditionally decentralized partiesdecentralized parties Most elections state and localMost elections state and local Election laws state lawsElection laws state laws Grassroots traditionGrassroots tradition
Republican Party of Republican Party of San DiegoSan Diego State partyState party
– Board of directors; national committeemenBoard of directors; national committeemen County level organizationCounty level organization
– Elected officeholders automatically part of Elected officeholders automatically part of county committeecounty committee
– Other county committee members elected Other county committee members elected by assembly districtsby assembly districts
Local ClubsLocal Clubs Donor clubs with extra accessDonor clubs with extra access
State/Local Party State/Local Party functions todayfunctions today
Service organizations to candidatesService organizations to candidates
Help with fundraising Help with fundraising Providing voter lists, computers, Providing voter lists, computers,
consultants to candidatesconsultants to candidates Run training seminarsRun training seminars Finance pollsFinance polls Organize coordinated campaignsOrganize coordinated campaigns
State/Local Party State/Local Party functions todayfunctions today Service organizations to Service organizations to
candidatescandidates Recruit candidatesRecruit candidates Coordinated CampaigningCoordinated Campaigning
– Register votersRegister voters– Canvass votersCanvass voters– Turn out voters (GOTV)Turn out voters (GOTV)
State parties’ State parties’ differencesdifferences Different legal environments because Different legal environments because
of:of:– Election lawsElection laws
Primary typePrimary type Campaign financeCampaign finance Redistricting proceduresRedistricting procedures
So: Different organizational strengthSo: Different organizational strength– Number of volunteersNumber of volunteers– Money raisedMoney raised– Ability of different partisan actors to select Ability of different partisan actors to select
and influence candidatesand influence candidates And so: Different ideologyAnd so: Different ideology
Three levels of Three levels of national party national party organizationorganization National CommitteeNational Committee
– Democratic National Committee (DNC)Democratic National Committee (DNC)– Republican National Committee (RNC)Republican National Committee (RNC)
Senate Campaign CommitteesSenate Campaign Committees– National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)– Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
(DSCC)(DSCC) House Campaign CommitteesHouse Campaign Committees
– National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)– Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC,
or D-Triple-C, or D-Trip)or D-Triple-C, or D-Trip)
National Committee National Committee Organization Organization Republicans:Republicans:
– 150 members150 members– Man, woman, and state chair from each Man, woman, and state chair from each
statestate DemocratsDemocrats
– Chair and other-sex leader from each stateChair and other-sex leader from each state– 200 members allocated to states based on 200 members allocated to states based on
population population andand Democratic support Democratic support– Plus Reps from Governor’s association, Plus Reps from Governor’s association,
conference of Democratic mayors, Young conference of Democratic mayors, Young Democrats...Democrats...
National Committee National Committee FunctionsFunctions Call, site, and run the national Call, site, and run the national
presidential nominating conventionpresidential nominating convention Run the party’s presidential campaignRun the party’s presidential campaign
– ResearchResearch– PollsPolls– GOTV coordinationGOTV coordination
Formulate statements of policyFormulate statements of policy Raise money; pay debts from last Raise money; pay debts from last
campaigncampaign
Congressional Congressional Committee Committee OrganizationsOrganizations
Chair elected by Chair elected by Democratic/Republican caucus of Democratic/Republican caucus of members of the House/Senatemembers of the House/Senate
Congressional Congressional Committee FunctionsCommittee Functions
Help raise money and provide Help raise money and provide services for:services for:
incumbents’ reelection campaignsincumbents’ reelection campaigns
promising potential memberspromising potential members– Candidates in competitive districts!Candidates in competitive districts!
Congressional Congressional Committee FunctionsCommittee Functions
Types of money and services:Types of money and services: Finding/hiring staffFinding/hiring staff Finding/hiring consultantsFinding/hiring consultants Radio and tv ad production facilitiesRadio and tv ad production facilities ResearchResearch PollingPolling Fundraising help; recruiting big names for Fundraising help; recruiting big names for
candidates’ own fundraiserscandidates’ own fundraisers Some direct contributionsSome direct contributions Some independent spendingSome independent spending
Other party Other party organizationsorganizations College/Youth organizationsCollege/Youth organizations Governors’ AssociationsGovernors’ Associations
The evolving The evolving relationship between relationship between state and national state and national partiesparties
Historically powerful Historically powerful local/state partieslocal/state parties Parties run campaignsParties run campaigns Parties select candidatesParties select candidates Local party machinesLocal party machines
– Provide social services (particularly to Provide social services (particularly to immigrants)immigrants)
– Dispense patronageDispense patronage– Rig elections Rig elections
If you want to be governor, who do If you want to be governor, who do you go to?you go to?
State parties affected by State parties affected by rise of candidate-centered rise of candidate-centered politicspolitics Arose because of:Arose because of: Civil service reformsCivil service reforms Primary election lawsPrimary election laws Professionalization of the CongressProfessionalization of the Congress States/federal gov’t provide social servicesStates/federal gov’t provide social services One man one vote decisions (1964)One man one vote decisions (1964)
– Reynolds v. Sims Reynolds v. Sims (state leg)(state leg)– Wesberry v. Sanders Wesberry v. Sanders (US House)(US House)
TelevisionTelevision Weakened local parties (both cause and Weakened local parties (both cause and
effect!)effect!) If you want to be governor, who do you go to?If you want to be governor, who do you go to?
Nationalizing trendsNationalizing trends
Stronger national governmentStronger national government– Congress regulates more of the Congress regulates more of the
economyeconomy More national issuesMore national issues People move around more, carry People move around more, carry
party labels with themparty labels with them
Changes in campaign technologyChanges in campaign technology
Centralization of party Centralization of party power as deliberate power as deliberate strategystrategy Republicans:Republicans:
– Raise a lot of small contributions through Raise a lot of small contributions through mailmail
– Fund and service state partiesFund and service state parties– To rebuild after WatergateTo rebuild after Watergate
Democrats:Democrats:– Rules changes force state parties to adopt Rules changes force state parties to adopt
national proceduresnational procedures– To disassociate party from segregationistsTo disassociate party from segregationists– Service to candidates comes in the 1980sService to candidates comes in the 1980s
Effects of Effects of nationalizationnationalization A lot of effort in just a few racesA lot of effort in just a few races More national infrastructure; More national infrastructure;
voter lists, etc.voter lists, etc. ““Lessened the Lessened the dedecentralization of centralization of
the party organizations”the party organizations”
What are the merits of very What are the merits of very decentralized (state/local) parties? decentralized (state/local) parties?
What are the merits of highly What are the merits of highly centralized (nationalized) parties?centralized (nationalized) parties?
What do you think of the trends toward What do you think of the trends toward nationalization/centralization in both nationalization/centralization in both parties?parties?