GovernmentChapter 5 Section 1

Parties and What They Do

What is a Party?

A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office

This definition is used for any political party in any system

A group of persons, joined together on the basis of certain principles, who seek to control government in order to secure the adoption of certain public policies and programs

This definition is for most individual political parties

Party Loyalists

The Party Organization:

Leaders

Activists

Those people who help run the political party from the local level all the way up to the national level

Party Loyalists

The Party in Government:

The candidates for offices

The incumbents (already holding an office)

Anyone who holds and elected office at all levels of government and in any branch

Party Loyalists

The Party in the Electorate:

Voters who support the party and its candidates

Vote the party line always

What Parties Do

Political parties are the link between the government of the nation and the governed

They make the wants of the people known to the government

They also help broker compromises between conflicting groups

Nominating Candidates

Get members of their political party elected into office

Parties select their candidates and present them to the voters

Informing and Activating Supporters

Inform the people

Inspire them to participate in public affairs

They use the media and interest groups to help spread their message

The Bonding Agent Function

Ensure candidates the good performance of its candidates and elected officeholders

Try to make sure they are men and women of character and are qualified for the position

Governing

Congress and the State legislatures are organized by party lines

Have to use partisanship to be successful

They establish the basic conduct of government

The Watchdog Function

Watch over the conduct of public business by other party

Criticize the policies and behavior of the party in power

This is a way to keep the party in power in check and to show how the power should shift

Two-Party System

The Republicans and the Democrats are the two major parties in the United States

They dominate policy, politics, and the running of the government of the U.S.A.

The Historical Basis

The two parties began with the Federalists and the Anti-Federalist parties

Has grown from these first disputes of power and how to run government

The Force of Tradition

The two party system has been with the U.S.A. since it began under the Constitution

That is partially why it has stayed a two-party system

The Electoral System

The election process encourages only two parties running for office

It also discourages minor parties

Single-Member districts

Plurality

Bipartisanship

The American Ideological Consensus

Most Americans share the same ideals, basic principles, and patterns of beliefs

There are general agreements among the various groups of people

Multiparty SystemsSeveral major and many minor parties exist

Mostly seen in European democracies

Each is based on a specific interest

Gives a broader and more diverse representation of the voting population in government - this is a major weakness of it as well as a strength

One-Party System

Usually seen in dictatorship and fascist states

Only one party is allowed to exist

In the United States we see that one party dominates entire areas - or states