National PartiesNational Parties

A two party system?A two party system?

How about 106!How about 106!

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”

The 50-state strategyThe 50-state strategy

Where is the power Where is the power in the party?in the party?

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?