Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the

Voter’s Choice

Definition of Party What are parties?

Political parties are groups that seek to elect candidates by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the public.

Party, political organization whose aim is to gain control of the government apparatus, usually through the election of its candidates to public office

Different from other interest groups Parties aggregate opinion

What do parties do? Parties facilitate the process of governing

Party in power Staffs government Controls public policy

Party out of power Loyal opposition Offer an alternatives

Three Levels of Party

Party in the Electorate. Party in the electorate

Partisanship provides an identification Socializes, educates, mobilizes

Guides and focuses a messy process Prevents ‘cycling’

Partisanship helps citizens make sense of politics Economizing device, easy vote choices Perceptual screen, lowers cognitive dissonance

Party Organization. Party as an organization

Recruits candidates Manages ambition

Serves as a cue giver To donors for dollars To public for votes

Provides resources Wide variety Money, endorsements, networks, lists, candidate schools

Party in Government. Party in government

Party in government organizes and staffs ‘machinery’ of government

Leadership positions, committee chairs in Congress Hundreds of posts in executive Vacancies on federal bench

Party out of power = Loyal opposition ‘Watch dog’ Alternative, ready to take power

Party Systems Single-party system

Peoples’ Republic of China

One-party dominant system South Africa

Two-party system United States

Multi-party system Germany

Attitudes Towards Parties- Bad! Many Americans dislike parties

Founders were profoundly uncomfortable with parties “Let me warn you in the most solemn manner against the

baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.” George Washington, Farewell Address1796

This has echoed through history “Parties are an evil inherent in free governments”

Tocqueville, 1831

Picture parties as being corrupt, factional, smoke-filled rooms, not independent

Attitudes Towards Parties- Good! Most political scientists like parties

“Political parties created democracy” Schattschneider, 1975

“Parties is organized opinion” Disraeli

Parties provide a critical link between the public and the institutions of government

Educate, mobilize, crystallize, organize Without parties, politics becomes chaos

Party Competition & Majority Rule: The History of U.S. Parties The first parties in U.S. grew from early divisions over

ratification of the Constitution Federalists and Antifederalists Split continued in Washington’s adminstration between

Jefferson (State’s Rights) and Hamilton (Strong Nationalist) Jefferson formed the Democratic Republican party, Hamilton

formed the Federalist Party

Andrew Jackson and Grassroots Parties Jackson sought to mobilize the powerless (i.e.poor farmers Jacksonian Democrats organized from local and state level Whig party formed, not around a issues, but as a guardian

against the Democrats

Party Competition & Majority Rule: Republicans vs. Democrats: Realignments & the

Enduring Party System The Civil War entrenched the two-party tradition in the

U.S. The electorate shifts loyalty in party realignments Three Critical Realignments:

1860- Civil War, Republicans become the majority party and Democrats held “the Solid South”

1896- Republicans gain in Midwest 1932-Great Depression, FDR’s “New Deal” Democrats gain

majority 1980? Reagan and Conservative Republican Revolution

Party Identification

Four Elements of Realignments The disruption of the existing political order

because of the emergence of one or more unusually divisive issues

An election contest in which voters shift support in favor of one party

A major change in policy through the action of the stronger party

An enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of the dominant party

Party Competition and Realignment

Today’s Party Alignment and its OriginsParty conflict

Democratic/Republican difference in social and economic issues

Dealignment and Split ticket voting Cross pressured voters

Party Identification

Electoral and Party Systems

Two-Party System

Multiparty System

Single-Member District System of ElectionSingle-Member DistrictsProportional Representation

Electoral and Party Systems

Policies & Coalitions in the Two-Party SystemSeeking the CenterParty Coalitions

Minor PartiesSingle-Issue PartiesFactional Parties Ideological Parties

Party Organizations

The Weakening of Party OrganizationsNominationPrimary election (direct primary)Types of Primaries:

Closed Open Blanket

Decline in patronage

Party Organizations

Structure & Role of Party OrganizationsLocal Party OrganizationsState Party OrganizationsNational Party OrganizationsThe Parties and Money

Service Relationship Hard and Soft Money “527 groups”

The Candidate-Centered Campaign Seeking Funds: The Money Chase Creating Organization: Hired Guns Devising Strategy: Packaging the

CandidateAir WarsGround WarsWeb Wars

Parties, Candidates, & Public’s Influence

Pros:Candidate-centered campaigns get new

people into politics.Candidate-centered politics encourage

officeholders to be responsive. Cons:

May become personality contests—like theater.

Create lack of accountability to voters.