Political Parties

Chapter 9
Political Parties
1. What is a political party, and why were the Framers of the

Constitution concerned about the influence of political
parties?
2. Why does the United States have a two-party system?
3. What are the prospects for a viable third party in the United
States?
4. How has Americas two party system changed, and how does
it differ from the party systems of other representative
democracies?
5. How much do parties affect how Americans vote?
6. Did the Founding Fathers think political parties were a good
idea?
7. How, if at all, should Americas two-party system be
reformed?
Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
WHO GOVERNS?
1. How has Americas two-party system changed,
and how does it differ from the party systems of
other representative democracies?
2. How much do parties affect how Americans
vote?
TO WHAT ENDS?
1. Did the Founding Fathers think political parties
were a good idea?
2. How, if at all, should Americas two-party system
be reformed?
Introduction
Political party: group that seeks to elect

candidates to public office
A political party exists as
A label
An organization
A set of leaders
PartiesHere and Abroad
Political parties more influential in

Europe
Candidates for elective office usually
nominated by party leaders
Campaigns are run by the party
Elected official expected to vote and act
together with members of his/her party
Decline in Party Identification

1952-2012
Ten political parties competed in the French

presidential elections in 2012.
Country
# of Parties
United States
China
Canada
United Kingdom
Germany
Mexico
Russia
Israel
17
France
14
Brazil
22 (more or less)
India
43 (more or less)
How Many Political Parties?
The Founding
Republicans (Jefferson) and Federalists
(Hamilton)
The Rise and Decline

of the Political Party
The Jacksonians
Eliminated caucus-based nominations
Party convention nominates
Democrats and Whigs

10
The Civil War and Sectionalism

Slavery and sectionalism
Modern Republican Party emerges
Stalwarts and mugwumps (progressives)

11
The Era of Reform

Primary elections
Voter requirements
Civil service reform
Weakened political parties

12
Party Realignments
Major party defeated and disappears
Support shifts between two existing parties
Occurs when very important issue cuts
across party divisions

13
The Election of 1860
Realignment
14
Realignment
15
Party Decline
Split-ticket voting
Split Ticket Voting for President/House, 1952-2008

16
Elements:
National convention
National committee
Congressional campaign committee
National chairperson
Late 1960s and early 1970s:

Republicans became bureaucratized party
Democrats became factionalized party
The National Party Structure

Today
17
National Conventions
Delegates ratify candidates
Superdelegates
The National Party Structure

Today
18
The Machine
Late 19th century
Hierarchical
Weakened by progressive reforms
The Hatch Act (1939)
New-style machine fueled by campaign
contributions
State and Local Parties
19
Ideological Parties
Values principle
Contentious and factionalized
Independent third parties
But also factions within Democrats/Republicans
Reform movements replaced by social

movements in 1960s and 1970s
20

Solidary Groups
Sponsored Parties
Personal Following
Kennedy family
George H.W. Bush
Talmadge family
Long family
Byrd family
The personal following of former President
George H. W. Bush was passed on to his
sons, George W. (left) and Jeb (right).
21
Plurality System
Voter Opinion
State Laws
The Two-Party System
22
Americans are Divided on the

Need for a Third Party
23
Party Voting in Presidential

Elections
24
Ideological
One-Issue
Economic-Protest
Factional
The Socialist party and the Progressive party were both minor
parties, but their origins were different. The Socialist party was
an ideological party; the Bull Moose Progressive party split
off from the Republicans to support Theodore Roosevelt.
Minor Parties
25
Are the Delegates Representative of

the Voters?
Disparity between delegate opinion and
voter attitudes
Who Votes in Primaries?

Who Are the New Delegates?
Issue-oriented activists
Nominating a President
26
points)
Historical Convention Bounces, 1964-2012

Gallup Polls, Registered Voters (in percentage
27
Democrats
Successful in
congressional races
House majority (70%)
Presidential candidates
views differ from voters
Republicans
More successful in
presidential races
Convention delegates
views differ from
average voters
Social issues
Tax issues
MOVE TO THE MIDDLE?
Parties versus Voters
28
The Political Legacy of

Ronald Reagan
29
Click picture to play video
Taking a closer look:

1. Describe what was unique about the
political style of Ronald Reagan.
2. What impact did Reagans presidency
have on the Republican and Democratic
parties?
3. Do any current political figures have
Reagans gift of communication?
The Political Legacy of

Ronald Reagan
30

Political Parties

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Political Parties

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Chapter 9

1. What is a political party, and why were the Framers of the

Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Political party: group that seeks to elect

Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

PartiesHere and Abroad