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Unit 5: Participating in Government
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Unit 5: Participating in Government
Chapter 17: Political Parties
Chapter 17: Political Parties
I. Functions of Political Parties
A. political party- group of people w/
broad common interests who
organize to win elections, control
government, & influence gov.
policies
B. Electing candidates
C. Educating the public
D. Involving people in the political
process
E. Operating the government
Functions
F. Dispensing
Patronage
G. Developing & Implementing Policy
H. Government Watchdog
I. Providing Stability
II. Party Systems
Functions of Political Parties
A. One party-systems
1. found in nations w/ authoritarian govts b/c gov.
tolerates no opposition
2. party leaders run the gov. & set all policy
B. Two-Party Systems
1. One in which the candidates of 2 major parties
compete for office & have a chance at winning
2. Minor parties can exist
C. Multi-party systems
1. All candidates have an equal shot
at winning
2. coalition governments
1. 1 party rarely gets enough
support to control the
government
2. several parties join forces to
control gov/ policy
Pros?
Cons?
Pros
Cons
1-Party System
- No partisan fighting
1-Party System
- No real choices
- authoritarian
- gov. does not tolerate competition
- gov. makes all policy decisions
2-Party System
- Offers stability
2-Party System
- Partisan fighting
- Mudslinging
- Less talk about the issues
Multi-Party System
- Multiple choices
Multi-Party System
- Coalition governments
- Often have to work with groups who do not share same ideaology to get anything done
Comparison of Major Party Platforms Parties
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Comparison of Major Parties
1. Liberal
2. larger gov. role in
providing social
services
3. favor increase in
minimum wage
4. support unions
5. view climate
change as a
threat
1. favor smaller gov.
2. less gov. reg.
3. lower taxes
4. increased military
spending
5. support
restrictions on
public unions
6. conservative
III. Evolution of Parties
A. No mention in the Const. b/c Washington
opposed them.
B. Arose during Washington's admin. b/c of the
differences b/w the factions led by Hamilton
& Jefferson over interpreting the Cons.
Evolution of American Parties
C. In beginning there were several parties, then
2 major emerged.
D. Parties Before the Civil War
1. Federalists called for strong central
government.
2. Democratic-Republicans
dominated in 1820's.
Parties After the Civil War
E. 1828, D-R split; divided over tariffs,
banking, & slavery
F. Jackson aligned w/ the Dems; other group
became the National Republicans (Whigs).
Parties After the Civil War
G. End of the Civil War Democrats &
Republicans dominated the national
scene.
H. Democrats mostly in the South;
Republicans in the North.
I. 1932 Dems won the White House &
controlled the Congress
After the Civil War (con't)
J. Republicans dominated the political
scene from 1860-1932.
After the Civil War (con't)
K. Democrats dominated from
1932-1968
L. people believe the 2-party
system is in decline.
1. Single-Issue
Parties- focus
on 1 major issue
A. Types of 3rd
Parties
2. Ideological parties- have a particular set of
ideas about how to change society overall
3. Splinter parties- splits away from one of the major
parties b/c of some disagreement.
4. Economic Protest- pop up during times of
economic discontent.
Minor or Third Parties
B. Impact of 3rd Parties
1. They force the major parties to talk about
the issues.
2. Give voters an alternative
3. Can be formed by breaking off
from one of the major
parties
Impact of Parties
4. Cause the major parties to
"borrow" their ideas
Examples of 3rd Parties
Impact (con't)
1. Green Party
2. Libertarian Party
3. Working Families
4. Constitution Party
Political Ideology
A. ideology- set of
basic beliefs about
life, culture, government, & society
B. Party Platforms-statement of beliefs
on issues
Political Ideology
C. Party Identification
1. def.- measures a voter's sense of
psychological attachment to a political
party
2. Democratic Party 32% of voters
3. Republican Party 24% of voters
4. No party 38% of voters
D. Democratic Voters
1. Working class
2. Middle or Upper class
3. Women, minorities, & young people
4. live in Northeast and west
5. Live Urban areas
6. Coastal areas
D. Likely Democratic Voters
E. Republican Voters
1. More white males
2. more educated
3. more religious, Evangelical Christian
4. Upper class
5. South & mountain west
6. rural and suburban areas
7. older
E. Likely Republican Voters
Political Party Org.
A. National Committee
1. Plans the national convention which is held
every 4 years
2. Raises money
B. State Committee
Party Organization
1. Raises money for candidates
2. Offers support to local candidates &
parties
C. Local Committee
1. Get out the vote; recruit volunteers
2. Raises money for candidates
3. Finds candidates
Components of P.P.
1. Party Organization- all the people who
belong
2. Party electorate-voters
3. Party in government- officeholders
4. Each level of the party is independent of
each other.
Components of P.P.
Party Membership
1. is completely voluntary
2. provides citizens a way to influence their
government
The Nomination Process
A. Nomination- the naming of a candidate who
will seek office
B. self-announcement- candidate announces
their desire to run for a particular office.
C. petitions- used to avoid a filing fee; candidate
collects signatures
Selecting Candidates
D. caucuses- private meetings of party leaders
where they choose nearly all candidates for
office
E. nominating conventions- local parties send
representatives to the state convention; state
delegates choose the party's presidential
candidate
F. Primaries
1. Direct Primary- election in which
party members select people to run
in the general election.
2. types-
a. open primary- all voters may participate
b. closed primary- only registered party
members can participate
F. Primaries
3. most state primaries usually choose their winners
by plurality; SC choose primary winners by majority
4. presidential primaries
a. you choose delegates to attend convention
b. the candidate with the most votes get the
plurality
Political Socialization
A. def.- process by which people
develop their ideas about
politics; aka sociological factors
Political Socialization
B. sociological factors- family, education,
age, sex, ethnicity, race, geography,
occupation, mass media, etc.
1. affect your attitudes on voting &
how you vote
2. starts at birth and continue
throughout your life
C. Psychological
Factors
C. Psychological Factors
1. include party identification which
is the single most important
predictor of how a person will vote.
2. high party ID the more likely they
will vote; low party ID the less likely
they will vote
D. Political efficacy- how much
people feel that they can bring
about change
1. high PE votes
2. low PE no vote
A. Framers wanted to
create a gov. that allowed
for popular rule & insulate
gov. from the whims of an
ill-informed public
B. Gov. is responsive to public opinion when
it comes to public policy
Public Opinion
C. Other influences on public policy
1. interest groups
2. political parties
3. mass media
4. government institutions
5. activists
6. public officials
D. public opinion-
ideas & attitudes that
a significant number of
Americans hold about
gov. & political issues
Public Opinion con't
E. 3 factors of the nature of pol.
opinion
1. diversity- 330 mil; different groups
hold different opinions
2. communication- interest groups
mainly
3. significant numbers