a focus on political parties & interest groups: their purpose, practices and how they work with...

A Focus on Political Parties &Interest Groups:

Their purpose, practices and how they work with

Nominations and Campaigns.Chapters 8,9, &11

Vs.

A Focus on Political PartiesTheir purpose, practices and how they work

Chapter 8

Vs.

Third Term Panic

Republican Elephant Symbol• Nast invented the famous

symbol- the Republican elephant - in a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874“Third Term Panic”

G.O.P. = “Grand Old Party”

Original meaning 1875 – “gallant old party”

Democratic Donkey Symbol

• first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign

• Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.

1st use of democratic donkey by Thomas NastJanuary 15, 1870 -Harper's Weekly

commentary on Northern Democrats (nicknamed Copperheads) dealings with Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War.

"Stranger Things Have Happened"

December 27, 1879

“Hold on, and you may walk over the sluggish animal up there yet.”

So was Thomas Nast a Democrat or a Republican???

[Self-caricature] detail, Harper's Weekly, December 2, 1876, cover.

Thomas Nast

•Thomas Nast was a Radical Republican, a liberal, progressive, nationalistic, and Protestant wing of the party

•fierce supporter for the Union cause •published in Harper's Weekly on September

3, 1864, shows Columbia weeping at the grave of "Union Heroes in a Useless War" as a weary Union amputee shakes the hand of a neatly groomed Southern soldier.

Thomas Nast

•scourge of Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall political machine

‘Hands Off’ Socially, while

‘Hands On’ Economically

‘Hands Off’ Economically,

while ‘Hands On’ Socially

‘HANDS OFF!’ EVERYTHING!!

‘HANDS ON!’ EVERYTHING!!

What is a Political Party?

What is a Political Party?• Definition: a group of political activists who organize to win elections,

to operate the government, and to determine public policy.o Not mentioned in Constitutiono Federalist Papers warn against factions

• Functions of partieso Recruit candidates to run for elective offices at all levels of

government o Mobilize citizens to vote and participate in electionso Bear the responsibility of operating government at all levels o Provide organized opposition to the party in power

Tasks of Parties• Parties Pick Candidates• Parties Run Campaigns• Parties Give Cues to Voters• Parties Articulate Policies• Parties Coordinate Policymaking• A political party is a linkage institution

Political Party Organization

Party Organization* National Convention: meet every 4 years; decide President/VP candidates; write platform

* National Committee: manages party’s business between conventions, raise money, convention rules

* National Chairperson: directs work of national committee

* State & Local Organization: better funded/organized today than in past; organized similarly to national- State parties organize primary elections, raise $-Decrease of local ‘political machines’

- Use specific and material inducements to win party loyalty & power.

Why Has the 2-Party System Endured in the USA?

Reasons for the Two Party SystemElectoral system: Duverger’s Law(Maurice Duverger, French sociologist – published papers in

1950’s & 1960’s)

(1) Winner-Take-All

(2) Plurality

• State laws deter 3rd Party Ballot Access:o States control candidate access to ballot - need

sufficient # of votes in previous electiono some states require registered voters to sign a petition

to get ballot access

The Role of Minor Parties in US Politics

Reasons for 3rd Party Creation

•Failure of major parties to represent an emerging group or view:▫ ex: George Wallace—American Independent Party (1968)

•Promote Ideology/Issue:▫ Libertarian▫ Green

•Desire to get major parties to champion an issue:▫ Populist Party—reforms in economics/politics (1892)▫ Ross Perot---Reduce federal deficit (1992 & 1996)

Impact of Third Parties• Spoiler?

• Conventional wisdom holds that minor parties develop ideas that the major parties adopto Ending slaveryo Giving women the right to vote

• Factional parties have had probably the greatest influence on public policyo Perot (1990s)- deficit reduction became big

part of Clinton’s platform

Third Parties• Ideological parties: comprehensive, radical view;

most enduring (communist, socialist, libertarian)

• Single-issue parties: address one concern, avoid others (Right to Life, Prohibition)

• Economic protest parties: regional, protest economic conditions

• Splinter/Factional parties: from split in a major party, usually over the party’s presidential nominee (TR - Bull Moose Party, Thurmond- States’ Rights Party)

A History of Political Parties in the United States

Realignment vs. Dealignment

Changes in Political Party Composition

Political Party Realignment Def: concept that a few elections in US history were more important than others because they resulted in “sharp & durable changes” in the political climate or nation

•Occurs when a minority party becomes stronger than the majority party – win election (ex:1860 and 1932)▫ Political scientist Alan Beck asserts that 2 preconditions

must exist prior to a realignment election:▫ (1) loyalty to the party in power must be weak▫ (2) some sort of societal trauma (such as the depression)

must exist

Political Party Dealignment

•Def: a large portion of electorate abandon its previous partisan affiliation without developing a new one to replace it

▫ Is this happening now?

5 Realigning Elections

History of Party Eras in America

Party era= a period of history in which there is one dominant majority party that wins most elections

A. Rise of Political Parties (1789-1800): Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

B. Democratic Domination (1800-1860): Democratic-Republicans dominate until 1824 Whigs win presidency twice

C. Republican Domination (1860-1932): Republicans began as 3rd Party Lincoln solidified party **Major Electoral Realignment** -- Slavery!

History of Party Eras in America (cont’d…)

D. Return of Democrats (1932-1968): FDR’s New Deal Coalition (blacks, urbanites, blue-

collar/union workers, Catholics, Jews, and women) **Major Electoral Realignment** Economics!

E. Divided Government (1968-present): Split party control of Congress & President creates

gridlock led to dealignment (more people ID as

independents; more split-ticket voting)

Party Identification: 1937-Present

Party in Government Today

•Presidency controlled by Democrat•111th Congress controlled by Democrats

▫House Republican: 178 Democrat: 257

▫Senate Republican: 40 Democrat: 58 Independent: 2

17 women

Test on Ch 7 & 8Fri (11/18): multiple-choice

Interest Groups!

Why Interest Groups are Common?

• Interest group: any organization that seeks to influence public policy

Wide variety of examples

Differences between Political Parties and Interest Groups

Political Party Interest GroupGoal To run the government To influence the government

Ways to Pursue Agenda

Elections Through the political process- Lobbying , litigation, etc…

Focus Focus on only general policies in order to win a majority

Specialize in one of two policy areas

Criticisms -2-party system leaves people out-Platforms are middle-of-the-road in an effort to appeal to the masses

-Encourage policymaking system based on $-Donate heavily to campaigns through PACs to “buy votes”- more $ it has the more able it is to influence policy

Functions of Interest Groups•raise awareness/interest in issues

•educate public about issues

•linkage institution

•provide information to gov’t:▫ data/testimony – used in public policy▫ amicus curiae briefs

Key ideas about interest groups•pluralist theory = activity of interest groups activity brings representation to all

•Since the 1960’s, the number of interest groups has risen rapidly.

•Collective good = something of value that benefits both the actual & potential members of a group.

•Group with the largest potential membership = National Organization for Women

Types of Interest Groups

Economics at Heart of Interest Groups

* Labor groups/unions promote interest of workers: AFL-CIO

* Business groups promote business interests - National Chamber of Commerce

•Professional groups: • National Education Association (NEA• American Bar Association (ABA)• American Medical Association (AMA) • National Association of Realtors (NAR)

Other Types of Interest Groups

* Specific Causes:- ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)- National Rifle Association (NRA)

* Welfare of Groups/Individuals:- American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

* Religious Causes:- Christian Coalition- America Jewish Congress

Interest Group Strategies

* Litigation

* Lobbying

* Influencing Elections

* Donating $$ via PACs

What are PACs?

(Political Action Committees)

committees organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates

PAC Contributions (2008 Election Cycle)

Analyzing the impact of PACS

PROS: • help finance the cost of

elections

• encourage voting and participation

• links the public with its representatives

• a right protected by the First Amendment

CONS:• Pressure to help

interests after getting $$

• undue influence on public officials

• funds disproportionately go to incumbents

• Corporate/business & unions most numerous

Regulating Lobbyists

Interest Group Strategies

Regulating Lobbyists

• The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946) o Required that individuals or organizations that

receive money for the purpose of influencing legislation to register as lobbyists

o Required that all registered lobbyists file quarterly reports about their activities

o Was ineffective, however, because only full-time lobbyists had to register

Litigation•Groups often take an issue to court if Congress won’t give support

* Best example = Civil Rights Movement of 1950s/60s- NAACP used litigation to fight segregation - Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Lobbying* Overall: attempting to influence policymakers—most often by supplying specialized data/info

* Direct Lobbying: paid lobbyists who use personal contact to persuade policymakers

* Grassroots Lobbying: interest group members/citizens write letters, emails, make phone calls to influence policymakers

Lobbying Activities

1. Private meetings with public officials

2. Testifying at Congressional Committees

3. Assisting legislators and bureaucrats in drafting legislation/regulations

4. Inviting legislators to social occasions

BERMAN&MURPHY APPROACHING DEMOCRACY

Influencing Elections

* Encourage members to vote for candidates that support their views

* Influence party platforms (issues/policies political parties fight to make happen)

* Contribute money to parties via Political Action Committees (PACs)

History of PACs:

-around since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the first one to raise voluntary contributions from union members for the reelection of FDR

- Unions & Corporations cannot give directly to candidates Thus PACS are the loophole!

Top 20 PACs 2008 Election Cycle