AP Government Chapter 8

Political Parties

Different types of political systems: One Party- most

common

Two-Party: America

Multi Party: Many European countries

The Two-Party System….

?

Libertarian PartyLibertarian PartyOpposes international dealings

Opposes government taxes

Opposes government intrusion into private lives

Green PartyNot just an environmental single-

issue group anymore…

The Constitution Party

The mission of the Constitution Party is to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity through the election, at all levels of government, of Constitution Party candidates who will uphold the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It is our goal to limit the federal government to its delegated, enumerated, Constitutional functions and to restore American jurisprudence to its original Biblical common-law foundations.

Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics

• Multiparty Systems in Other Countries– Winner-take-all system: legislative seats

awarded only to first place finishers– Proportional Representation: legislative seats

awarded based on votes received by the party - more votes, more seats

– Coalition Government: two or more parties join to form a majority in a national legislature

Party Differences, 2008

Who votes? http://www.people-press.org/files/legacy-detailed_tables/Detailed%20tables%20for%20Party%20ID.pdf

Political Party VocabularyLinkage institutions: Translate input from the public into outputs

from policymakers; sift through all issues, identify pressing concerns and put these onto the government agenda (Parties, elections, interest groups, media)

Rational-Choice Theory: Explain actions of voters as well as politicians; assumes that individuals act on their own best interest; carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

Party Identification: Self-proclaimed preference for one party over another

Ticket splitting: Voting with one party for one office and the other for other offices

nominating a president through the party processOpen primaries (or pick-a-party) are those in which voters of any affiliation may vote for the slate of any party.

Closed primaries are those in which only the voters affiliated with a party may vote in its primary.

Blanket primaries (or "jungle primaries")The blanket primary was struck down in 2001 by the Supreme Court in CA Democratic Party v. Jones.

PRIMARIES

2008 Electoral Map

2012 results: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/election-map-2012/president/

National Party Organization

• National Convention: Write party’s platform and then nominate its candidates for president and vice president

• National Committee: Keeping the party operating between conventions; reps. from states and territories organize and raise money

FIVE Party Eras

1. 1796-1824:

2. 1828-1856:

3. 1860-1928:

4. 1932-1964:

5. 1968-Present:

Critical elections!!

Party Eras (shift in demographics)

1. 1796-1824: Federalists V. Democratic-RepublicansJefferson, Madison, etc.

2. 1828-1856: Democrats V. WhigsJackson, rural farmers, etc.

3. 1860-1928: Republican EraLincoln, abolition, etc.

4. 1932-1964: Democrat EraFDR, New Deal Coalition, etc.

Today’s Party Era (1968-present)

5. 1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party

A. Divided government: one party controls Congress and the other controls White HouseB. Flip flops back and forth between party in powerCAUSES: Divided government due in party to:

• Party de-alignment: disengagement of people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification

• Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

• Split ticket voting

Responsible Party Model

• Some political scientists believe this view on how political parties should work

• Parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can use those choices as cues to their own preferences of candidates.

• Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises!