Chapter 7 and 8 (interest groups and parties)I. Political organization – parties and groups function as intermediaries

between individuals and government.• Political Parties – organizations that seek to achieve power by

winning public office.• Interest Groups – organizations seeking to influence government

policy.II. Origin and Development of American Political PartiesA. Federalists vs Non-Federalists (1787-1800) – there have always been

two major political views regarding the proper degree of centralized political power in the U.S. The Federalists emerged at the beginning as the party of centralized power and the Anti-Federalist were the party of decentralized power (small national government; government dispersed through state governments).

B. Era of Good Feelings (1800-1820) – the Jefferson democrats (called Republicans at the time) were so popular that the Federalists died off and the U.S. was essentially one-party.

C. Democrats vs Whigs (1820-1850) – The Republicans divided into two partys, Democrats and Whigs, with Whigs favoring expansionary federal power and Democrats the party of the “common man.”

Civil War and Rise of Republicans (new party) – The Whigs split over slavery, Civil War and Rise of Republicans (new party) – The Whigs split over slavery, with southern Whigs increasingly disfavoring an active federal government, with southern Whigs increasingly disfavoring an active federal government, particularly over slavery. Northern Whigs organized a new Republican particularly over slavery. Northern Whigs organized a new Republican party. party.

D.D. Post Civil War – Democrats heal by bringing in anti-Reconstruction Post Civil War – Democrats heal by bringing in anti-Reconstruction southerners and farmers; northern evangelical Christians joined the southerners and farmers; northern evangelical Christians joined the Republicans to promote prohibition on alcohol and public schools and other Republicans to promote prohibition on alcohol and public schools and other Republicans favored promotion of private business and the industrial Republicans favored promotion of private business and the industrial sector. sector.

E.E. The Progressive Period – Republicans split and a new party (The The Progressive Period – Republicans split and a new party (The Progressives) formed arguing for more gov’t regulation of the economy and Progressives) formed arguing for more gov’t regulation of the economy and corporations (response to industrialization abuse: motto = “Pass Prosperity corporations (response to industrialization abuse: motto = “Pass Prosperity Around”). The Democrats eventually took these ideas and changed from Around”). The Democrats eventually took these ideas and changed from the party of limited government to the party of active (big) government in the party of limited government to the party of active (big) government in the economy. Republicans remainedthe economy. Republicans remained

F.F. New Deal Era – In the wake of the Gread Depression, Republicans became New Deal Era – In the wake of the Gread Depression, Republicans became party of upper class and Democrats the party of the lower class and party of upper class and Democrats the party of the lower class and minorities (Catholics, Southerners, racial minorities, etc.)minorities (Catholics, Southerners, racial minorities, etc.)

G. Today, the Republicans continue to favor less government intrusion in the economy, but Republicans also have a large body of cultural conservatives (not particularly wealthy) joining them as well as southerners. Democrats remain the party of the poor, and increasingly the party of racial minorities, but social liberals have joined them (fairly well-off financially).

III. Political Parties and Democratic Government (Which system is ours?)A. “Responsible” Party system – System in which competitive parties adopt

principles, recruit candidates and direct campaigns based upon the platform, and hold their elected officials responsible for enacting it. (parties are powerful and essential).

B. Winning trumps principle system – “Winning has generally been more important than any principles or policies.” Parties in the U.S. are more concerned with vote-maximizing than platforms (beliefs). Since more votes are at the center of the distribution, a middle-of-the-road approach is attractive in our system (next slide). This is a better description of the U.S. party system

However, since the 1970s, we have seen steady party polarization (ideological distance growing between party candidates, members and activists).

D. Erosion of Traditional party functions• today, parties play less of a role in recruiting candidates.

Candidates are mostly self-recruited. • the primary system now selects the party’s nominee, not party

leaders; further disconnecting voters/candidates from party leaders.

• parties are not as needed as a means of communication with voters. Using the web, radio, tv, and now internet, candidates and voters can communicate without relying upon parties as ‘cues’ for information or means of communication.

• parties have little control over the politician’s behavior once in office. Politicians do not have to “play-ball” with party leaders in order to stay elected.

• American political parties no longer perform social welfare functions (trading off social services in exchange for votes) because government does that.

IV. Where is the Party? Parties are found in three places:• Party in the Electorate – voters who identify with party• Party in the Government – Party members holding office • Party in the Organization – actual organizationA. Party Voters• Party ID (next slide): slightly more people self-identify as Democrats

compared to Republicans• Independents – those who claim no affiliation• Dealignment – the decline in attractiveness of political parties to

voters, or some group of voters (i.e., increase in the # of independents). This appears to have taken place in the 1970s and 80s, but has returned to 1960 levels of partisanship in recent years.

• Party Loyalty in Voting – party identifiers are highly likely to vote for their party’s nominee (less true for Dems with respect to Republican presidential candidates).

• Realignment – Long-term shift in social-group support for various political parties that creates new coalitions in each party. (e.g., Jackson, Dems 1824, Lincoln, Republicans 1860, Bryan Democrats 1896, 1932 FDR Dems).

• Are we experiencing a 6th realignment?

Fig. 8-3, p. 277

From Pew Research 2007

Yes: socioeconomic alliances have largely given way to alliances based on ideology, gender, religion, and race. Party in government is polarizing.

No: No new majority party has emerged and it is happening too slowly to tell right now; among the masses there is still a rather large moderate group

VI. Who is in the parties? Income, education are positively related to Republican Identification. Red/Blue & other groupings: next slide)

VII. Why the two-party system? Many other democracies have multiple party systems; why not us? Third parties are not successful here; why not?

• Cultural Consensus – Americans share the same political values relative to most other industrialized democracies.

• Winner-take-all-electoral system (U.S.) – winners are determined by plurality; winner takes all. Only one party or voting coalition can win an election. Losers get nothing. There is little incentive for a party to form and represent the views of a few percentage of the population (two main parties stay at the center where the majority of votes are).

In some countries, there is a system of proportional representation. Here, seats in a legislature are based upon the proportion of votes each party receives in a national election (if the socialist party gets 10% of the vote, they get roughly 10% of the seats in the legislature).

Advantages: more representative, more choices, more participation, sincere voting (socialists do not have to ‘settle’ for the nearest party to them), minority representation

Disadvantages: representation and perhaps legitimization of extreme views or groups, policy imbalance (party representing a minority of population making policy decisions)

• Legal access to the Ballot – third parties face substantial barriers in getting on the ballot (raising money, receiving government help, filing petitions signed by up to 5 and 10 percent of registered voters in a state; both to get on and to stay on next time).

VIII. Interest PowerA. Interest groups attempt to change policy by influencing policymakers.B. Groups check majoritarianism C. Groups want policy outcomes that concentrate benefits to themselves

and spread costs to millions of taxpayers in the form of subsidies, tax breaks, privileges and protections. There is a concern here for organizational sclerosis (so many special benefits that everyone’s standard of living is lowered).

IX. TypesA. Most dominant (endurance and resources)are economic interests (want financial gain from gov’t through favorable

legislation like a subsidy or tax break or beneficial regulation)1. Business and Trade (e.g., Corporations) 2. Professional Associations (e.g., ABA, AMA)3. Organized Labor (i.e., Labor Unions, 1948=35%; 08=15%)B. Citizen’s Groups (come and go, less money)1. Women’s Organizations (e.g., NOW)2. Religious Groups (e.g., Christian Coalition, National Council of Churches,

Israeli Public Affairs Committee)

3. Public Interest Groups (consumer advocacy, Common Cause, AARP)

4. Single-Issue Group (NARAL, MADD, NRA)5. Ideological Groups (ACU, ADA)6. Government Lobbies (NGA, U.S. Conference of Mayors)X. Washington LobbyistsA. Who are they? 1. Typically attorneys2. Professionally trained3. Former public officials (e.g., Dole; 125-150 former MCs)B. What do they do?1. Distribute campaign contributions2. Draft legislation 3. Provide expertise on policy4. Grass-roots mobilization5. Protest/Demonstrate for exposure and issue-attention6. Form coalitions with other groups7. Open and maintain “access” lines (not much evidence of “vote

buying”

C. Lobbying the bureaucracy 1. Iron-triangles (next slide). Iron triangles refer to

interdependent reliationships that emerge between interest groups, government agencies, and legislators (or legislative committees). They each want something from each other and “iron” deals are worked out which are mutually beneficial to all.

2. Policy Networks (groups, policymakers, businesses, agency officials, all develop working relationships that often make policy-decisions on their own.

3. Revolving Doors – from regulated to regulating to regulated again