Parties and Elections

Selections from Chapters 11 & 12

Party Eras inAmerican HistoryParty Eras◦Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party

in power

Critical Election◦An electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions

emerge

Party Realignment◦ The displacement of the majority party by the minority party,

usually during a critical election

Party Eras inAmerican History1796-1824: The First Party System◦Madison warned of “factions”

◦ Federalists: first political party

1828-1856: Jackson and the Democrats Versus the Whigs◦Modern party founded by Jackson

◦Whigs formed mainly to oppose Jacksonian Democrats

Party Eras inAmerican History1860-1928: The Two Republican Eras◦Republicans rose as the antislavery party

◦ 1896 election centered on industrialization

1932-1964: The New Deal Coalition◦New Deal coalition: forged by the Democrats; consisted of urban

working class, ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, the poor, Southerners

Party Eras in American History1968-Present: The Era of Divided Party Government◦Divided government: one party controls Congress and the other

controls White House

◦Divided government due in party to:

◦Party dealignment: disengagement of people from parties as evidenced by shrinking party identification

◦Party neutrality: people are indifferent towards the two parties

Parties: What Do They Do?

Tasks of the Parties◦ Linkage Institution: the channels through which people’s concerns become

political issues on the government’s policy agenda

◦Parties Pick Candidates

◦Parties Run Campaigns

◦Parties Give Cues to Voters

◦Parties Articulate Policies

◦Parties Coordinate Policymaking

Third Parties

Third Parties: Their Impact on American PoliticsThird parties: electoral contenders other than the two party parties; rarely win elections

Third parties are important.◦Are “safety valves” for popular discontent

◦Bring new groups and ideas into politics

Parties that promote certain causes – either a controversial single issue such as prohibition of alcoholic beverages or an extreme ideological positions such as socialism or libertarianism

Parties that are an extension of a popular individual with presidential aspirations – including John Anderson (1980) and Ross Perot (1992 and 1996)

Splinter parties that are offshoots of a major party –such as Teddy Roosevelt’s Progressives (1912), Strom Thurmond’s States’ Righters (1948), and George Wallace’s American Independents (1968)

Primarily Primaries!

Primaries

◦ Closed primaries: Only people who have registered with the party can vote for that party’s candidates.

◦Open primaries: Voters decide on Election Day whether they want to vote in the Democrat or Republican primary.

◦Blanket primaries: Voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties. (declared not constitutional)

◦ Jungle Primary – What’s Up, Louisiana?

◦ State parties are better organized in terms of headquarters and budgets than they used to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6i-gYRAwM0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyMosJdIfdo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd_JAo5cfdg

The Electoral College

The Last Battle: The Electoral College

oElectoral college actually elects the president—founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the country

oStates choose the electors

oWinner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states

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The Last Battle: The Electoral College

How it works today:◦Each state has as many votes as it does Representatives and Senators.

◦Winner of popular vote typically gets all the Electoral College votes for that state

◦Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the vice president in January

◦If no candidate gets a majority (270 votes), the House of Representatives votes for president, with each state casting one vote.

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The Electoral College & Math2000 Presidential Election(a small sample of states)

Al Gore George Bush

12 1,616,487 Massachusetts 878,502 0

54 5,861,203 California 4,567,429 0

0 2,433,746 Texas 3,799,639 32

0 2,186,190 Ohio 2,351,209 21

4 205,286 Hawaii 137,845 0

0 2,912,253 Florida 2,912,790 25

70 15,215,165 Totals 14,647,414 78

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Safe Democratic Toss-Up Safe Republican

California New York Colorado

Connecticut Oregon Florida

Delaware Pennsylvania Iowa

Hawaii Rhode Island Nevada

Illinois Vermont New Hampshire

Maine Washington Ohio

Maryland Washington, DC Virginia

Massachusetts Wisconsin

Michigan

Minnesota

New Jersey

New Mexico

Solid

Democratic

Likely

Democratic

Leans

Democratic

Toss Up Leans

Republican

Likely

Republican

Solid

Republican

California Delaware Connecticut Arizona Indiana Kansas Alabama

Hawaii Maine (CD 1) Illinois Colorado Maine (CD 2) Louisiana Alaska

Maryland New York Minnesota Florida Missouri Mississippi Arizona

Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey Georgia South Carolina Montana Idaho

Vermont Washington New Mexico Iowa Texas Nebraska

(CD 2)

Kentucky

Washington,

DC

Oregon Maine

(At-Large 2)

South Dakota Nebraska (4)

Michigan Utah North Dakota

Nevada Oklahoma

New Hampshire Tennessee

North Carolina West Virginia

Ohio Wyoming

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Wisconsin