party systems ryan d. williamson 31 march 2015. agenda attendance return exams lecture on parties...
TRANSCRIPT
PARTY SYSTEMSRyan D. Williamson
31 March 2015
Agenda
• Attendance• Return Exams • Lecture on parties• Reading for Thursday
Questions?
Objective
• Describe the structure and function of political parties.
• Describe how historical events shaped party institutions.
What are Parties?
• Parties are groups who organize to win offices.• Parties are ubiquitous in democracies with strong legislatures.
• Parties organize political conflict.• Parties are complex political organizations.
Party in Government
• In most democracies, parties run the national government
• Legislation coalition are often not stable in the absence of parties• Policy cycles without parties
• Parties prevent cycling by agreeing to work together on legislation
Party as Organizations
• Parties as organizations work to elect candidates• Candidate selection through primaries• Fundraising• Mobilization of voters
Party Organization
• Democrats and Republicans have similar organizational structure• National committees• House and Senate committees• State, county, and city party organizations
• All have different roles, but same goal: electing party candidates
Party in the Electorate
• Both Democrats and Republicans have millions of followers who claim to be party members• Stable, psychological attachment to a party• Information shortcut for voters• “Running tally” of party leader performance
• Party is a powerful voting cue: especially straight ticket voting
First Party System: 1796-1824
• Federalists (strong national government, Britain) vs. Democratic-Republicans (states’ rights, France)
• Federalists fall away due to lack of voter mobilization as population increased
Second Party System: 1832-1860
• Whigs emerge in 1830s to compete with Democratic-Republicans
• Split in Democratic-Republican party• Nationwide mobilization developed by Democratic-Republicans
• Ends in 1860, Whigs collapse due to division over slavery
Third Party System: 1860-1896
• Republicans emerge under Abraham Lincoln• Democrats survive Civil War and emerge with strong Southern base
• Republicans control Northeast and Midwest• Machine politics develops
Fourth Party System: 1896-1932
• 1896 election decisive victory for McKinley and Republicans
• Republicans dominate national politics in decades following 1896
• Progressive party emerges as the strongest “minor” party in history
Fifth Party System: 1932-1980
• New Deal party system emerges with Democrats and Franklin Roosevelt
• United large, disparate groups of voters under the Democratic label
• Dominate for many decades, frays as Southern whites move to Republican party
Sixth Party System: 1980-present
• South has switched to Republican• Urban areas and coasts Democratic• Strengthening of national parties• Parties have increasing polarization on major issues of the day
Questions?
For next time…
• Read chapter 11 of Bullock and Gaddie