Political Parties

Why are we relegated to a two-party system?

Parties- Here & Abroad Definition- a party is a group that seeks

to ______ candidates to public office by supplying them with a _________ by which they are known to the electorate.

(AKA- party identification) Parties are ________________ in the

Constitution.

Arenas of politics in which political parties exist: 1) Label 2) Organization, _____________ and

campaigning for candidates. 3) Set of leaders, organize and try to

control the legislative and executive branches. (___________ institution)

What Parties Do for Democracy

•Party Functions•Organize the Competition•Unify the Electorate•Inspire ______________________________•Translate Preferences into Policy•Provide Loyal Opposition•Organize Government•Help Govern•Act as __________________________•Nominate Candidates•Ensure Candidate__________________

The Two-Party System Rarity among nations today. Why does it exist in America? 1) Electoral system- ______________

system and plurality system limit the number of parties.

2) Opinions of voters- if one is failing we try the other for a little while

3) State laws make it very difficult for ______ parties to get on the ballot.

Party SystemsMultiparty

Coalition government is necessary

Minor parties have an incentive to persevere

Proportional representation

Governments tend toward ______________

Two party

• Winner-takes-all system

• “__________” syndrome discourages minor parties

• Government tends toward stability

• Policy change is _____________________

The U.S. is a two-party system; most other democracies have a multiparty system

Party SystemsAlthough the United States has many minor parties, only the two major parties have much of a chance to win elections.

Multiparty systems are almost always found in countries that have a ____________________________, in contrast to our presidential system.

Barriers to Minor-Party Success

• _____________

• Consensus

• History

The Rise and Fall of Parties Founding fathers disliked parties,

viewing them as ____________ (especially George Washington).

Earliest parties were a mix of heterogeneous _____________ put together to try to win elections

1st Battle Jefferson - Jeffersonian Republicans Hamilton- _________________

They were loose associations (___________) of political notables.

Republicans dominated - Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe

The Political Machine Definition- a party organization that

recruits members via tangible ______________.

Prevalent in the US until early 1900s. It has been curbed by ____________

reform, voter registration, and social services being taken over by the federal and state government.

Weakening of Political Parties Federalism decentralizes power.

Parties organized at all levels and do not communicate well.

***ALL politics are _____________*****

Candidates are chosen through __________ not by party leaders.

Caucus v. Primary A caucus is a much more involved

___________ than a primary. Due to this, only the most dedicated

partisans attend. This leads to some of the most

ideological candidates (____________) winning or doing very well in the caucus.

Today’s Party Structure Parties are very similar on paper. National convention has ultimate power.

Meets every ____________ to nominate the presidential candidate.

National committee is composed of delegates from states; they manage the affairs between conventions.

National Chair _______________ daily work.

National Conventions National committee sets the time and place

and tells each state its # of ___________ and the ________ for their selection.

Democrats and Republicans have very _____________ ways of awarding delegates.

Delegate Distribution Formulas are used by both parties to allocate

their delegates to the national convention.

Republicans favor the ____________ system in most states.

This allows the process to come to a quicker conclusion.

SUPERDELEGATES!!!! The Democratic party prefers to allocate

their delegates via ______________ representation. (15% threshold)

Democrats also allow elected officials, party leaders and former officeholders to pledge their support as ___________________.

Are the Delegates Representative of the voter? NO!!!!! Democratic delegates are

much more _________ and Republican delegates are much more ___________ than your rank and file voter.

Yet, people that participate in caucuses and primaries are similar ___________ to those who participate in the general election.

Today’s convention Today’s national convention is similar to

a large __________ for the nominee. It is used to ratify the choices made by the voters during the primary season.

The party in power (executive branch) has their convention _______ the party seeking office holds their convention. Usually a week or two after.

State and Local Parties There is no ____________ structure of

political parties. Each level deals with its own issues. Ideas are not passed from national to state to local.

The only thing that flows from one level to another is ___________.

Types of Political Parties Ideological- based on an agenda covering

________________. Very factionalized.

Sponsored parties- created by an organization. Not ______________ in US.

Single Issue Parties

Concentrate on one single issue

Example: Prohibition Party in 1892

. Splinter Parties

One that splits from one of the major political parties

Examples: Tea Party or __________ Party

3rd Parties Never gain enough _____________ an

election. Factional (______________) parties

probably have the greatest influence on public policy.

The BIG TWO may pay a __________ if it fails to recognize the faction that has split from its party.

Marriage Proposalhttp://politicalhumor.about.com

• The two major parties are not necessarily looking to absorb the third parties. Sometimes they can hurt more than help.

Independent Voters?http://3rdpartyblogger.com/political-cartoons/political-cartoons-2/

Why might third parties be attractive to voters?