The Emergence of Political Parties

1
The Emergence of Political Parties

• American Political Parties
• Prof. Wolbrecht
• 18 March 2009

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Founders on Parties

• Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and
  warn you in the most solemn manner against the
  baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
  This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from
  our nature, having its root in the strongest
  passions of the human mind. the common and
  continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are
  sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a
  wise people to discourage and restrain it.
• George Washington
• Farewell Address (1796)

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Founders on Parties

• I never submitted the whole system of my opinions
  to the creed of any party of men whatever, in
  religion, in philosophy, in politics or in
  anything else, where I was capable of thinking
  for myself. Such an addiction is the last
  degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could
  not go to Heaven but with a party, I would not go
  there at all.
• Thomas Jefferson (1789)

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Founders on Parties

• Among the numerous advantages promised by a
  well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more
  accurately developed than its tendency to break
  and control the violence of faction. The friend
  of popular governments never finds himself so
  much alarmed for their character and fate, as
  when he contemplates their propensity to this
  dangerous vice. He will not fail, therefore, to
  set a due value on any plan which, without
  violating the principles to which he is attached,
  provides a proper cure for it.
• James Madison
• The Federalist No. 10 (1787)

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Problem No. 1 GOVERNING

• PROBLEM OF LOW INFORMATION
• Need lots of information to make a good decision
• Information is costly (time, energy, resources)

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Problem No. 1 GOVERNING

• PROBLEM OF COLLECTIVE ACTION
• Rational behavior of individuals acting
  independently leads to outcomes that are
  suboptimal for all members

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Collective Action Legislative Voting
Source Aldrich (2005) Why Parties?
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Collective Action Legislative Voting
Source Aldrich (2005) Why Parties?
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Collective Action Legislative Voting
Source Aldrich (2005) Why Parties?
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First sessions of Congress

• First Congress (1789-91) voting unstable
• Before Second Congress Hamilton organizes the
  Federalists
  
• Madison and Jefferson organize Democratic-Republic
  ans in response
  
• Second Congress (1791-93) Federalists
  (majority) fairly successful
  
• Third Congress (1793-95) clear party voting,
  emergence of party institutions

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Calculus of Voting

• V P(B) C D
• V Vote
• P Probability your vote will be decisive
• B Benefit if your candidate wins
• C Costs associated with voting
• D Duty inherent value of voting