Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

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Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

• Unit IIIA
• Political Parties

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Political Party

• A group of political activists organized to
  secure and operate the government and determine
  public policy
• A permanent organization based on broad
  objectives and issues in order to attract
  support, power, and voters

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The Functions of Political Parties

• Recruitment
• Discover political hopefuls to secure political
  offices
• Elections
• Organize voting drives, fundraisers, conventions
• Positions
• Establish political agendas to solidify base
• Responsibility
• Implement and secure support and influence
  through appointments of loyalists
• Loyal Opposition
• Force debate on issues against opposing party

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Political Party Components

• Party in the Electorate
• Individual members of the party who identify with
  the party platform and/or vote based on party
  lines
• Party in the Government
• Elected and appointed officials identified with a
  political party
• Party Organization
• Party professionals responsible for recruitment
  (volunteers, candidates), organizing grassroots
  and conventions, and running campaigns and
  fundraisers

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Party Platforms
DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
Minimum wages tax increases on upper-class Wages based on free market no tax increases
Support Roe v. Wade pro-choice Overturn Roe v. Wade pro-life
Decrease defense spending make military more efficient Defense and security a priority increase defense spending
Support equality and affirmative action programs Against racial quotas
Favor gun control Favor gun rights
Against the Patriot Act based on restrictions of civil liberties Favor security measures of the Patriot Act
Preserve welfare programs oppose privatization of social security Privatize social security reduce government welfare programs
Support environmental regulations Reduce government regulation of energy-based industries
Expand national health care coverage Health care controlled by industries
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Party in the Government

• Executive
• Appoint political party officials to enforce laws
  based on party platforms
• Coerce Congress to implement party platform
  agendas
• Legislative
• Establish congressional and committee leadership
  to implement party platform legislation
• Develop coalitions to ensure party platforms and
  electoral victories
• Unified Government
• Political party controls executive and
  legislative branches
• Passage of party platform legislation relatively
  easy
• Divided Government
• Opposing political party holds majority in House,
  Senate, White House or two of those
• Prevents relative dominance of one party
• Gridlock leads to compromise or delay in
  addressing national issues

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Political Party Organization
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National Party Organization

• National Convention
• Party delegates meet to choose presidential and
  vice-presidential candidates
• Establish party platform
• National Committee
• Coordinate national party activities, such as
  convention
• Control distribution of campaign funds
• National Chairperson
• Manage national election campaign
• Congressional Campaign Committee
• Committee in each congressional chamber to ensure
  election/re-election of party candidates

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State Party Organization

• Similar structure of national party organization
  (chairperson, committee)
• Promote national and state party platforms
• Controls campaign funding and distribution
• Used to ensure unit rule
• Awarding all of states electoral votes to
  candidate
• Exceptions in Maine and Nebraska

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Local Party OrganizationPolitical Machines and
Grassroots

• Political Machine
• Party organization that recruits members through
  incentives
• Money, jobs, patronage, support
• Tammany Hall in New York City
• Modern Local Party Organizations
• More restrictions established through voter
  registration and end of patronage
• Grassroots
• From-the-ground-up building of political support
• Local campaigning and fundraising

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Party Systems

• One-Party System
• Little to no choice in party affiliations
  leaders choose candidates
• Typical of dictatorial governments
• Two-Party System
• Dominated by two major parties minor parties
  have little effect
• Electoral College and single-member districts
  promote two-party system
• Plurality system/winner-take-all system
• American voters tend to choose between Democrat
  or Republican
• Multi-Party System
• Multiple major parties and influential minority
  parties
• Proportional representation promotes this system
• Securing majority power often difficult leading
  to coalitions among parties
• Tend to be unstable

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Constitutionality of Political Parties

• The U.S. Constitution does not include any
  reference to political parties
• Federalist 10 by James Madison warned of
  factions
• George Washingtons Farewell Address warned of
  partisan politics
• Threatens national unity and popular government
• Federalists and Anti-Federalists originated
  two-party system in U.S.

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Party Development 1789-1796

• Washingtons Administration
• Thomas Jefferson vs. Alexander Hamilton
• Hamiltons national policies
• Bank of the U.S.
• Debt plan
• Jeffersons egalitarian vision
• States rights

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Election of 1796
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Realignment Election of 1800
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First Party System (1796-1824)

• Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
• Revolution of 1800
• Jefferson (D-R) defeats Adams (F)
• D-R control Congress
• Peaceful transition of power
• War of 1812
• D-R and War Hawks against Britain
• Federalists support Britain, against war
• Leads to collapse of Federalists
• Era of Good Feelings (1816-1824)
• Virtual one-party system as D-R dominate White
  House and Congress
• Election of 1824
• Factions develop among D-R leading to Corrupt
  Bargain as John Quincy Adams secures victory over
  Jackson in House

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Election of 1824
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Realignment Election of 1828
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Second Party System (1828-1854)

• Democrats vs. National Republicans/Whigs
• Andrew Jackson and the Common Man
• National Conventions replace Caucuses
• Anti-Masonic Party introduces national convention
  in 1831
• Whigs
• Henry Clay and the American System
• Democrats
• States rights and Manifest Destiny
• Solid South
• Slavery
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) weakens Whigs and
  leads to founding of Republican Party

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Election of 1856
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Realignment Election of 1860
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Third Party System (1860-1896)

• Democrats vs. Republicans
• Government dominated by Republican Party
• Election of 1860, Civil War, Reconstruction
• Lincolns election led to Civil War
• Democrats lost power with secession of South
• Radical Republicans enforced party platforms
• Freedmen, Scalawags, Carpetbaggers
• Democrats
• Bourbon Democrats - pro-business, laissez-faire
• Redeemers - Southern Democrats return to power at
  end of Reconstruction
• Republicans
• Mugwumps, Stalwarts, Half-Breeds - civil service
  reform
• Political Machines and Political Bosses
• Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed
• Populists and Panic of 1893
• Reforms, bimetallism (gold and silver)
• Election of 1896
• William Jennings Bryan (D) vs. William McKinley
  (R)

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Election of 1892
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Realignment Election of 1896
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Fourth Party System (1896-1932)

• Republicans vs. Democrats
• Republicans
• Party of business and prosperity
• Democrats
• Embraced progressive reforms and more government
  intervention
• Solid South
• Progressive Era
• Republican Domination of 1920s
• Limited government and pro-business policies
• Crash of 1929 launched Great Depression
• Election of 1932
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) vs. Herbert Hoover (R)
• New Deal Coalition
• Urban leaders, blacks, Solid South, unions,
  intellectuals, Catholics, Jews

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Election of 1928
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Realignment Election of 1932
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Fifth Party System (1932-Present)

• Democrats vs. Republicans
• Democrats
• Have been dominant in most years
• Expansion of federal government
• FDRs New Deal and Johnsons Great Society
• Dominant in Northeast and Pacific
• Republicans
• Pro-business, assume states rights
• Solid South becomes Bible Belt and conservative
  stronghold
• Dominant in Great Plains and Rocky Mountains
• Current Trends
• Beginning in 1980s, Fifth Party System may be
  leading to dealignment
• More independents than party identification
• More split-ticket voting, less straight-ticket
  voting

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Republican Party

• GOP - Grand Old Party
• Possible origin in New York Times headlines
• Elephant
• Thomas Nast of Harpers Weekly in 1874
• Signified Republican vote in response to possible
  third term for President Grant (R)

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Democratic Party

• Probably in reference to Andrew Jacksons
  opponents calling him a jackass
• Thomas Nast of Harpers Weekly in 1870

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Minor/Third Parties

• Ideological
• Based on social, economic, or political beliefs
• Socialist Party, Libertarian Party
• Splinter
• Split from major national party
• Bull Moose Party, States Rights Party
• Single-Issue
• Based on a individual policy matter
• Free Soil Party, Know-Nothing Party
• Protest
• Formed on basis of poor conditions
• Populist Party

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Impact of Minor/Third Parties

• Reasons Minor Parties Do Not Succeed
• Based on single-issue thus attract very few
  supporters
• Major national parties may assimilate them into
  broader coalition
• Die out when issue is either solved, loses
  support, and/or leaders pass on
• More success in state and local governments
• Influences of Minor Parties
• Anti-Masonic Party introduced national
  conventions
• Republican Party began as minor party and became
  major national party
• Populist Party fueled Progressive Era reforms
• States Rights Party and American Independence
  Party showcased racial attitudes of Solid South

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Current Minor Party National Officeholders

• Senator Angus King (I) of Maine (2013-Present)
• Senator Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont
  (2007-Present)

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Current National Political Parties

• Democratic (1828)
• Republican (1854)
• Prohibition (1869)
• Socialist Labor (1876)
• Socialist Workers (1938)
• World Socialist (1916)
• Communist (1919)
• American Nazi (1959)
• American (1969)
• American Populist (2009)
• Christian Liberty (1996)

• Constitution (1992)
• Green Party (2001)
• Labor Party (1996)
• Libertarian (1971)
• Progressive Labor (1961)
• Raza Unida (1970)
• Reform Party (1995)
• United States Marijuana Party (2002)
• Several others

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Political PartiesMajor Points of Emphasis

• Linkage Purpose of Political Parties
• Nominate candidates
• Win elections to control government
• American Two-Party System
• Winner-take-all/Plurality system
• Single-member districts
• Electoral College
• Broad appeal of platforms
• Realignment Elections
• Minority party becomes majority party
• Changes in voting bloc coalitions
• Campaign strategies (Election of 1896)
• Dealignment Elections
• Increase in split-ticket voting by independents