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Chapter 5/1
Parties and What They Do
* The primary purpose of the two major American political parties is to control government through winning election to public office.
*Political parties nominate candidates, rally their supporters, participate in government, act as a "bonding agent" for their own officeholders, and act as a watchdog over the other party.
Definitions:
political party - a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office.
major parties - the Democratic and Republican parties
(the broader definition of a political party is a group of persons, joined together on the basis of common principles, to seek to control government in order to affect certain public policies and programs.
partisanship - the strong support of their party and its policy stands, appointments made at both the federal and state levels with an eye to party considerations
party in power - the party that holds the executive branch of government; President or governor
What do political parties do?
Political parties are a vital link between the people and their government. Parties serve the democratic ideal in another important way. They work to resolve conflict; they are "power brokers". Political parties try to bring conflicting groups together.
Nominating Candidates
The major function of a political party is to nominate candidates for public office. They select the candidates and then present them to the voters.
There must be a procedure for finding and recruiting candidates and well as a mechanism for gathering support for these candidates. Parties are the best device yet found to do those jobs.
Informing and Activating Supporters
Parties inform the people, and inspire and activate their interest and participation in public affairs. Both the Democratic and Republican parties try to shape their positions to attract as many voters as possible-and that will, at the same time, offend as few voters as possible.
The Bonding Agent Function
In politics, a political party acts as a "bonding agent", to ensure the good performance of its candidates and officeholders.
Governing
Those who govern are regularly chosen on the basis of their party. Congress and the State legislatures are organized on party lines, and they conduct much of their business on the basis of partisanship. Most appointments to executive offices, at both the federal and State levels, are made with an eye to party considerations.
Acting as Watchdog
Parties act as watchdogs over the conduct of the public's business. This is particularly true of the party out of power.
5/2 Notes
Homework #8
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. Briefly explain the four reasons why the United States has a two-party system?
2. Many factors tend to influence party choice. Name and briefly explain four.
3. What does the fact that the major parties cooperate to discourage minor parties and yet compete vigorously against each other during elections tell you about party politics in the United States?
Section Objectives:
1. Identify the reasons why the United States has a two-party system.
2. Understand multiparty and one-party systems and how they affect the functioning of government.
3. Describe party membership patterns in the Inited States
Why it Matters:
The two-party system in the United States is a product of historical forces, our electoral system, and the ideological consensus of the American people. It provides more political stability than a multiparty system and more choice than a one-party system.
minor party - one of many political parties without wide voter support in this country
two-party system - In a typical election, only the Republican or the Democratic Party's candidates have a reasonable chance of winning public office.
Why a Two-Pary System?
*Historical Basis: The American party system began as a two-party system.
Federalists - led by Alexander Hamilton
Anti-Federalist - led by Thomas Jefferson
*The Force of Tradition: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one.
*The Electoral System -
single-member districts- contests in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot
plurality - The winning candidate is the one who receives a plurality, or the largest number of votes cast for that office.
bipartisan - Republicans and Democrats regularly act in a bipartisan way to discourage third party candidates.
*The American Ideological Consensus-
pluralistic society - one consisting of several distinct cultures and groups.
consensus - a general agreement among various groups -onfundamental matters.
*Multiparty Systems
multiparty - a system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win public office. Many European democracies have this type of system and they are now found in many democratic societies around the world.
coalition - a temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government
one-party system - really amounts to a "no-party" system
Chapter 5 Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History
The origins and history of political parties in the United States help explain how the two major parties work today and how they affect American government.
incumbent - current office holder
factions - conflicting groups
electorate - the people eligible to vote
sectionalism - sectionalism emphasizes a devotion to the interests of a particular region
Chapter 5 Section 4 Notes
The Minor Parties
ideological parties - those based on particular set of beliefs - a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters. Most of these minor parties have been built on some shade of Marxist thought; examples include the Socialist Labor, Socialist Worker, and Communists parties.
A few odeplogical parties have had a quite different approach, however - especially the libertarian Party of today, which emphasizes individualism and calls for doing away with most of government's present functions and programs. The ideological parties have seldom been able to win many votes. As a rule, however, they have been long-lived.
single-issue parties - focus on only one public-policy matter.Their names have usually indicated their primary concern.
economic protest parties - have been rooted in periods of economic discontent. Unlike the socialist parties, these groups have not had any clear-cut ideological base.
splinter parties - are thosethat have split away from one of the major parties. Most splinter parties have formed around a strong personality - most often someone who has failed to win his major party's presidential nomination.
Why minor parties are important?
A strong third-party candidacy can play a decisive role - often a spoiler role in an election.
Some prominent minor parties: Libertatian, Constitution, and Socialist parties.
single-issue parties
economic protest parties -
splinter parties -
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