Download Chapter 8: Political Parties

Chapter 8: Political Parties
American and Texas Government: Policy and
Politics, 10/e
By Neal Tannahill
Case Study: 2008 Election
Democratic Party very successful in 2008
– Won Presidency for first time in 3 elections
– Obama won electoral vote 365-172, and 53% of
the popular vote
– Gained seats in the U.S. House and Senate
– Democrats hold 29 state governorships, and
control the state legislature in 27 states,
compared to 14 in full Republican control
The Party System
• A political party is a group of individuals who join together to seek
government office in order to make public policy.
• The number of political parties varies from country to country.
• The United States has a two-party system, which is the division of voter
loyalties between two major political parties, resulting in the near
exclusion of minor parties from seriously competing for political power.
• A plurality election system, which is a method for choosing public officials
that awards office to the candidate with the most votes, favors a twoparty system.
• Scholars believe that a nation’s party system reflects the fundamental
social and political divisions of society.
• The deeper and the more intense the divisions, the more likely the nation
will have a multiparty system.
• Compared to many democracies, the United States has fewer deeply
rooted social and political cleavages, according to scholars
Party Organization
• The organization of political parties in the United
States reflects the federal system, with organizations
at both the state and national levels of government.
• The most important service the national party
organizations provide for their candidates is financial
support.
• State party organizations and their platforms vary
substantially from state to state.
Political Cycles and Party Realignment
• Alternation of power inevitable and essential to
democracy
• Merrill/Grofman/Brunell theory on partisan
cycles in American politics:
– Most voters are moderate
– When R’s are in power, they govern to the right of
most Americans, and Americans grow more liberal.
– When D’s are in power, they govern to the left of most
Americans, and Americans grow more conservative.
• Other political scientists point to party eras and
more fundamental realignment
Party Balance: Republicans, Democrats
and Independents
• Surveys in 2008 show 36% of Americans
identified themselves as Democrats, 27% as
Republicans, and 36% as Independents.
• Independents are diverse, but
disproportionately male
• A majority of Democrats are women
• Republicans are equally divided between male
and female
• What are independents thinking?
Party Balance - Independents
• Political scientists show 5 types of
independents:
– Deliberators – swing voters, ok with either party
– Disillusioned – alienated from system
– Dislocated – liberal on social issues, conservative
on economic issues
– Disguised – Reject party labels, but usually vote
one party or the other
– Disengaged – little interest in politics
Voting Patterns
• Support for the parties varies according to the following
factors:
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income
race and ethnicity
education
gender
age
family and lifestyle status
region
political ideology
Religion
place of residence
Issue Orientation
• In a diverse society such as the United States, the major
parties in a two-party system must offer issue positions that
appeal to broad segments of the voters. Since 1960, the
parties have grown further apart philosophically.
• The national Democratic Party generally takes the liberal
position on issues, while the Republican Party usually
expresses conservative views.
Issue Orientation
• The Democratic and Republican national platforms show clear
differences on issues.
– Democrats favor educating children of illegal immigrants in public
schools; Republicans do not.
– On abortion, Democrats support abortion rights, while some
Republicans support a constitutional amendment outlawing all
elective abortions.
– Democrats favor legislation to end discrimination against gay men and
lesbians, while Republicans oppose extending civil rights protections
to homosexuals.
– On some other issues, the differences are subtle. Both parties favored
some tax cuts in their 2004 platforms but offered different
approaches.
– Their positions on the environment also differ.
Divided Government
 Divided government has become commonplace in
recent decades.
 The Constitution sets the stage for divided
government because of separation of powers.
 Different issues influence the elections for president,
the House of Representatives, and the Senate.
 One party may have an advantage on national issues,
while the other enjoys an advantage on local issues.
 Therefore, divided government reflects voters’
divided issue preferences.