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George Washington, in his farewell address, warned us to avoid parties because of their disastrous effects. |
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19th century political "machines" have given way to more candidate-centered parties. |
| 1) Why Do Political Parties Form? |
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Parties hope to control the government by being office-seekers, rather than benefit seekers as interest groups. |
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Parties organize to solve problems of collective action, collective choice of policy, and ambition. |
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A) To Facilitate Collective Action in the Electoral Process |
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Parties contest elections by having units in every district where elections are held. |
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Parties lower information costs to voters by providing a "brand name." |
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B) To Resolve Collective Choice in the Policy-Making Process |
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Within government, parties form lasting coalitions to induce cooperation, facilitating policy choices. |
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C) To Deal with the Problem of Ambition |
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Parties regulate career advancement, and help resolve ambitious competition among party members. |
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| 2) What Functions Do Parties Perform? |
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A) Recruiting Candidates |
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This difficult chore must be completed for thousands of races around the country. |
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B) Nominations |
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Parties select their standard bearer for each race, and this process is often lengthy and very competitive for attractive offices. |
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Nominees may be determined through conventions, primaries, or caucuses. |
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C) Getting Out the Vote |
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Voter registration drives and mobilization efforts on election day help to counter the free-rider problem. |
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D) Facilitating Mass Electoral Choice |
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Parties lower information costs by providing voters with a "brand name." |
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Party identification gives voters "teams" they can cheer to victory. |
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E) Influencing National Government |
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Despite fundamental similarities, the parties have significant differences in philosophy and core constituencies. |
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Party leaders often try to appeal to new constituencies in order to increase their base. |
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Congress depends heavily on the majority party for the makeup of committees and the leadership of the chamber. |
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The president is often seen as the leader of his party, but with variable degree of success. |
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| 3) Parties and the Electorate |
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A) Group Affiliations |
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In the U.S. a variety of characteristics are associated with party identification. These include: race and ethnicity, religion, class, ideology, and region. |
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| 4) Party Systems |
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A) The First Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans |
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B) The Second Party System: Democrats and Whigs |
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C) The Third Party System: Republicans and Democrats, 1860-96 |
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D) Party Machines as a Strategic Innovation |
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Bosses used spoils system to grant selective benefits to supporters. |
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E) Institutional Reforms of the Progressives |
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Voter registration laws, the Australian ballot, nonpartisan local elections, the merit system all worked to erode the strength of machines. |
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F) The Fourth Party System, 1896-1932 |
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G) The Fifth Party System: The New Deal Coalition, 1932-1968 |
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H) The Sixth Party System? |
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The shift of the south into Republican camp has altered the landscape, as have parties' ideological differences. |
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I) American Third Parties |
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Although they can be relatively successful at state and local levels, third parties are usually unsuccessful nationally. |
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Major parties usually absorb any successful themes, and many electoral laws work against successful third parties. |
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| 5) How Strong Are Political Parties Today? |
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Progressive reforms eroded party strength, leading 1940's political scientists to bemoan the lack of party discipline and responsibility. |
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A) High-Tech Politics and the Rise of Candidate-Centered and Capital-Intensive Politics |
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Newer tools include polling, use of the broadcast media, phone banks, direct mail, professional public relations, and the internet to let candidate-centered organizations reach voters themselves. |
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Parties still provide money, resources, and expertise. |
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B) Contemporary Party Organizations |
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National Conventions select Presidential nominees, establish party rules and create platforms. |
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National Committees head the party, raise funds, build unity, and provide a public message for the party. |
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Congressional Campaign Committees raise funds and help candidates. |
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State and Local Party Organizations recruit candidates, conduct voter registration drives, and provide financial assistance to candidates. |
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C) Parties and Democracy |
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Parties make democratic governance possible, serving as a partial antidote to the contradiction between participation and governance. |
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Partisanship remains important to voters, providing nominees and informational cues. |
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Congress is organized around the two-party system. |
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