W. W. Norton & Company | We the People, 6th Edition

Chapter 9: Political Parties

Chapter Review

What Are Political Parties?

In modern history, political parties have been the chief points of contact between governments, on the one side, and groups and forces in society, on the other. Parties seek to influence government by getting their members elected to office. Political parties expand popular political participation by providing another source of access to government and government officials. Simultaneously, governments often seek to organize and influence important groups in society through political parties. The American party system is one of the oldest political institutions in the history of democracy. Liberty, equality and democracy depend on strong, competitive parties.

I. How have political parties developed in the United States?

Political parties developed as an outgrowth of the expansion of suffrage.

For every district where an election is held, there should be some kind of party unit.
American parties are weak compared to their European counterparts.

Political parties are also essential in the process of making policy.

Within the government, political parties are coalitions of individuals with shared or overlapping interests.
Political parties organize between the branches to pursue policy objectives.

The Two-Party System in America

I. How do parties form? What are the historical origins of today’s Democratic and Republican parties?

George Washington and many of the other Founders deplored partisan politics.
Despite the concern that parties were divisive, parties formed very early in the new administration out of the Federalist and Antifederalist factions.

II. What is the history of party politics in America?

When the Jeffersonian Party splintered in 1824, Andrew Jackson emerged as the leader of the largest of the four factions, the Democratic Party. The party presented itself as the party of the common man and was supported by laborers and immigrant settlers.
The Republican Party formed out of a coalition of antislavery forces and came to power as a result of a split in the Democratic Party in the 1850s. Early Republican platforms also appealed to commercial interests, such as instituting protective tariffs.

III. US has had six different party systems in a series of electoral realignments

Such a realignment occurs at a critical election and may be the result of cross-cutting issues or the mobilization of new voters combined with political or economic crises.
Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans – New England merchants versus agrarian interests
Democrats and Whigs – Whigs were the successors of the Federalists, but personalities counted more than issues
Democrats and Republicans: Post-Civil War – After the collapse of reconstruction, Southern Democrats stripped blacks of their political rights, including voting; Republicans controlled the North, with strong middle-class and business support.
System of 1896 – Republican dominance --Populist party merged with the Democrats, but failed to stop Republicans from dominating politics until 1932
New Deal Party System – Collapse of the US economy after 36 years of Republican domination and led to Democratic dominance until the issue of Civil Rights strained the Democratic coalition
Contemporary American Party System -- Republicans became competitive with Nixon's “southern strategy” broke the Democratic hold on the South and Reagan brought in religious conservatives.
This most recent realignment has also been referred to as a “dealignment,” reflecting the weakness of contemporary parties.

IV. What has been the historical role of third parties in American politics?

Despite the dominance of two parties in American politics, third parties have represented social and economic interests that, for one reason or another reason, were not given voice by the two major parties.
Third-parties have not been successful in winning elections because of our electoral system and political socialization.
Third parties, however, have had an impact in shaping the policies of the major parties, who often adopt their more popular ideas.

Party Organization

I. How are political parties organized? At what levels are they organized?

Political parties are organized at virtually every level of government.
Political party organizations at the national level include the national conventions, the national committees, and the congressional campaign committees.
Political party organizations at the state level include the state committees, county committees, and precinct committees.
The political machines of the 1800s and early 1900s were highly organized political parties that controlled urban and state politics.
The McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act of 2002 prohibited soft money contributions to the parties, which may have further weakened the political parties at the expense of wealthy special interests.

Parties and the Electorate

I. What ties do people have to political parties?

Party organizations are made up of millions of rank-and-file members, yet party activists are key to a successful party.
The tie to a particular party is psychological as well as rational (reflecting an individual’s interests).
Partisanship has declined in recent years.
Highly partisan individuals are more likely to vote and participate in politics.
Groups (race and ethnicity, gender, religion, class, ideology, region, and age) can be found to align with one party or another.

Parties and Elections

I. What are the important electoral functions of political parties?

Political parties recruit candidates.
Political parties nominate candidates for office.
Political parties mobilize voters.
Political parties facilitate voter choice.

Parties and the Government

I. How do differences between Democrats and Republicans affect Congress, the president, and the policy-making process?

American political parties are less ideological than their European counterparts.
Instead, American political parties attempt to appeal to a broad range of voters.
However, there are substantive differences in policy issues, such as taxes and the environment
Party activists in both parties are more ideological than typical voters, however.

Thinking Critically About The Role of Parties in a Democracy

I. Do parties help or hinder democracy?

Without democracy, a system of competing political parties would have never emerged.
At the same time, the existence of competing political parties is essential for the continuation of a vital democracy. Jeffersonian opposition to the Alien and Sedition Acts helped to strengthen the foundation for civil liberties in the US.
American parties are “candidate-centered,” meaning that individual candidates are less reliant on parties and more independent of the parties.
Some argue that we need a “responsible party government” in order to link democratic participation and government.
Strong parties promote electoral competition and voter turnout.

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