Political Parties
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Liberal *Economic Regulation—anti-big business, higher taxes (especially on wealthy) in order to equalize wealth among the citizenry, price controls, government subsidies to farmers and such, more government spending and government welfare, affirmative action (de facto racial and gender equality through regulated hiring practices; personal merit is secondary to interests of diversity) *Open Borders—more amnesty for illegal immigrants, fewer restrictions on legal immigration, wars should be limited to very narrow objectives, cultural diversity, greater freedom of individuals to act without government monitoring or control -- *Social morality more important than personal morality—hence Bill Clinton can get away with sexual scandal because it’s a purely personal matter without impact on the country as a whole --pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-gun control (guns kill people), sex education encouraged, no government religious endorsements or activities --“tolerance” comes to mean “acceptance” of diverse lifestyle choices, no government right to intervene *Government is a positive good, a/the solution to numerous social problems FDR, JFK, LBJ, Carter, Bill and Hillary, Obama, etc. |
Conservative *Economic deregulation—market-driven economy allows laws of supply and demand to determine income distribution, lower taxes (especially for wealthy and businesses), lower government spending and little or no welfare (private charity should bear bulk of social responsibility for the deserving poor), some corporate subsidies, equality of opportunity is important (personal responsibility and merit take priority here) *Closed or Monitored Borders—deportation or imprisonment for illegal immigrants, punishment for those hiring illegals, more restrictions on legal immigration, wars with broad aims are in national interests, individual freedom within circumscribed limits of what is required for national security, cultural diversity is at best a hindrance and at worst it is dangerous to patriotism and security. -- *Personal morality more important than social morality—hence Bill Clinton is chastised for his sexual indiscretion because it reflects poorly on the country as a whole and undermines presidential authority to have a lying, cheating SOB in office --pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, anti-gun control (people kill people, not guns), abstinence education encouraged, general government favoritism toward approved religious practices and institutions --“tolerance” in the traditional and correct sense of the term—putting up with something one finds objectionable in order to avoid worse in the short term, but trying to find ways to do away with it eventually through education and/or legislation *Government is the problem, not the solution Reagan, Gingrich, Lott, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. |
Discover your place in the political spectrum by taking the personal political philosophy quiz at www.politicalcompass.org You will find where you stand along the economic left-right dimension and along the social authoritarian-anarchist dimension. Try to figure out where your professor would fall; it may help you out on the final….
A. Parties in General
a. Organized groups of like-minded individuals joined together to control government through elections.
i. Umbrella organizations
ii. Blurred interests/issues
b. Like-minded/shared attitudes, but NOT ideological (see p. 7, Day 9-10 notes)
c. Elections: candidates given a label by which they are officially endorsed
i. Recruitment of candidates
ii. Supplying funds for candidates claiming a specific label
d. Broad-based coalitions: distinguishes the parties from interest groups.
i. No dues, no oaths of allegiance required, to mandatory assent to party platforms
ii. Interest groups do not want to run the government as parties do; they only want to influence policy
iii. Parties are not factions (separate groups trying to obtain certain benefits only for themselves); thre are factions within the parties, but they are not permanently organized
e. Role of party:
i. Party-in-the-electorate: party provides info. to allow voters to decide which candidate they want to support; common people who identify with one party or another or at least express preference for one party or another through emotional ties, etc.
ii. Party-as-organization: coordinates resources and support for its candidates; helps party sustain itself (full-time and part-time staff of the party who keep the day-to-day business of the party running; those who organize voter registration drives, volunteers to work the polls, etc)
iii.
Party-in-government: coordinating function for its
members in Congress., the Cabinet, and the presidency (attempting to put
officials into unity) (set political positions rather than endorsement
of specific candidates)
f. Goals are to win elections—to control the government
g. Resources: issues, organization, government machinery (parties are typically controlled by the small numbers of party activists)
B.
History of parties in the
a.
Origin: first Congress saw parties developing along
lines of debt assumption: Federalists (Adams,
b. Duvergen’s Law: in nations with plurality system => two parties with chance of winning elections (first-past-the-post or winner-take-all system: most votes goes on and wins)
i. Among party leaders—mechanical effect: electoral law encourages parties to work together to narrow it down to two candidates (full matching funds only for the major parties, and other candidates who receive at least 5% of the popular vote in the previous election; # of voter signatures required can vary depending upon party strength in the previous elections)
ii. Among voters—psychological effect: e.g., if cons. candidate receives 45% of voter support, lib. candidate A receives 40%, and lib. candidate B receives 15%, voters for B may tend to move toward A to block conservative candidate from winning, knowing that a vote for B is fruitless.
c.
Proportional representation: allows smaller parties to
carve a niche of support and gain a percentage of seats in government as
opposed to the winner-take-all system. (common in many European nations and in
C. Party system is not static; it changes over time
a. Realignment Theory: party system can change in party’s strength or a third party could replace a major party.
i. Critical realignment: sudden shift in party system, rapid change
1. depression era with Hoover presidency and New Deal realignment—from 1900-1932, Republicans hold presidency for all but 8 years under Wilson; from 1933-1969, Democrats hold presidency for all but 8 years under Eisenhower
b. Basis of party competition changes
i. Rural v. Urban (business regulation)
ii. Class basis party competition (after 1932)
c. Polarization: during period of realignment both parties look very similar => clearly defined differences after realignment
d. Turnout is high because people are concerned about who will win
e. Change is durable (not just a one-time thing)
a. Periodicity: change occurs every 32-36 years => party identification => high proportion of independents
b. Secular Realignment: gradual change (e.g., South’s change from Democrat to Republican party)
c. Conversion and Mobilization: (change from one party to another), takes place when independents are moved toward one party or another
D. Party decline: Are parties as important as they used to be? (approx. 30% today claim to be independents)
a. Parties used to print their own ballots; no secret balloting
b. Media involvement has led to decrease in parties’ responsibility to make their candidates known
E.
1987 CCS:
a. growing national debt
b. conflict between president and congress over foreign policy
c. dysfunctional electoral system
i. low turnout
ii. long/costly campaigns
iii. personalities instead of issues are emphasized
d. ideal of responsible party government: voters know who to reward and punish = accountability
e. Divided government over 21 of the last 27 years; lack of accountability and knowledge of who is to blame
f. CCS proposals
i. Strengthen party in electorate
ii. Strengthen party in the government