Texas Political Parties

 

All major political parties in the United States are umbrella organizations, lacking in clear ideological positions. They are designed to serve as groups that organize candidates of similar persuasions and help them win elections to public office

 

Functions of Political Parties

 

*Nominate candidates and get them elected to public office (except in local elections in Texas, which are legally non-partisan)

*Simplify the issues for the benefit of the voters (voters may look at party platform and gain a general idea of what each candidate of that party believes—BUT, no candidate is bound by the party platform, and to rely only on the platform as a guide to voting is “dangerous”, because what you see is not always what you get.

*Mobilize voters for the general election in November

*Run the government at the level(s) at which they are active (effects of party government are offset by the separation of powers/divided government)

 

Characteristics of American Political Parties

 

Pragmatism: Parties are less ideological, more pragmatic/results-oriented (in contrast with some international parties that are strongly ideological and much less concerned with real results in policy shaping)

            --Willingness to compromise on principles in order to gain advantage

            --Less issue-oriented campaigning for fear of alienating a significant portion of the voter base

            --Still somewhat ideological; differences between candidates do exist, but these differences are often differences of degree of emphasis on the issues rather than the importance of certain issues and the methods of dealing with them. Character differences are also important in American elections, more so than in Europe and elsewhere, where ideology of the party is the deciding factor.

 

Decentralization: State and local parties are semi-independent of the national parties. There is some interaction between the party levels, but no state party is completely bound by the activities of the national party.

 

Two-Partyism:  Absorption of the issues by major parties; pragmatic voters who don’t want to vote for a loser will often go with the better choice (for them) of the two major party candidates. 

            Major parties automatically get on the ballot

            3^rd parties have to petition to be on the ballot, sometimes succeed, sometimes not

 

Development of the Texas Party System

 

The One-Party Tradition in Texas:  Little party activity in the Republic (1836-1845); Democratic Party becomes the dominant political party after annexation/statehood.

            --Democrats absorbed Populist Party ideas of the late 19^th century; began supporting regulations of railroads, industries, etc.

            --Democrats disenfranchised African-Americans by the institution of the poll tax; white primaries, etc.

            --Primaries were first established in Texas 1906; winner of the Democratic Party primary was the winner of the general election; primaries were the scene of competitive political races.

            --Memories of the Civil War and Reconstruction and Great Depression (all bad times for the Republican Party) left scars on the voters of Texas => loyalty to the Democrats

 

Ideological Basis of Factionalism: Conservatives and Liberals

 

Party division over ideology—common especially in a one-party system. Even in two-party system, the parties are sufficiently broad to allow multiple factions to exist within their ranks.

 

Conservatives: Traditionally considered the wealthy, middle- and upper-class, minimum government regulations on the economy and businesses; pro-infrastructure, tax breaks, government aid to businesses, etc.; family- and traditional-values-oriented; favor the status quo (if it’s traditional); oppose government wealth redistribution and social welfare programs (for healthcare, unemployment compensation, food stamps, etc.); favor local control over public safety, health, welfare, and morality;  critical of governmental interference with local/communal liberties (end up promoting limited national government, stronger state and local government); pessimistic about human nature.

 

Liberals: Government can be used for good, for change; promote wealth redistribution and end to special incentives and breaks to businesses; anti-monopoly.  Government to promote equality and protect the lower-classes.  Favoring taxes for the wealthy and support of social welfare programs; optimistic about human nature; critical of governmental interference with individual liberties (end up promoting big national government, weaker state and local government). 

 

Conservative and Liberal Factions in the (Texas) Democratic Party

 

Traditional success of more conservative Democrats in Texas before 1990s in the Democratic primary races.

Conservative Democrats emerged out of dissatisfaction with the Roosevelt New Deal and Truman Fair Deal programs of the 1930s-40s. 

            --Voted for the Republican in presidential elections in ’28, ’52, ’56, ’68, ’72, ’80, ’84, ’88, ’92, ’96, ’00, ’04.  (As Democrats, only Kennedy, LBJ and Jimmy Carter received Texas’ electoral votes in the second half of the 20^th century)

 

Conservatives usually the professional classes, most affluent segment of the population

            --give $$ to the candidates (and where the $$ is, there’s influence)

            --vote on election day in greater numbers (note that even weather can make a difference.  Most conservatives will turn out to vote come hell or high water; liberals traditionally are too laissez-faire to turn out to vote if something interferes with their plans for the day). Conservatives see voting as a patriotic duty; liberals see it more as a right (which may be exercised or may not be at the individual’s discretion)

 

Liberals support the national Democratic party

            --traditionally unionists, minorities, teachers/professors, environmentalists, abortion supporters, trial lawyers (plaintiffs’ lawyers in big civil suits)

            --have had little success in Texas’s state political races

 

Conservative defection from the Democratic party to the Republican party => liberals gaining victories in the Democratic primaries in Texas, but still being more or less incapable of winning political races in Texas

 

Rise of the Republican Party

 

1950s, “Presidential Republicans” (voted for the Republican presidential candidates and the conservative Democratic state candidates). 

            --John Tower wins US Senate seat in 1961; senate seat remains in Republican hands since that time (Gramm, Cornyn)

            --Bill Clements wins the governor’s office 1978, 1986

            --Kay Bailey Hutchison wins the other US Senate seat 1992 and holds it still today

            --George W. Bush becomes only the second Republican since Reconstruction to hold the governor’s office in 1994, 1998; Rick Perry (R) succeeds him, keeping the governor’s office in Republican hands

            --1998, all statewide elected offices are won by Republicans; no Democrats have held any statewide elected office since.

            ---1996, state Senate becomes majority Republican

            --2002, state House of Representatives becomes majority Republican

Most Republicans live in the urban and suburban areas or rural ranching areas or oil-producing areas in West Texas and East Texas; Democrats live more in the inner cities and small towns of East Texas, South/South Central Texas, and West Texas. 

 

Conservative and Moderate Factions Within the Republican Party

 

Evangelicals control the Republican Party of Texas

            --party platform of the RPT dominated by evangelical party members

            --evangelicals are more likely to vote than the average party member or citizen

            --have dominated the RPT since 1994

=> Factionalism between conservative and moderate groups within the RPT (Moderates fear the radicalism of the right wing groups, fear the loss of party credibility.)

 

Little support for RPT among minority groups; no significant efforts made to change this; African Americans consistently Democratic; Hispanics swing voters

Temporary Party Organization

 

Precinct Convention: Open to all primary voters; held same day as the primaries; adoption of resolutions to be sent to county/state senatorial district conventions; select delegates to the county conventions; small attendance of approx. 2-3% of primary voters

--Possibility of “rump conventions” at all levels before the national convention—factions split in the parties; which one is legit is to be determined by the credentials committee of the higher level party

 

County/State Senatorial District Conventions: held the third Saturday after the first Tuesday in March in even # years; adopt resolutions to be sent to the state party convention; elect delegates to the state party convention; state senatorial district conventions replace county conventions when a county is divided between two or more state senatorial districts

 

State Convention:  Held in June of even numbered years; elect state party officers; elect state executive committee (2 from each of the state’s 31 state senatorial districts, one man, one woman from each); adopt party platform; certify candidates nominated in the March/April primaries; elect party nominees from Texas to the national committee on the party; select presidential electors (in presidential election years); elect (some) delegates to the national convention (in presidential election years)

 

Permanent Party Organization

 

Precinct Chair: elected by primary voters for 2 year term; serves as a party organizer; serves as member of the county executive committee; presides over precinct convention

 

County Level Organization:

--County chair chosen by primary voters to preside over the county executive committee and county convention; to work with county commissioners’ court to arrange polling sites, select primary election judges; accepts candidates’ application/filing fees for running in the primaries

--County Executive Committee: assembles roll of delegates to the county convention; canvasses primary returns for local government races; helps county chair in preparing ballot, collecting funds, etc.

 

State Level Organization:

--State chair chosen by delegates to the state convention; presides over the state executive committee; processes statewide candidates’ requests

--State Executive Committee: determines site of state convention; canvasses statewide primary election results; certifies nomination of party’s candidates; issues press releases, conducts public relations; facilitates the organization of the lower levels of party govt.; fund raising

 

 

 

Republican Dominance

 

1996—first time all 254 counties in Texas held a Republican primary contest

 

Alienation of conservative Democrats from the national party during the ‘60s and ‘70s with civil rights, Vietnam, abortion, the sexual revolution, etc.

 

Appeal of Reagan and Bush in the ’80, ’84, ’94, ’98, ’00, ’04 elections

 

New “immigrants” to Texas from the Midwest and South are more Republican in outlook or independent voters not tied to either party label. 

 

Increase in # of ticket splitters; simultaneous realignment and dealignment (party identification is shifting and is slipping at the same time)