Chapter 8

Party Identification and Voting Patterns

-Example: Republicans will vote Republican no matter what (same for Democrats) -Independents tend to lean towards one party -power of party loyalties is evident in the extent to which straight ticket voting occurs - some voters cast a split ticket -dealignment can occur

party competition

A process in which conflict over society's goals is transformed by political parties into electoral competition in which the winner gains the power to govern

grassroots party

A political party organized at the level of the voters and dependent on their support for its strength

Air Wars

A term that refers to the fact that modern campaigns are often a battle of opposing televised advertising campaigns. -rapid response

closed primary

Participation is limited to voters registered or declared at the polls as members if the party whose primary is being held; the logic of a closed primary is that a party's voters alone should have the power to choose its general election candidate.

What is a linkage institution? List the 4 main types.

- an institution that serves to connect citizens with government elections 1. elections, 2. political parties, 3. interest groups, and 4. the media

Ground Wars

-As election day nears, candidates concentrate on getting their supporters to the polls

State Party Organizations

-At the state level, each party is headed by a central committee made up of members of local party organizations and local and state officeholders -Day-to-day operations are directed by a chairperson -engage in fundraising and voter registration (to improve their candidates' success) -concentrate on statewide races, including those for governor and US senator, and also focus on races for the state legislature -play a smaller role for campaigns in national/local offices and do not endorse candidates in statewide primaries

Web Wars

-Candidates have websites dedicated to providing information, generating public support, attracting voters, and raising money. -Internet is a less expensive way of campaigning than by TV ads

Local Party Organizations

-Concentrate on elections that coincide with local boundaries, such as races for mayor, city council, state legislature, and county offices -Take part in congressional, statewide, and presidential contests, but in these cases, their role is typically secondary to that of the candidates personal campaign organizations

What are party organizations?

-The party organizational units at national, state and local levels; their influence has decreased over time because of many factors (MAIN GOAL: TO WIN ELECTIONS) -Party organization still important but in more of a role of broad, permanent, basic support; an advisor with fundraising, polling research, media production, get-out-the-vote efforts, and other functions affecting all candidates and more efficiently done by party organizations than by individual candidates.

National Party Organizations

-national Republican and Democratic party organizations have a national committee and a national party chairperson -RNC/DNC DO NOT HAVE GREAT POWER -RNC/DNC run training programs for candidates and their staffs, raise money, seek media coverage, conduct issue and group research, and send field representatives to help with operations -MAJOR ROLE: raising and spending of money in campaigns

What 3 major events contributed to a party realignment

1. Civil War-Republicans replaced Democrats as the nations majority party 2. Election of 1896 (Democrat to Republican because of an economic panic that occurred under Cleveland 3 yrs prior) 3. Great Depression of 1930s (Republican to Democrat; Hoover was president when stock market crashed, FDR became president-New Deal Politics)

Give a brief history of the Political Parties of the US

1. Hamilton's Federalist Party versus Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party (Jefferson opposed Hamilton's attempts to strengthen the federal government thru national commerce) 2. Federalist Party died out (early 1800s) 3. Democratic-Republican Party split during Era of Good Feeling (near the end of Monroe presidency) 4. Andrew Jackson adopted the "Democrats" and sought a grassroots party 5. Whigs versus Democrats (1830s); Whig Party disintegrated and Republican Party (northern based) emerged 6. During time of Civil War-Republicans versus Democrats (issue of slavery, first and only time in nations history that the party system failed to peacefully settle US political differences)

How have party organizations been weakened?

1. NOMINATIONS -Until the 20th century, the party organizations picked the nominees. Due to bribery and fraud, primary elections were invented as a way to deprive party bosses of their power over nominations. Primaries hinder the building of strong party organizations. -B/c of primaries, candidates can seek office on their own and create a personal following that places them beyond the party's direct control. 2. FUNDRAISING/ 3.CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS -In the process of taking control of nominations, candidates also acquired control of most campaign money. Today, $ goes to candidate directly w/out first passing through the parties. 3. PATRONAGE JOBS -(then and now-Pendleton Act weakened party organization) few remaining high-level patronage jobs builds loyalty to individual politician rather than party organization

What are the four basic elements that makes a party realignment?

1. The disruption of the existing political order because of the emergence of an unusually powerful and divisive issue. 2. An election contest in which the voters shift their support strongly toward one party 3. A major change in policy brought about by the newly dominant party 4. An enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of the newly dominant party

Forms of attacking your opponent include...

1. messages that arrive by air 2. by land 3. by web

primary election (direct primary)

A form of election in which voters choose a party's nominees for public office. In most primaries, eligibility to vote is limited to voters who are registered members of the party. (closed, open, blanket)

open primary

A form that allows independents and voters of either party to choose which primary they will vote in, though they can vote in only them; the logic of the open primary is that it gives all voter a say in the choices they will have in the general election.

ideological (minor) party

A minor party characterized by its ideological commitment to a broad and non centrist philosophical position. (examples: Socialist Workers Party, Libertarian Party)

factional (minor) party

A minor party created when a faction within one of the major parties breaks away to form its own party. (example: Bull Moose Party)

single-issue (minor) party

A minor party formed around a single issue of overriding interest to its followers (example: Prohibition Party)

reform (minor) party

A minor party that bases its appeal on the claim that the major parties are having a corrupting influence on government and policy (example: Progressive Party, political movement as a political party)

packaging

A term of modern campaigning that refers to the process of recasting a candidate's record into an appealing image; highlighting those aspects of the candidate's partisanship, policy positions, personal background, and personality that are thought most attractive to voters.

What is the "money chase"?

A term used to describe the fact that US campaigns are very expensive and candidates must spend a great amount of time raising funds in order to compete successfully. These funds primarily come from individual contributors, interest groups (PACs), and political parties.

What is party realignment?

An election or set of elections in which the electorate responds strongly to an extraordinarily powerful issue that has disrupted the established political order. A realignment has a lasting impact on public policy, popular support for the parties, and the composition of party coalitions.

soft money

Campaign contributions that are not subject to legal limits and are given to parties rather than directly to candidates. no longer legal

hard money

Campaign funds given directly to candidates to spend as they choose.

Democratic coalition v Republican coalition

Democrat: every major assistance program for the poor, elderly and low-wage workers have been initiated by democrats. Draws support disproportional from blacks, union members, the poor, city dwellers, Hispanics, Jews, women Republican: consists mainly of white middle-class americans and fundamentalist Christians. Party of tax cuts and business incentives. Supportive of traditional values. Strongest support comes from the South, Great Plains, Rocky Mts.

Andrew Jackson and the Grassroots Parties

Jacksons goal was to wrest political power from the established elite; he saw a reorganized Democratic Party as the vehicle for change. He sought a grassroots party; it was organized at the local level and was open to all citizens, the efforts of the local party organizations, along with the extension of voting rights to citizens without property (1830s)

Explain the importance of minor (third) parties.

Minor parties have formed largely to promote policies that their followers believe are not being represented adequately by either of the two parties. They capitalize on neglected issues. Purpose is to make the major parties more responsive of the public's concerns. They act as a "spoiler" (they cannot win an election, but they can take enough votes from one major party to make a win for the party they lean more towards).

What is considered an example of a disputed party realignment?

POST CIVIL RIGHTS-By the late 1960s, with the Democratic Party divided over the Vietnam War and civil rights, it was apparent that the era of New Deal politics was ending. The change was most dramatic in the South. The region had been democratic at all levels since the Civil War, but the Democratic Part's leadership on civil rights alienated white conservatives. In the election of 1964, 5 southern states voted Republican, and indicator of what was to come. Today, the Republican Party dominates presidential voting in the South and holds most of the regions top elected positions.

Describe the difference between party-centered campaigns and candidate-centered campaigns

Party-centered: election campaigns and other political processes in which political parties, not individual candidates, hold most of the initiative and influence Candidate-centered: election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not political parties, have most of the initiative and influence (based on money and media and utilize the skills of professional consultants)

Advantages and disadvantages of candidate-centered campaign

Strengthen the relationship between the voters and their individual representatives while weakening the relationship between the full electorate and their representative institutions. Advantages: 1. They can infuse new candidates into electoral politics 2. more open and provides opportunities for newcomer to gains office quickly 3. lend flexibility to electoral politics; when political conditions change and issues change, self-directed candidates adjust quickly, bringing new ideas into the political arena 4. encourage national officeholders to be responsive to local interests Disadvantages: 1. They degenerate into mudslinging contests and they are fertile ground for powerful special-interest groups, which contribute much of the money that underwrites candidates campaigns 2. weaken accountability by making it easier for officeholders to deny personal responsibility for governments actions.

political consultants

The professionals who advise candidates on various aspects of their campaigns, such as media use, fundraising and polling; they are campaign strategists, pollsters, media producers, and fundraising and get-out-the-vote specialists. They help the candidate to plot and execute a game plan. They are skilled at packaging a candidate.

service relationship

The situation in which party organizations assist candidates for office but have no power to require them to support the party's main policy positions.

What is the median voter theorem?

The theory states that parties in a two-party system can maximize their vote by locating themselves at the position of the median voter-the voter whose preferences are exactly in the middle.

What is a dealignment?

a movement of voters away from strong party attachments

What is a political party?

an ongoing coalition of interests joined together to try to get their candidates for public office elected under a common label (parties give voters a chance to influence the direction of government)

prospective voting versus retrospective voting

prospective: voters are swayed by what candidates promise to do if elected retrospective: voters are swayed by past performance of candidate/political party When Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction, the in-party has nearly always lost support in the next election. When times are good, the in-party has less to fear) (importance of the economy and general feeling about the country's condition and direction)

single-member district (winner-take-all) versus proportional representation

single member district: The form of representation in which only the candidate who gets the most votes in a district wins office Proportional representation: A form of representation in which seats in the legislature are allocated proportionally according to each political party's share of the popular vote. This system enables smaller parties to compete successfully for seats (European)

Straight-ticket versus split-ticket voting

straight-ticket voting: voting for one party's presidential candidate and congressional candidates split-ticket:voting for one party's presidential candidate and then voting for the other party's congressional candidates

What is a party coalition?

The groups and interests that support a political party. Kept as broad as possible to support a wide range of interests. Each includes a substantial proportion of voters of nearly every ethnic, religious, regional, and economic grouping. (gender gap exists)

Two party system versus Multi-party system

US is a 2 party system, a system in which only two political parties have a real chance of acquiring control of the government. The US's 2 party system is largely the result of the nation's choosing its officials through plurality voting in single-member districts, the form of representation in which only the candidate who gets the most votes in a district wins office. A multiparty system is a system in which 3 or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in a coalition.

blanket primary

Voters get a single ballot listing both the Republican and Democratic candidates by office. Each voter can cast only one vote per office but can select a candidate of either party; the top finisher in each party becomes its nominee.