Political Parties and the Two-Party System

How do "factions" affect the 2-party system?

"Any relatively organized group that exists within the context of some other group and which competes w/ rivals for power advantages."

What are the Ranney Index's 3 indicators of party success?

(1) % vote for governor (2) % of seats in House of the state legislature (3) length of time a single party has had grasph on BOTH governor and legislative seat(s)

What are the 4 causes of the 2-party political system?

(1) Duverger's Law (2) Direct Primaries give outlets to the disgruntled partisans, bringing change and continuing influence (3) Dualism creates competitive, conflicting interests often among varying demographic/socioeconomic representations (4) Social Consensus amongst broader American principles and practices, with differences in specific policy stands, often sustain only 2-party influence

What are the 3 exceptions to the 2-party system?

(1) Factions (2) Non-partisan elections (3) One-party monopoly pockets - geopolitical area dominated by ONE party, as result of residential clustering among ideologically-similar persons

How do "non-partisan elections" affect the 2-party system?

(1) Name recognition, wealth, resourcefulness and better access to fundraising weighs heavier in favor; (2) however, the minor party tends to benefit still since there's inadequate distinction among party alignment on ballots. (3) turnout is LOWER and people are less informed/knowledgeable about the candidates

What are some effects of party activity?

(1) Parties simplify issues and elections by making it easier for citizens to form political judgments, easing the way for people to become politically active by transmitting political information and values to the masses. (2) Parties also help aggregate and organize political power, putting together individuals and groups into blocs powerful enough to govern, and organized opposition also serves as a watchdog on a powerful gov't. (3) B/c parties dominate constants in the election process, they help make changes more routinely and orderly. (4) The parties also fragment and separate political control, although making it difficult to compromise.

By 1824, what 2 opposing factions resulted within the Democratic-Republican Party split?

(1) The Democratic Party - formed/led by Andrew Jackson as inheritors of the Jeffersonian traditions and enhanced democratization efforts (2) The Whig Party - formed/led by John Q. Adams and Henry Clay, merging ideologies b/w Federalist business/industrial interests and Jeffersonian nativist/trade interests

Name 3 vital components of political parties.

(1) The Party Organization (party leaders/activists) (2) Party-in-Government (public officials) (3) Party Electorate (partisan citizens)

How do political parties differ from other political groups?

(1) They're paramount in elections, structuring them around their activities and recruitment efforts as to volunteer more effectively. (2) They have full-commitment to political activity, making them more goal-oriented towards increased turnout, membership and education w/ less focus on policy formulation. (3) They mobilize the masses, making broader appeals moreover issue-focused interest groups. (4) They endure, giving continuity to the choices and issues Americans face. (5) They are symbolic in nature, with party labels serving as social identity and candidates are even listed on ballots as formal representatives of the party, NOT their associative interest group(s).

As popular American democracy was revitalized and greater access to vote was expanded, what major problems did the Progressive movement call action for?

(1) To Progressive populists, party control of politics led to rampant corruption and inefficient gov't. (2) Reformers, of both parties and the movement itself, attacked "party boss rule" by pressing for direct, popular primary elections via state legislation and within the internal party organization as well.

What are the 3 abilities used to perpetuate the 2-party system?

(1) controlling ballot access, by requiring thresholds of petitions, signatures, limiting 3rd party/independent candidates (2) controlling campaign funding, giving easier pegged access to potential donors as well as federal public-matching funds (3) controlling presidential debates wherein a bipartisan commission is charged w/ formatting the Fall, general election debates

How does federalism and separation of powers affect the parties?

(1) makes it possible for separate branches to be controlled by different parties (2) local party loyalties and traditions have nurtured a set of semi-independent local affiliates within the 2 national parties

The Democratic Party, having utilized the urban, political machine, was at its highest point of power from the 1880s well into the 1900s and influence in urban areas. Why so?

(1) mobilized voters by holding rallies, parades, door canvassing and voter education efforts (2) suited the needs and limitations of the new voters in the rapidly industrializing nation

What were the implications following the 2 parties having developed a larger nation-wide grassroots base?

(1) new campaign organizations and tactics increased outreach efforts (2) as opposition to Jackson formed, presidential elections became more competitive and voter turnout increased (3) improved roads, infrastructure and communications helped expand party organizations into the states/localities (4) candidates for state/local office were increasingly nominated by conventions of state/local party leaders rather than legislative caucus

How do "one-party monopoly pockets" affect the 2-party system?

(1) party loyalists may restrict access to other parties (2) gerrymandering and legislative drawing is prevalent (3) vicious circle for opposing party (4) nationally-focused media coverage

What are 3 crucial sets of activities political parties do in democracy?

(1) select candidates and contest elections (2) educate the citizenry (3) work to influence the gov't to provide certain policies/other benefits

What are the 5 leading causes for limited competitiveness?

(1) the incumbency advantage (2) redistricting/gerrymandering (3) voluntary political segregation/ geo-clustering (4) declining ability of challengers to raise campaign money (5) declining swing districts of U.S. House elections

How did the political parties change dramatically as result of the Progressive movement?

(1) they grew with expansion of the right to vote and increasing role of the citizenry in electoral politics (2) served as the channel to clarify the issues, alternatives and amplifying of groups making demands on public policy while dampening voices of others

What did the passage of the 15th/17th/19th Amendments give?

15th: gave blacks and other racial/ethnic minorities the right to vote (1870) 17th: gave citizens the right to elect their U.S. Senators directly (1913) 19th: gave women the right to vote (1919)

In act of resistance to influx of European immigration, what formed and maintained strong presence b/w 1852-1856?

A nativist American Party ("The Know Nothings")

What do "winner-take-all delegation selection systems" award?

ALL unpledged electors to winners of the popular vote

What did the Federalists do in 1800 which was perceived as a "historic gift?"

Accepting John Adams' defeat and conceding to the opposing party of Thomas Jefferson, the Democratic-Republicans of farming interests, the less-privileged and the frontier having dominated American politics well into the 1820s.

What does polarization in American politics reflect in our voting behavior and shared beliefs in society?

Although most Americans agree on lofty goals (i.e. freedom, nat'l security) we differ on the specifics.

What is the "Party Electorate?"

Consists of citizens who feel a degree of loyalty to the party, more often called party identifiers, and partisans are usually inclined to support their party's candidates and issue stands.

What is the "Party-in-Government?"

Consists of the candidates and incumbents either running for/already holding public office, whether appointed/elected, often working together to pursue shared goals yet with differing priorities/objectives.

Describe the early "Democratic-Republicans."

Favored stronger, more sovereign state governments, restricted federal government, lower tariffs and held agrarian interests.

In the 1970s, what did the political parties do in terms of campaign contributions?

First the GOP then the Democrats expanded the fundraising capacity of their national party organizations as to provide more services to candidates/state party organizations.

What was George Washington's view on political parties?

George Washington feared political parties would encourage people to pursue narrow self-interests at others' expense, seek domination and cause jealousy, division and vengeance.

What is the "Party Organization?"

Made up of people who hold party jobs w/ titles and other supporters devoted enough to volunteer and provide resources to advance party aims, charged with promoting ALL party candidates and shared platforms.

What is meant by political parties "educating the citizenry?"

Parties attempt to either teach/propagandize citizens, working to focus voter attention on the issues binding the party together while downplaying issues that might split adherents, thus reflecting the beliefs/interests of group identifiers/supporters and reinforcing those.

Describe the early "Federalists."

Pushed for central banking/tax revenue system, high tariffs, protectionist industry regulations and stronger central government system.

During the 1820s-1850s, why did BOTH parties work to keep slavery off the political agenda?

Slavery threatened internal coalition forces, and finally the Whigs fractured on the issue and the party collapsed.

How does the American political party set itself apart from parties in most other democracies?

The American political party is an open, inclusive, permeable organization with the extent to which citizens can affect the choice its leaders/candidates present.

What is the "Electoral College?"

The Constitution's framework for selecting the President, and each state, in a manner selected by its legislature, would choose a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation to cast votes for various presidential nominee(s).

The candidate who received a majority of the state's electoral votes was the national winner. However, if no candidate received a majority, what happened?

The President was to be elected by the House of Representatives, with each state casting ONE vote.

In 1856, what did abolitionist activists, Free Soil advocates and various Whig party identifiers join together to form?

The Republican Party, organized widely as an alternative to the omnipotent, divided Democrats (except in the South) and won the 1860 Presidential Election, and to a great extent broke the Nation into North and South.

What do the parties stand for?

The parties have changed their stands on many issues, even major issues; yet, there have been times of clear party stands that diverge on big policy questions.

Reacting to "The Know Nothings," what formed to protect the groups nativists were threatening?

The urban, political "machine" formed to assimilate and serve as a social service services system to help needy families, all in exchange for the immigrants' votes and support.

During James Monroe's presidency (1816-1824), describe the "Era of Good Feelings."

There was an absence of 2-party conflict, and a time when government and politics were still the business of an elitist group of white, well-known, established, land-owning men.

What is a "political party?"

a group organized to nominate candidates, trying to win political power through elections and promoting ideas about public policies

What is the "Ranney Index?"

a measure of state-wide party competition with 3 indicators of party success

What is "political culture?"

a set of political values/expectations held within a particular society, affecting people's judgment and helps shape the party's behavior

In "proportional representative delegation selection systems," how are delegates allocated?

delegates are allocated proportionally and distributed at the minimal threshold up to the plurality vote hold, and could affect the ultimate outcome of an election (i.e. In 2008, if the Democrats used winner-take-all instead of PR, Clinton would've won +4 delegates than Obama overall...)

For most of the 1800s, the parties made their own rules for nominating candidates and even printed, distributed and counted the ballots. What restricted these activities?

direct primary elections and fair election reforms have severely restricted the parties' freedom to govern themselves

What did the 2 original American political parties do to propagandize their causes?

each side established 1-2 newspaper(s)

What did the 1820s democratization efforts rush in?

extended suffrage to ALL white males, not just proprietors, at LEAST in state/federal elections, leading to "Jacksonian" democratization as to make more public officials popularly elected rather than appointed

What were "committees of correspondence?"

grouped sympathizers at the grassroots level between national and state/local leaders as to oppose Federalist officeholders at the local levels of government

By leaving the choice of electors to state legislatures, what did the Framers avoid?

having to set uniform election methods and voting requirements

What do political parties compete with when attempting to influence the government?

interest groups, advocacy firms, political organizations and even the media

In efforts of combating the once prevailing Federalist government and passing legislation more akin to "Jeffersonian" ideology, what did both the Congressional and state legislatures form?

legislative "caucuses" made up of national, state/locally-aligned individuals pursuant of similar policy aims, thereby collaborating with like-minded "clubs" to oppose Federalist officeholders in statewide offices

What do multi-member districts with proportional representation allocation of seats often produce?

multi-party political systems

What is "Duverger's Law?"

theorizes that single-member districts w/ plurality rules produce 2-party systems

Although the Founding Fathers hated the thought of factions, what inevitably occurred?

they nevertheless began taking sides and moving in the direction of creating rudimentary political parties

What was the overall goal of the Progressive reforms?

to undercut the dominance of the party organization within the party as a whole

What did the Progressive Movement (late 1880s-1910s) prompt?

voter registration and use of popular primary elections to nominate candidates, thus strengthening the case for including a citizen base in defining American political parties

Party conflicts may be difficult to observe, but what do they helps us clarify?

voting choices and electoral accountability