The Triumph of the Republicans The Winner-Take-All Electoral • History of Political Parties System The Progressive Interlude Presidential Voting • The New Deal Era Popular Election of the Governors • An Era of Divided Government and President In the years after 1968, the Proportional Representation • • general pattern was often a Republican State and Federal Laws Favoring president and a Democratic Congress. the Two Parties 2000 Presidential Election (Red The Role of Minor • state–blue Parties in U.S. Politics Election 1896 Ideological Third Parties Election 2004 Splinter Parties Election 2008 The Impact of Minor Parties The Two Major Influencing the Major Parties • Parties Today Affecting the Outcome of an • The core constituents Election parties’ Economic beliefs Policies of Selected American • Recent economic convergence? Third Parties Since 1864 • Republican and Democratic Mechanisms of • Budgets Political Change Democrats have the reputation of Realignment • supporting the less-well-off, and The Myth of Dominance • Republicans the prosperous. The Myth of Predictability • Income and Party Identification Is Realignment Still Possible? • Republican and Democratic Issues Mechanisms of The Three Faces of a Party Political Change (cont.) 1. The people who identify with the Dealignment: A major drop-off in party or who regularly vote for the support for the parties. candidates of the party in general elections Independent Voters • National Conventions 2004 Not-So-Independent Voters • Obama-Biden 2008 Tipping McCain-Palin 2008 Party Identification: Three Faces of a Party (cont.) 1937–Present 2. Party Organization Questions for National Critical Thinking • Convention delegates Do democratic governments need • National Committee political parties? If a democratic • National Chairperson government has political parties, will the • State party organization structure always be a two-party system? • Local (grass roots) organization What factors impact how many political • Patronage and City Machines parties will exist? – Local Party Organizations Today Is party identification a major – Three Faces of a Party (cont.) factor for voters in presidential elections? 3. The Party in Government Do political parties make Divided Government government more responsive? • The Limits of Party Questions for • Unity Critical Thinking Party Polarization Why is it difficult for independent • Why Has the Two Party candidates or minor party candidates to System Endured? get elected to Congress? Duality What inferences can be made Political socialization and about the voting population through the practical considerations closely divided elections of 2000 and 2004?
• The Triumph of the Republicans History of Political Parties The Progressive Interlude The New Deal Era An Era of Divided Government • In the years after 1968, the general pattern was often a Republican president and a Democratic Congress. • 2000 Presidential Election (Red state–blue Election 1896 Election 2004 Election 2008 The Two Major Parties Today The parties’ core constituents • Economic beliefs • Recent economic convergence? • Republican and Democratic Budgets • Democrats have the reputation of supporting the less-well-off, and Republicans the prosperous. Income and Party Identification Republican and Democratic Issues The Three Faces of a Party 1. The people who identify with the party or who regularly vote for the candidates of the party in general elections National Conventions 2004 Obama-Biden 2008 McCain-Palin 2008 Three Faces of a Party (cont.) 2. Party Organization • National • Convention delegates • National Committee • National Chairperson • State party organization • Local (grass roots) organization – Patronage and City Machines – Local Party Organizations Today Three Faces of a Party (cont.) 3. The Party in Government • Divided Government • The Limits of Party Unity • Party Polarization Why Has the Two Party System Endured? Duality Political socialization and practical considerations The Winner-Take-All Electoral System • Presidential Voting • Popular Election of the Governors and President • Proportional Representation State and Federal Laws Favoring the Two Parties The Role of Minor Parties in U.S. Politics Ideological Third Parties Splinter Parties The Impact of Minor Parties • Influencing the Major Parties • Affecting the Outcome of an Election Policies of Selected American Third Parties Since 1864 Mechanisms of Political Change Realignment • The Myth of Dominance • The Myth of Predictability • Is Realignment Still Possible? Mechanisms of Political Change (cont.) Dealignment: A major drop-off in support for the parties. • Independent Voters • Not-So-Independent Voters Tipping Party Identification: 1937–Present Questions for Critical Thinking Do democratic governments need political parties? If a democratic government has political parties, will the structure always be a two-party system? What factors impact how many political parties will exist? Is party identification a major factor for voters in presidential elections? Do political parties make government more responsive? Questions for Critical Thinking Why is it difficult for independent candidates or minor party candidates to get elected to Congress? What inferences can be made about the voting population through the closely divided elections of 2000 and 2004?