Outline+-+Political+Parties

Political Parties

Terms: nomination, closed and open primaries, majority party, realignment, dealignment, divided government, third party, single member and multiple member districts, caucus, responsible party government

Functions of Political Parties - recruitment - nomination - mobilization - facitiltating mass electoral choice - influencing government

The Origins of the Two Party System - early opinion about parties -- [|Washington's farewell speech] - the ratification debate - opposition to Washington in Congress - reinforced by winner take all system

Parties as Coalitions - Democrats -- union members -- women -- social liberals -- multilateralists -- ethnic minorities - Republicans -- business owners -- men -- social conservatives -- unilateralists -- anglos

Party positions - Democrats - Republicans - where are they distinct? where are they not? - the responsible party organization

The rise of independents - the difficulty of maintaining a third party

Evolution in US party system - party eras - first: 1800-1828 - jeffersonian - republicans dominate; elite control - second: 1828 - 1860 - democrats dominate; propoerty limits removed; party machines develop - third: 1860 - 1896 - balance; industrial development - fourth: 1896 - 1932 - republicans dominate; progressive issues rise - fifth: 1932 - 1968 - democrats dominate; new deal coalition formed; civil righst increases - sixth: 1968 - ? - divided government; rise of independents

2004: The realignment that failed - policies were calculated to split Catholics, Latinos, and Jews from Democrats

Evolution in Texas party system - first: 1840s - 1870s - The origin of the party system - second: 1870s - 1970s - democrats dominate - third: 1970s - 1990s - two party system emerges - fourth: 2000 - ? - republicans dominate

Party Organization - Permanent -- precinct chair -- county and district executive committee -- state executive committee --national committee - temporary -- precint convention -- county and district convention -- state convention -- national convention

The rise and fall of party organizations - party machines - progressive reforms - candidate centered campaigns