Dec 31, 2015
Political Parties
• Like interest groups, political parties are important linkage institutions
• Even though they were not mentioned in the Constitution, they quickly developed (1790’s) and we still have them today
Our Two Party System
• The First Party System (1790’s to 1820’s)–Hamiltonian Federalists vs. the
Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans–Hamiltonians favored a stronger
federal government–Jeffersonians were states’ rightists
Our Two Party System
• The Second Party System (1830’s to 1850’s)– Democrats vs. Whigs– Jacksonian Democrats (in the Jeffersonian
tradition) vs. Whigs (in the Hamiltonian tradition)– Jacksonians were generally states rightests and
the Whigs more national – The Democratic Party is the world’s oldest
political party
Our Two Party System
• The Third Party System (1850’s to today)–Democrats vs. Republicans–What these parties stood for over 100 years
ago is different than today–FDR and the New Deal played the key role in
this change–The Civil Rights movement and the 60’s
triggered the transition of the South from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party
Third Parties
• Any political party that is not one of the two major parties (aka – Minor Parties)
• Three Largest–Libertarian–Green–Constitution
More Third Parties
• CPUSA – Communist Party USA
• SPUSA – Socialist Party USA• America First Party• Reform Party
Third Parties
• Tend to represent interests that are not being addressed by either of the two major parties
• Some are single issue parties (Green)• Some are splinter parties – People unhappy
with the majority of their party (TR in 1912 (Progressive/Bull Moose), Strom Thurmond in 1948 (Dixiecrats))
Importance of Third Parties
Provide an outlet and alternative for voters
If popular, one of the two major parties usually adopts the issue(s)
Example – Populist Party absorbed by Democrats in 1896
Best Minor Party Showings in U.S. History
Teddy Roosevelt in 191288 Electoral Votes
Ross Perot in 199219% of the Popular Vote (0 Electoral Votes)
Eugene V. Debs (Socialist) in 1912
900,000 votes
Third Parties
• Third parties rarely win elections, but they sometimes determine who wins an election (Ross Perot in 1992)
• Our electoral system works against third parties– Elections are winner-take-all (as opposed to
proportional)– Electoral College is winner-take-all in each state
The Party Organization – The Structure of Political Parties
• Political parties have an organizational structure at the national, state, and local level
• National Party Structure– The President is the defacto head of his party– The National Committee (RNC and DNC)– Raise funds, Deal with conflicts within the
party, Promote the party’s image in the media
DNC Chair
• President always appoint party national committee chair
• Debbie Wasserman Schutlz – Congresswomen from Florida
RNC Chair
• Reince Priebus (Raintz Preebus)
National Party Structure
• The National Nominating Convention– Every 4 years prior to a presidential election (July
or August) – Delegates select the Presidential and Vice
Presidential candidates (little drama in this now)– Delegates write the party platform
• Statement of the what the party believes in• Usually written to please the ideologues and not
always strictly followed by the candidates
National Nominating Conventions
– Delegates approve any changes to the rules and regulations governing party procedures (for example – how delegates to the convention are chosen)
– Conventions have now become spectacles of party unity and patriotism, with very little drama
– Lots of speeches and platitudes (the same old, tired statements said as if they were new)
– They are free, nationally televised advertisements for the parties and their candidates…a celebration of the party, so to speak
Party Identification
• Lean Toward the Democratic Party (The Democratic base)– Black Americans (90+ percent)– Mexican Americans– Puerto Ricans– Asian Americans (in recent elections)– Women– Jews– Catholics have been moving away from the Democratic Party– The Coasts (East and West) and Upper Midwest– The Young– Lower Income
Party Identification
• Lean Toward the Republican Party (The Republican base)– Cuban Americans (Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz)– Men– White Americans– Protestants– Religious Conservatives– Upper class– White working class (Reagan Democrats)– The South, The Great Plains and the Mountain West, The
Southwest– Senior citizens
Party Identification
• Outside Responsibility–Pay attention to the trends in party
identification over the last 80+ years
Campaigns and Elections
• Americans hold elections in regular intervals • National elections are held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November in even numbered years
• Midterm Elections – (aka Off-Year Elections)– 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1998
• Presidential Elections– 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000
• The States and localities are responsible for organizing and running elections (Federalism)
Types of Elections
• Primary Elections– Held to select each party’s candidates for the
General Election– At the national level, the primaries
determine who the delegates are to the national nominating convention
– A Progressive Era reform designed to give “the people” greater power and reduce the power of party leaders
Types of Primaries
• The Closed Primary– In some states, only registered members of a political party
can vote in that party’s primary• The Open Primary
– In some states like Texas, any registered voter can vote in either primary
• The Runoff– Some states require 50% plus 1 (a majority) or more to win
a primary (As opposed to a plurality)– If not, the top two finishers have a runoff election– Website Page 2 – List of state primaries
The General Election
• The decisive election; the one that determines the final winner
• At the state and local level, can be at any time but is usually paired with the national election in November of even years
Quick PT Review
•Majority•Plurality•Proportional
The Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
• The Progressive Era also led to other election laws designed to increase the power of “the people
• The Initiative– Allows voters to propose their own laws to be
voted on– Usually requires a certain number of signatures
to propose– 24 states allow this (Not Texas)
The Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
• The Referendum– Allows citizens to vote directly on laws proposed by a
legislature (instead of the legislature voting)– A form of direct democracy– 24 states allow this (Not Texas)
• The Recall– Allows voters to remove a government official before
the next election (18 states, Not Texas)– Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of
California after a recall election removed the previous governor
The Presidential Campaign
• Often begins years before the general election
• Potential candidates establish “exploratory committees” to determine if there is enough support and money to be a serious candidate
Putting Together a Team
• The candidate will then put together a campaign staff– Campaign Manager/Campaign Strategist– Political and Economic Consultants– Media Consultant– Pollsters– Financial Advisor/Treasurer– Staff Director– Press Spokesperson– Webmasters– Speech Writers
The Presidential Election Process
• On top of their staff, they will need grassroots volunteers at the state and local level
• At some point, they will make an official announcement that they are running for President
• Can be over a year before the general election (Romney announced in June 2011)
The Primaries and Caucuses
• The next big step is to achieve the party nomination
• This requires winning enough delegates to represent the candidate at the National Nominating Convention
• A candidate wins delegates by doing well in the party primaries and caucuses (different methods for selecting delegates)
• They (the primaries and caucuses) begin in January of the presidential election year
The Primary vs. The Caucus
• In presidential campaigns, a caucus is a system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating conventions. A primary is a statewide voting process in which voters cast secret ballots for their preferred candidates.
Iowa and New Hampshire
• Iowa and New Hampshire have traditionally been the first caucus and the first primary
• These two small states receive a tremendous amount of attention from potential candidates
• A good showing in these early states can ignite a campaign
• A poor showing can destroy a campaign• Look at 2012 Primary and Caucus calendar
The Primaries and Caucuses
• A series of debates are held throughout this process
• Website Page 2 – Republican Primary Debate Highlights
• It’s all about the ability to raise money and pay for TV ads
• As the process moves on, candidates drop from the race as they drop in the polls
The National Nominating Convention
• By the time of the convention (July or August), the candidate with the most delegates to the convention has been determined
• The only drama is who the Vice Presidential nominee will be
The General Election Campaign
• From August to November• Numerous speeches, travel all across the
country• Website Page 2 – McCain defends Obama• Usually 3 presidential debates are held (1 VP
debate too!)• Website Page 2 – Obama and Romney
Debates
The General Election Day
• Candidates cast their votes with the media present
• Exit polling takes place• The major media organizations do not project
winners in the states until the polls have closed in that state
• Why?
The General Election Day
• At some point that night, the loser of the election calls and congratulates the winner
• Concession and Victory speeches are given
The Electoral College
• Presidential elections are state-by-state elections
• It’s all about which candidate wins a plurality of the votes in a particular state
• That candidate’s party gets to select the actual electors that will cast the actual votes for president
• Go to Electoral College map on class website
The Electoral College
• Each state gets electoral votes that equal the number of representatives they have in the House of Representative plus their 2 senators
• The votes a state gets in the Electoral College are adjusted every 10 years as a result of the new census
It Takes 270 to Win!!!!!
• Since there are 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 Senators, and the 23rd Amendment gave Washington D.C. 3 electoral votes ----- there are 538 total electoral votes
• To win the election a candidate must get a majority!
• Presidential elections are all about the
strategy to get to 270 electoral votes
The Electoral Vote
• Electors actually cast their vote for president in their state capital in the December after the November election
• On January 6, the Vice President (presiding over the Senate) opens the sealed votes and the election results become official
• On January 20, the new president is inaugurated
Should the Electoral College be replaced?
No–It has served the nation well for all these years
–It assures that the states count…It preserves federalism
Should the Electoral College be replaced?
–It protects the two party system and discourages fringe third parties
–It gives slim winners in the popular vote the legitimacy to govern
–It protects the small states (California 55 vs. Wyoming 3)
CLOSE POPULAR VOTE
Year Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote
1884 Grover ClevelandJames G. Blaine
4, 911,0174,848,334[62,683]
219182
1960 John F. KennedyRichard M. Nixon*Harry F. Byrd
34,227,09634,108,546[118,550]
30321915
1968 Richard M. NixonHubert H. HumphreyGeorge C. Wallace
31,785,48031,275,166[510,314] 9,906,473
30119146
2000 *George W. Bush Albert Gore, Jr.
50,444,15650,997,335[553,179]
271266
Should the Electoral College be replaced?
Yes–Popular vote winner should never lose the election
WINNER DID NOT RECEIVE THE MOST POPULAR VOTES
Year Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote
1824 *John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson Other Candidates
105,321155,87290,869
849978
1876 *Rutherford B. Hayes Samuel Tilden
4,033,9504,284,757
185184
1888 Benjamin HarrisonGrover Cleveland
5,444,3375,540,050
233168
2000 *George W. Bush Albert Gore, Jr.
50,444,15650,997,335
271266
*1824—Elected by the House of Representatives because no candidate won a majority. 1876—An electoral commission set up to rule on contested election results in three states gave Hayes the presidency.2000—Contested election in Florida decided by U.S. Supreme Court gave Bush the presidency.
Should the Electoral College be replaced?
It distorts the results of presidential elections
No incentive to campaign in “safe” states
It discourages voter turnout in “safe” states
Alternate Plans
The Proportional Plan The Congressional District Plan The National Bonus Plan Straight Nationwide Popular Vote
Proportional Plan
Electoral votes are divided in each state based on the proportion of the popular vote
Texas would have been :– Romney 22 (57.2%)– Obama 16 (41.4%)
Benefits of Proportional Plan
Would increase voter turnout
Would encourage third parties
Candidates would want to campaign everywhere
Problems with the Proportional Plan
How do you divide electoral votes?–Candidate A – 5.5 electoral votes–Candidate B – 5.5 electoral votes
All states would have to adopt the same system
Congressional District Plan
One electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each Congressional district
Maine and Nebraska currently use this
Maine has never split its electoral votes
Nebraska did for the first time in 2008 (Obama got 1)
Congressional District Pros
Votes would be more representative of people’s vote in each district.
Congressional District Cons
Most districts have been gerrymandered to be safe districts
It would make gerrymandering even more hotly contested
Candidates would only focus on the relatively few competitive districts
National Bonus Plan
Keep the current system but give the winner of the national popular vote a bonus of 102 electoral votes (2 for each state plus 2 for Washington, D.C.)
National Bonus Plan Pros
Would encourage “losing” voters in safe states to vote
Would almost guarantee that the national popular vote winner wins the election
Direct Vote with Plurality Rule
National popular vote winner wins the election even without a majority
Direct Vote with Plurality Rule Pros
Guarantees the candidate with the most votes wins the election
Fits with the basic concept of democracy…would reflect the will of the people
Simple…easy for people to understand
Direct Vote with Plurality Rule Cons
Would diminish the influence of the smaller states (Cal vs. Wyoming)
Candidates would focus even more on big cities
If we ever needed a recount, it’d be nationwide
Could get a winner with a very small plurality of the vote
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Campaign Finance Regulation
• Teddy Roosevelt first called for laws restricting campaign contributions from corporations back in 1905
• Since then, Congress has passed laws designed to limit the influence of the wealthy, regulate candidate spending, and provide for full public disclosure of campaign finances
Campaign Finance Regulation
• In 1971 Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) placing further restrictions on money in politics
• In 1974, Congress established the Federal Elections Commission (the FEC) to enforce campaign finance laws (in the aftermath of Watergate)
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
• The FECA was challenged as a violation of free speech
• The Court ruled (7-1)– Spending money to influence elections is a form
of free speech and therefore protected– Yet, limits on individual contributions to a
candidate or campaign are allowed (those limits enhance the “integrity of our system of representative democracy”)
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
• The Court also ruled– No limits can be placed on individual spending on
their own campaigns• Despite the Buckley ruling, money played an
increasingly prominent role in U.S. elections in the 1980’s and 1990’s
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
• Aka – McCain-Feingold• Designed to ban “soft money”
– Unlimited contributions to political parties, not strictly regulated by the FEC, supposedly used for “party building” activities like encouraging people to vote
• Required that all contributions to parties be “hard money” regulated and restricted by the FEC
Senators John McCain (R) and Russ Feingold (D)
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
• Prohibited “issue advocacy ads” by corporations or unions, for or against a candidate, within 30 days of a primary or caucus and 60 days of the general election (PACs were still Ok)
• Also required that ads indicate what organization created them “Paid for by _________”
• As well as the “I am ___________ and I approved this message”
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
• Citizens United is a non-profit corporation promoting conservative values (they produce TV ads, DVD’s)
• Citizens United seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security.
• In 2008, they released a documentary entitled Hillary: The Movie, attacking the candidacy of Hillary Clinton
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
• The FEC made it clear that the movie could not be aired within the 30 day period prior to a primary
• Citizens United brought litigation arguing that their 1st Amendment freedom was being violated
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
• The case made it to the Supreme Court• The Court ruled (5-4)
– Corporations, like people, have a right to free speech
– Corporations (and Unions) cannot be limited in their spending for or against a candidate
– Therefore declaring that provision of McCain-Feingold unconstitutional
The Mass Media
• Another linkage institution (joins interest groups and political parties)
• ***Spend a lot of time on the “horse race” aspect of politics – who’s ahead, what the polls say
• ***Influences what people think about more than what they think – sets the agenda
The Watchdog Function
• In a democracy, the media plays an important “watchdog” function
• This refers to the job of the media to critically analyze the actions of government and its leaders as a sort of check on power
The Mass Media
• Types of Mass Media
–Print Media–Electronic Media–Digital Media
Types of Media
• The Print Media– Newspapers and magazines– Are they soon to be obsolete?– The New York Times, The Washington Post– Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report– Still, quite a bit of in depth news reporting and
investigative journalism
Types of Media
• The Broadcast Media– Radio and Television (TV is still the #1 source of
news for Americans)– 1990’s rise of talk radio, mostly conservative
• Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Glen Beck
– Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS– National Public Radio (NPR)
Regulation of the Broadcast Media
• No government ownership of the media in the U.S., but there is federal regulation
• In 1934 Congress established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)– Regulates TV and Radio (not satellite radio)– Stations must be licensed by the FCC– Used to enforce the Fairness Doctrine (not since
1987)– Regulates indecency and obscenity
• Almost half of its fines since 1990 have been levied at Howard Stern
Types of Media
• Digital Media– Internet, Tablets, Smartphones, Social Media,
Blogs– Interest group websites, political party websites,
candidate’s websites– See, “Where are people getting their news from
today” from Website Page 2
Concentration of Media Ownership
• Since the 1996 Telecommunications Act, there’s been a trend toward mergers creating fewer media corporations that wield greater power and influence
• This decreases the perspectives and viewpoints presented on radio and TV (why many turn to the internet)
The Big 6 Media Conglomerates
Media Bias
Media Bias
• Corporations are driven by profit and this is what guides most of the decisions of the media outlets
• Yet, numerous studies have shown that journalists are more likely to be liberal than conservative
• There is no question that news can be distorted, twisted, and framed in such a way as to promote a particular ideological perspective
C-SPAN
• The most unbiased television source of news about our political system
• It’s mission is to cover public policy without editing, commentary or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points of view
Pundits, Talking Heads
• Political commentators that appear on political programs that discuss politics