Political Science 1100, Introduction to American Politics, September 19, 2007

VOTING AND ELECTIONS
 

Four Reasons that Voters Choose One Candidate Over Another

a. Party Identification

 

 

b. The Image Of The Candidates

 

c. Candidates' Stands On Major Issues

 

 

d. Incumbents' Actual Performance Affects Outcomes
 
 

Retrospective Voting: We Tend To

• Reelect Incumbents When There Is Peace And Prosperity
   
• To Elect Challengers When We Feel Threatened And Experience Personal Economic Hardship

  Retrospective voting is particularly important in voting for President

America's Changing Political Parties

Why do we have political parties? 
 

    - Ask James Madison - Why did he help create America's first political party?

    - to build coalitions of
               
                (1) legislators and other public officials,

                (2) candidates running for public office and

                (3) voters who would vote for candidates for public office.

A Case Study: The Democratic Party South Carolina and Strom Thurmond

    1) The "Solid" Democratic South (Civil War To World War II)

    2) Civil Rights Splits The Democratic Coalition

    3) By The 1970s, Southern Whites Vote Overwhelmingly
         for Republican Presidential Candidates

    4) While Northern Republicans begin to drift toward the Democrats

Another Case Study: Vermont and James Jeffords

1. Political Parties; Why do we have them, and What Do They Do?

Ask James Madison, who helped create the Democratic-Republican Party

They help build the coalitions necessary to make government work by 

    A. Building coalitions of

    B. They find candidates to run for office (For President, Governor, Congress, etc.)

    C. They compete with each other to offer an agenda for government's policy actions
     and fund campaigns. 

     (Examples: 1994 Republican "Contract With America"; 2004 Party Platforms)

    SO The Republican and Democratic Parties each have three parts  

3. The Ideal: The Responsible Party Model

    Parties can help us influence what government does -- if certain conditions are met

    A. The Parties Must Have Clear, Alternative Stands On The Issues

    B. All The Members Of The Party Agree With These Stands

    C. When They Are Elected To Office, Party Members Do What The Party Promised To Do

4. The Reality of American Political Parties: The Two Party System

    A. Why Do We Have A Two Party System?
 

1) History: We've Always Had Two

     Since the 1850s, the Democratic and Republican Parties have
     dominated American Politics

   

2) Party Identification: People Tend To Stick With One Party

 

 

3) Consensus on Basic Ideals

 

    B. Why Does The Two Party System Persist?
 

 

Single Member, Plurality Elections Make It Difficult for 3rd Parties

The rules make it hard for "Third" Parties to sustain electoral success

5. Is the Party Over?

    Parties are coalitions - but cross-pressures have torn at the parties for many years.

    A case study: Strom Thurmond, South Carolina and the Solid (Democratic) South:

        How Thurmond became a Republican stalwart.

A. Party in the electorate - we are more independent minded, and less attached to the parties

B. Party in Government 
   

        - weaker coalitions than in comparable nations

        - American candidates have little control over their candidates

        - growing partisanship in recent years.

C. Party Organization

     The parties have become more like political banks
                              that collect and disburse funds to candidates