UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION

Ware pgs. 1-6 and D/W pgs. 3-10

Course Logistics: Information

Course syllabus, handouts, etc. can all be

found on the course website:
http://polisci2.ucsd.edu/ps137a/
NOTE:

URL is case sensitive

My office hours and location

M/W

2:30-3:30 in SSB 445 (dfisk@ucsd.edu)

Course Logistics: Objectives

Objectives:
Introduce

students to the study of political parties

and party systems in comparative perspective.

Thematic Concepts:
1)

Formation of political parties

2) Role of political parties
3) Evolving function of parties and consequences
for democracy
4) Political parties and party system structure.

Course Logistics: Course Grading

Participation -10%
Game Report -30%
Midterm Examination 30%
Final Examination -30%

Course Logistics: Participation

We will generally open each lecture with a

discussion of current events that tie into the
material being presented.
Ill

try to tweet articles prior to lecture.

Twitter:

If

ofse77

you find something interesting, please feel free

to forward it to me.
Economist, Financial Times, BBC News are all
great resources.
Some useful URLs are listed on the syllabus.

Course Logistics: Papers

Game Report

There will be four games played in class; you must write

on ONE of these games.
Games connect to central logic of course readings.

Reports should be 4-5 pgs. in length.

Will be due one week after the game is played in class.

Plan accordingly to avoid having two papers due in one

week.

Midterm/Final Examination

Prompt will be distributed in class.

Whether you win or lose in the games is irrelevant.

Objective: see how the logic detailed in the readings works in
practice.

Midterm may deal with subjects associated with the games.

Examinations should be 5-7 pgs. in length.

Late papers/E-mail attachments are NOT accepted

without valid documentation.

Course Logistics: Readings

Dalton and Wattenberg. Parties without Partisans.

Mueller and Strom. Policy, Office, or Votes?
Ware. Political Parties and Party Systems
Reserve readings (electronic reserves).
In general, read Ware chapters first.

Readings are extensive; necessary for course assignments.

Ware: Read section A; skim section B based on interest.

Although the reading level is nothing compared to what you will do
in your graduate studies.
You cannot do well on course assignments without doing the
reading.
If you cannot commit to doing the reading you should not commit to
taking the course.

URL on syllabus for strategies for tackling academic

readings.

Hint: Read for the general idea/argument.

Guiding Questions
What are political parties?
What are interest groups?
Why do we care about political
parties?
What do political parties do?
Are political parties in decline?

What Are Political Parties?

Several authors posit various criteria including:

1) bring people together for the purpose of
exercising power within the state.
2) seek to use legitimate means for pursuing
their ends.
3) will contest elections where able.
4) seek to represent more than a single interest
in society.
5) group people with similar beliefs, values,
attitudes.

What Are Political Parties?

Ware 1996
Political parties:
1) seek influence in a
state often by
attempting to occupy
positions in
government
2) usually consist of
more than a single
interest in society and
to some degree
attempt to aggregate
interests

Political Parties vs. Interest Groups

Interest groups
1) primarily interested in advancing a single interest
or set of interests within a polity.
2) organized outside of the state; seek to influence
governments but generally. do not put forth
candidates for office.

Both political parties and interest groups are

involved in interest articulation (expressing
citizen wants and needs).
Only political parties are interested in interest
aggregation (combining citizen wants/needs to
create coherent policy).

Political Parties: Why Do We Care?

Political parties exist in most states regardless of regime

type.
Where parties are suppressed, their absence is
generally temporary.
Parties play a critical role in democratic systems.
Bryce (1921): parties are inevitable: no free country
has been without them; and no one has shown how
representative government could work without them
Schattschneider (1942): modern democracy is
unthinkable save in terms of political parties
Aldrich (1995): political parties lie at the heart of
American politics
Muller (2000): European democracies are not only
parliamentary democracies but also party
democracies

Political Parties: Functions

If we buy the idea that political parties are
crucial for the functioning of democracy,
what do they do?
Key (1964) identified three functions that
political parties serve:
Parties as Organizations
Parties in Government
Parties in the Electorate

Parties as Organizations

Parties as
organizations 1)

Recruit political
leadership
2) Train political
elites
3) Articulate political
interests
4) Aggregate
political interests

Parties in Government

Parties in
government1) Create
governmental
majorities.
2) Organize
government.
3) Implement policy
objectives.
4) Organize dissent
and opposition.
5) Ensure
governmental
responsibility.
6) Control
administration of

Parties in the Electorate

Parties in the
electorate
1)

Simplify choices
for voters.
2) Educate citizens.
3) Generate
symbols of
identification and
loyalty.
4) Mobilize
participation

Are Parties in Decline?

It is often stated that political parties are in decline.

Lower rates of party membership

Weaker turnout numbers

Rise of interest groups and social movements

arguably threaten the central role of party in terms
of interest aggregation (parties as organizations).
Declining levels of partisan identification weaken
central role of party in fostering party loyalty and
education voters (parties in the electorate).
Parties seem dominant in terms of dictating policy
(parties in government).
Political parties as institutions are very responsive
to change.
Some argue that political parties have responded by
insulating themselves from political backlash

Others argue this opens the door to extreme parties.

Next Unit

Theme:
Evolution and Development of Political Parties-Cadre
Parties
Readings:
Aldrich, LaPalombara and Weiner, Neumann,
Duverger
Theme:
Evolution and Development of Political Parties-Mass
and Catch All Parties
Readings:
Kirchheimer, Epstein, Pizzorno