Political Parties:

Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• Political parties: Mass organizations that seek to elect
candidates to public office and influence policy
making

• Two-party system: A government system in which

only two political parties compete for elected office

• Minor parties: Political parties in a two-party system

that are not one of the dominant two political parties

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• The early parties
– Federalist Party
• John Adams and Alexander Hamilton
• Sedition Act of 1798
– Democratic-Republicans
• Thomas Jefferson; opposed the nationalist policies of the Federalist
Party
– Twelfth Amendment
• Ratified in 1804
• Established that the president and vice president would be elected
on separate ballots (party ticket)

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• The early parties (cont.)
– Democratic Party
• Developed in 1820s, largely by Andrew Jackson
• Patronage system
– Whigs
• Developed in 1830s in response to the politics and policies of
Andrew Jackson
– Republican Party
• Developed from the antislavery wing of the Whigs in the 1850s

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and
Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• Realignment and Republican Party dominance
– After the Civil War, there was competition between the
Republican and Democratic parties
– Realignment
• 1896: Realignment in favor of the Republican Party
– Wings:
• Black and Tan Republicans
• Lily White Republicans

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• The New Deal coalition and Democratic Party
dominance
– Realignment to the Democratic Party in 1932
– New Deal coalition
• Groups that supported President Franklin Roosevelt’s policies and
made the Democrats the dominant party from the 1930s through
the 1960s
– Foreign policy
– Civil rights

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• The end of party dominance and the rise of party
competition
– Dealignment: A period in which voters abandon their ties to
the political parties, resulting in a balance of power
between the dominant parties
• United States has experienced a period of dealignment since 1969
• 2016 presidential election
– Racial differences in party support

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 The Development of the
Two-Party System
• Minor parties
– Largely ideologically based and focused on specific issues
– Generally short lived
– Disadvantaged by the electoral system
– Winner-take-all versus proportional representation
• See “Evaluating Equality: Minor Parties and Racial and Ethnic
Minorities”

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Party Organization

• National party conventions

– Held every 4 years
– Nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates
• Caucuses, primaries, and superdelegates
– Offer a statement of party principles and beliefs
• Party platform
– Create governing rules for the party

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Party Organization

• National party committees

– Responsible for:
• Determining party policy objectives
– See “Our Voices: Political Party Platforms and Civil Rights”
• Devising electoral strategies
• Creating governing rules and regulations
• Raising money for the party and its candidates

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
Percentage of Convention Delegates Who Are African
Americans

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Party Organization

• National party committees (cont.)

– Funding
• Hard money
• Soft money
• Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) and Bipartisan Campaign
Reform Act (2002)

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Party Organization

• National party committees

– National committee chair
• Heads the national committee of the party
• Responsible for directing the party’s electoral strategies

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Party Organization

• State and local organization

– Ward/precinct committees
– Local committees
– State party central committees
– State and local party organizations were once immensely
popular
• Tammany Hall and “Boss Tweed”
• White primary

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Parties and Voters
• Party identification
– Voters’ psychological attachment to a political party

– Explains how voters perceive candidates and how they are

likely to vote

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
 Parties and Voters
• Parties and group attachments
– Region
– Age
– Socioeconomic status
– Religious groups
– Women
– Racial and ethnic minorities

CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and

Governing Institutions
CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and
Governing Institutions
CHAPTER 14 Political Parties: Linking Voters and
Governing Institutions