Slide show prepared for a series of lectures on Political Parties for PS 101 American Government at the University of Kentucky, Fall 2007. Dr. Christopher S. Rice, Lecturer.

1. Political Parties Dr. Christopher S. Rice

2. What is a political party?

3. Political Party An ongoing coalition of interests joined together in an effort to get its candidates for public office elected under a common label.

4. 2

5. Parties give citizens the capacity to act together

6. Enables people from diverse backgrounds with diverse interests to unite behind a single alternative

7. “ It is the competition of [parties] that provides the people with an opportunity to make a choice. Without this opportunity popular sovereignty amounts to nothing.” - E.E. Schattschneider

8. Party Coalition the groups and interests that support a party

9. The Necessity of Coalitions

10. Democratic coalition tends to draw from society’s “underdogs”

14. Party Organization the formal organizational apparatus of a political party

17. Some of these functions are being taken over by 527 groups

18. Structure of Party Organizations

19. loose associations of national, state and local party organizations

20. Cooperation, not control

22. VS.

23. Republicans: Ahead of the Game?

24. Democrats: Lagging Behind but Catching Up

25. Blogs & the Emerging “Netroots”

26. Change in Nomination Process + Decline in Patronage __________________________ Decline in Party Organizations

27. Nomination selection of individual who will run as the party’s candidate in the general election.

28. 3 Types of Party Systems

29. One-party system A political system in which representatives of one political party hold all or almost all the major offices in government.

30. Two-party system A political system in which only two political parties have a realistic chance of controlling the major offices of government.

31. Multi-party system A political system in which three or more political parties effectively compete for political office and no one party can win control of all offices.

33. Most democratic nations use a proportional representation system.

34. Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

35. CLOSED LIST OPEN LIST SOURCE: ACCURATEDEMOCRACY.COM

36. United States uses a First Past The Post (FPTP) System

37. aka, Plurality, Single-Member District system

38. “ Winner Takes All”

39. US system discourages rise of Third Parties (cc) 2005 Grant Neufeld - Creative Commons, Some Rights Reserved

41. The major parties often establish rules that make it difficult for other parties to get on the ballot. (cc) 2006 Adrian Liem - Creative Commons Some Rights Reserved

42. Qualification rules for third-party presidential candidates can create financial difficulties… (cc) 2006 Steven Hoang - Some Rights Reserved

43. Suspension of the FCC’s “equal time” and “fairness doctrine” requirements creates difficulties for third party candidates to get invited to the debates. (cc) 2000 Ruby Sinreich - Some Rights Reserved

45. The broad belief in The American Creed leaves little room for parties outside the mainstream. (cc) 2006 Samuel Eichner - Some Rights Reserved

46. People grow comfortable with the system they are used to… (cc) 2006 Mattias Berg - Some Rights Reserved

47. “ Human institutions have an impressive capacity to perpetuate themselves, or at least to preserve their form.” ~ V.O. Key

48. Minor parties in the two-party system

49. PROTEST IDEOLOGICAL SINGLE-ISSUE SPLINTER Types of Minor Parties

50. PROTEST IDEOLOGICAL SINGLE-ISSUE SPLINTER Types of Minor Parties

51. PROTEST IDEOLOGICAL SINGLE-ISSUE SPLINTER Types of Minor Parties

52. PROTEST IDEOLOGICAL SINGLE-ISSUE SPLINTER Types of Minor Parties

53. PROTEST IDEOLOGICAL SINGLE-ISSUE SPLINTER Types of Minor Parties

54. The Role of Minor Parties

55. Articulate and popularize new ideas

56. Allow people with grievances to express themselves in a way not possible within the major parties.

58. Realignment When a new party system has taken the place of the old system because of a fundamental shift in the types of groups that support the parties.

59. Realignment Why are they caused?

60. Realignment When do they tend to occur?

61. Critical elections?

62. 1932

63. Dealignment Transformation of the party system in which a previously dominant party loses its dominant status but no new party takes its place.

64. Parity isn’t just for the NFL or College Basketball!

65. Public identifies less with either party , increasingly becomes alienated from them , less confident parties can solve nation’s problems (cc) 2006 photoreciprocity - Some Rights Reserved