Jaymie TicknorPolitical Science 1050 Sect. 00220 February 2014Lecture #6Chapter #11 : Political Parties :Political Parties: label (same) for groups of like-minded people (changed) who band together to exercise political power; two dominant parties in the U.S. are Democrat and Republican parties; they differ in big government and social programs, more huacas in national defense, more taxation (Democrats), and small government and greater emphasis on military defense, less taxation (Republicans)Political parties strive for control over government with multiple interests, while interest groups want to influence political government with just one specific interestPolitical parties are not mentioned in the Constitution because early founders were suspicious of parties and factions; less important than in the pastDimensions of Party: Party in the Electorate: party among voters, those who vote; people in population that identify with particular party; had declined between 1964 and 1974, less were identified as Democrat or Republican; ticket-splitting has declined (voting for a Republican and another who is Democrat); single-ticketing is when voting for all Democrats or Republicans; party defection rates have declinedParty in Government: elected officials affiliated with political parties; partisanship in government has heightened; party voting is at its highest levels in American history (in decades)Party in Organization: formal structure that sets rules for party operations and supports political candidates and other party units; role of organization in elections had declined for several years; organizations are starting to spend more on candidate support and messagingParties recruit candidates into the electoral process (any election) and nominate them for office; inform citizens and bring them into the electoral process (arguable; going door to door may increase number of people going to polls); running policies in order to influence public policyParties fill gaps left by the Constitution: U.S. Constitution provides framework for selection of officials; political parties recruit candidates, govern political institutions, and mobilize voter supportParties and Elections: parties provide assistance like fundraising, issue development, and campaign organization; electable candidates increase party powerPower to place candidate on ballot; party nominations determine who represents party in electionTwo-Party System: Electoral system: a means of translating popular votes into control ofpublic officesTwo-Party System: system in which two major parties compete for control of governmentMulti-Party System: system in which several major parties compete for control of government; most democracies have multi-party systemsReasons for Two-Party System: Duverger’s Law (Sociologist): single member, plurality systems tend to lead to two party systemsSingle-Member, Simple Plurality System: two-party system rely on this; electoral system in which the country is divided into geographic districts, and the candidates who win the most votes within their districts are electedProportional Representation: multi-party systems rely on this; electoral system in which parties receive a share of seats in parliament that is proportional to the popular vote they receiveStructural Barriers: Ballot Access Laws: must win certain percentage of vote in last state election for party to automatically be placed on the ballot; if not, certain percentage of vote in last state election must sign a petitionCampaign Finance: must receive at least 5% of the vote in last presidential election to receive public matching fundsPsychological component is throwing vote away if vote for third party; cast vote in a second prefered candidate/party that seems to have a chance of winningFuture of Party Politics in Texas: party organization: Republicans have advantage in campaign funding; Republicans have more visible leaders and control governmentThere have been dramatic demographic changes; significant increase in Latino population; small portion of eligible voting population; with socialization of Latinos, Texas may become a competitive state; may become purple state even though strictly red right nowParty History in Texas: long period of Democratic dominance, 1870-1970 (100 years); similar political history as rest of SouthResurgence of Republican Party; state legislature is controlled by Republicans; civil rights agenda weakened support for the Democratic Party in the