Chapter 7 Political Parties Pressure Groups and the Idea of Competition ORGANIZED PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES INTEREST GROUPS PARTIES CONSTITUENT FUNCTION SELECT CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE FORMAL PROCESS GOVERNED BY STATE FEDERAL LAW SUPPORT CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE INFORMATION FUNCTION DEVELOP A PROGRAM EDUCATE PUBLIC SET OF BELIEFS NEARLY COMPREHENSIVE POLICY GOALS PROGRAMS FOR GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT FUNCTION WINNERS ORGANIZE GOVERNMENT LEGISLATURES CAUCUS GET COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS BY PARTY GOVERNOR APPOINTS SUPPORTERS BY PARTY JUDGES TEND TO VOTE TOGETHER Parties are active during elections INTEREST GROUPS CONSTITUENT FUNCTION LIMITED DO NOT SELECT CANDIDATES BUT DO SUPPORT CANDIDATES CAN SUPPORT CANDIDATES DURING PRIMARY ELECTIONS CAN AND DO SUPPORT BOTH CONTESTANTS FOR SAME OFFICE SUPPORT AFTER ELECTION IS COMMON IN TEXAS INFORMATION FUNCTION BELIEFS NOT NECESSARILY COMPREHENSIVE IN SCOPE LIMITED POLICY PREFERENCES PRIMARY TARGET IS GROUP MEMBERS RATHER THAN ENTIRE PUBLIC GOVERNMENT FUNCTION DO NOT ORGANIZE GOVERNMENT BUT DO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ORGANIZE FOR SPECIFIC POLICY GOALS Interest groups are active between elections History of American Political Parties Ratifying the Constitution Federalists Anti Federalist disorganized rural Civil War Republican North Democratic South Machine Politics urban machine Democratic Party with no ties with DP New Deal Democrats WHY ARE U S PARTIES SO SIMILAR LIBERAL CENTER CONSERVATIVE PRIMARY ELECTION SYSTEMS CLOSED PRIMARY OPEN PRIMARY MIXED PRIMARY TOP TWO LOUISIANA NO PRIMARY Figure 7 1 Primary Election Systems WA OR ID MT WY NV CA UT CO AZ NM AK HI ME VT NH MA CT RI NJ DE NY PA MD DCDC DCDC DC VA ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA W I M I IN IL OH WV KY TN MS AL GA NC SC FL Nonpartisan Blanket Top Two Open Mixed Closed Responsible Party System Not American political parties are not responsible parties that is they cannot completely control nominations campaign financing or party members adherence to the party platform No clear policy consequences Is the party over Decline in party attachments primary elections weakened parties new style politics advertising campaign media based negative campaigning mud swift boating branding Impact of the party in control Democrats Liberal programs Larger tax burden Greater spending per capita Fewer restrictions on abortion Generous welfare benefits Figure 7 2A Legislative Control by the Democratic Party and State Policies 6 0 0 2 n e d r u B x a T 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 NY NJ CO CT ME MN NC OR DE OK KY MI IA IL WA MS NM LA WV AL VT CA MD HI AR RI MA r 38 UT ID KS OH VA MO WI PA GA IN SC TX ND AZ FL SD NH WY AK MT TN NV 20 40 60 80 Percent Democrats in Legislature 2005 Figure 7 2B Legislative Control by the Democratic Party and State Policies 10 r 46 ND IN SC OK ID KS MO GA LA s w a L n o i t r o b A f o s s e n e v i t c i r t s e R 8 6 4 2 0 SD UT VA PA MI TX WI FL OH KY TN MN NC WY AZ IA NV MS AL AR MA RI MT ME CO IL AK DE NJ CA WV MD CT WA NM NY HI NH OR VT 20 40 60 80 Percent Democrats in Legislature 2005 Figure 7 2C Legislative Control by the Democratic Party and State Policies 1 000 r 14 AK WI NH NY CA VT CT MA HI RI SD ND UT KS WY ID OH VA AZ FL MO MN ME WA OR IA MT IL NJ NM MI PA MD IN GA SC TX DE OK CO NV NC KY TN MS WV LA AL AR 5 0 0 2 e e r h T f o y l i m a F s t i f e n e B F N A T 800 600 400 200 0 20 40 60 80 Percent Democrats in Legislature 2005 Figure 7 2D Legislative Control by the Democratic Party and State Policies 16 000 r 12 AK 5 0 0 2 a t i p a C r e P s e r u t i d n e p x E l a c o L d n a e t a t S 14 000 12 000 10 000 8 000 6 000 WY ID 20 NY CA DE NJ WA MA RI HI OH PA WI ND FL MI SC IA UT KS SD VA IN NH AZ TX GA MO MN OR IL ME CO TN KY NV MT OK CT VT NM NC MS LA AL MD WV AR 40 60 80 Percent Democrats in Legislature 2005 Figure 7 3 Political Party Competition Competitive Balance in Lower Legislative Chambers 2009 WA OR ID MT WY NV CA UT CO AZ NM AK HI ME NY VT NH MA CT RI NJ DE MD DCDC PA VA ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA W I M I IN IL OH WV KY TN MS AL GA NC SC FL Highly Competitive 10 Difference Competitive 10 15 Difference Uncompetitive 15 20 Difference Highly Uncompetitive 20 Difference Figure 7 4 Political Party Competition Unified Partisan Control 1959 2009 WA OR ID MT WY NV CA UT CO AZ NM AK HI ME NY VT NH MA CT RI NJ DE MD DCDC DC PA VA ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA W I M I IN IL OH WV KY TN MS AL GA NC SC FL 30 Unified Partisan Control 30 50 Unified Partisan Control 50 70 Unified Partisan Control 70 Unified Partisan Control Table 7 1 Political Party Competition and State Policies Correlation With Index of Lower Chamber Competitiveness Tax Burden State and Local Expenditures Per Capita TANF Benefits for Family of Three Restrictiveness of Abortion Laws 06 17 19 01 Summary No consistent pattern between partisan control of state legislatures and policy No relationship between long term partisan control and policy only regional difference for TANF for southern states No evident policy changes with party change No public policy influences with interparty competiveness INTEREST GROUPS ORGANIZATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO SHARE ONE OR MORE INTEREST TRY TO INFLUENCE POLITICAL SYSTEM INTEREST GROUP ASSETS LARGE NUMBERS SIZE IS AN ASSET USEFUL FOR ELECTIONEERING AND COMMUNICATING PREFERENCES TO GOVT OFFICIALS BUT SMALLER GROUPS EASIER TO ORGANIZE EASIER TO STIMULATE PARTICIPATION WEALTH Funding STATUS Visibility and expertise INTEREST GROUP ACTIVITIES get members to vote elect friends defeat enemies Government for policy change sharing information ELECTIONEERING LOBBYING PROPAGANDIZING Public for support Interest Groups Representation Who Is Organized Organized interests are much more powerful i e relevant to the policy making process than those that are not organized Economic producing groups are more likely to be organized than are consuming groups People with more education and income are more likely to join groups than are people with less education and income Those who join groups out of personal involvement tend to feel strongly about the issue around which the group is organized Wealthy White and Male Involved in business Interest Groups in the …
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