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TAMU POLS 207 - Political Parties, Interest Groups
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Factors associated with TurnoutSocioeconomic statusHigher this is, the higher the chance you’ll voteEducation mattersIf you take people from the same education level than blacks will vote more than whitesBecause previously they were not allowed to vote – this has increased their chances of turnoutInterparty competitionHigh competition leads to high turnoutTradition/CultureLegal requirementsVoting Rights ActStops politicians racially gerrymanderingRegistrationElection issuesVoting Laws in TexasWhite primaryOnly white citizens could vote in primariesPoll taxIf you wanted to vote you had to pay taxDiscriminates against the poorRegistration barriersGrandfather clause – if your grandfather did not vote, you couldn’tTo stop former slaves votingLiteracy testDisenfranchise many – hard test that was intended to stop people voting.People often lie when they self-report voting.IncumbencyThey get re-elected 90-95% of the time.They have job securityMore likely to stay because they are the incumbentIncumbencyThe fact that being in office helps a person stay in office because of a variety of benefits that go with the positionName recognitionAccess to free mediaInside track on fund-raisingDistrict drawn to favor incumbent1980 to 1990, an average of 95 percent of incumbents who sought reelection won their primary and general election races.Candidates are also less likely to challenge a strong incumbent.The turnout rate has no effect on the result in gubernatorial elections.Turnout and Party Representativeness also has no relationship.There is a moderate strong relationship between legislative competitiveness and electorate competitiveness.At the moment the parties are competitive with a near 50/50 split in the legislature.However, the increasing minority population could change this.Texas could turn blue if the Emerging Democratic Majority theory is correct.It is not true already because minorities don’t voteChapter 7Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and the Idea of CompetitionOrganized participationPolitical partiesInterest groupsPartiesConstituent functionSelect candidates for officeFormal process governed by state and federal lawSupport candidates for officeInformation functionDevelop a program & educate publicSet of beliefs, nearly comprehensivePolicy goals & programs for governmentGovernment functionWinners organize governmentLegislatures caucus & get committee assignments by party;Governor appoints supporters by partyJudges tend to vote togetherParties are active during elections.Interest GroupsConstituent FunctionLimited: do not select candidates but do support candidatesCan support candidates during primary electionsCan and do support both contestants for same officeSupport after election is common in TexasInformation FunctionBeliefs not necessarily comprehensive in scope;Limited policy preferencesPrimary target is group members rather than entire public.Government FunctionDo not organize governmentBut do provide information and organize for specific policy specific goalsInterest groups are active between electionsStrong because of their money and organization. Strength comes from members.History of American Political PartiesRatifying the ConstitutionFederalistAnti-Federalist, disorganized, ruralWashington did not like parties because they divide people and take away loyalty from the country.Civil WarRepublican NorthDemocratic SouthMachine PoliticsUrban machinePatronageWould give out money and houses in exchange for votesDemocratic Party with no ties with DPLocalized democratic party – with no real ties to the national DemocratsNew Deal DemocratsThe Great Depression led to an FDR win after Hoover did nothing to alleviate the economic woes.Led to the country being DemocraticCongress controlled by Democrats etc.POLS 207 1st Edition Lecture 14 Outline of Last Lecture I. The Individual in Democratic GovernmentOutline of Current Lecture II. The Individual in Democratic GovernmentA. Factors Associated with TurnoutB. Voting Laws in TexasC. IncumbencyIII. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Idea of Competitiona. Organized Participationb. Partiesc. Interest Groupsd. History of American Political PartiesCurrent Lecture← Factors associated with Turnout- Socioeconomic statuso Higher this is, the higher the chance you’ll voteo Education matters If you take people from the same education level than blacks will vote more than whites Because previously they were not allowed to vote – this has increased their chances of turnout- Interparty competitiono High competition leads to high turnout- Tradition/Culture- Legal requirementso Voting Rights Act Stops politicians racially gerrymanderingo Registration- Election issues← Voting Laws in Texas- White primaryo Only white citizens could vote in primaries- Poll taxo If you wanted to vote you had to pay taxo Discriminates against the poor- Registration barrierso Grandfather clause – if your grandfather did not vote, you couldn’t To stop former slaves votingo Literacy test Disenfranchise many – hard test that was intended to stop people voting.←← People often lie when they self-report voting.←← Incumbency← They get re-elected 90-95% of the time.- They have job security- More likely to stay because they are the incumbent← Incumbency- The fact that being in office helps a person stay in office because of a variety of benefits that go with the positiono Name recognitiono Access to free mediao Inside track on fund-raisingo District drawn to favor incumbent- 1980 to 1990, an average of 95 percent of incumbents who sought reelection won their primary and general election races.← Candidates are also less likely to challenge a strong incumbent.←← The turnout rate has no effect on the result in gubernatorial elections.← Turnout and Party Representativeness also has no relationship.← There is a moderate strong relationship between legislative competitiveness and electorate competitiveness. ← At the moment the parties are competitive with a near 50/50 split in the legislature.← However, the increasing minority population could change this. - Texas could turn blue if the Emerging Democratic Majority theory is correct.- It is not true already because minorities don’t vote←←← Chapter 7← Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and the Idea of Competition←← Organized participation- Political parties- Interest groups←← Parties- Constituent functiono


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TAMU POLS 207 - Political Parties, Interest Groups

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