Political Parties - American Government - Slides | POLS 1101, Study notes of Local Government Studies

Download Political Parties - American Government - Slides | POLS 1101 and more Study notes Local Government Studies in PDF only on Docsity! SS SSS Political Parties Democrats Republicans Independents ME Voted for Bush HE Voted other I Voted for Kerry Realignment (and Dealignment) Dems Repubs 1932 1965 White Southerners Dems White Southerners Blacks Repubs new Dems Historical Realignments Party-in-government refers to the ability of parties to structure and control the government. Party-in-Government Many political scientists believe that strong political parties are essential to the proper functioning of democracy. responsible party government: a set of principles that idealizes a strong role for parties in defining their stance on issues, mobilizing voters, and fulfilling their campaign promises once in office Party-in-Government A somewhat unique aspect of party-in-government in the United States is the possibility of divided government. In divided government, one party controls the executive branch while the other party controls at least one chamber of Congress. Party-in-Government In divided government, one party controls the executive branch while the other party controls at least one chamber of Congress. Since the realignment of 1968, divided government has been more prevalent than unified government. Periods of Unified Government  Carter Years, 1977-1981  Clinton Years, 1993-1995  George W. Bush Years, 2002-2006 Party-in-Government Parties and the Policy Process • Strong parties can provide ready-made majorities for policy passage. • Parties bring together individuals with shared or overlapping interest and policy goals. Summary • Parties function as organizations, in the electorate, and in government. • Demographic traits help predict people’s partisan identification (know what predicts which). • Realignment is a dramatic shift in partisan preferences, usually from an old party to a new, dominant one. • Since the 1970s, Americans’ partisan leanings have increased from low to higher. • Our winner-take-all system of federal (and most state) elections means we will almost always have exactly two parties.