Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1 What did the republic’s first leaders think about political parties and interest groups?
2. Why are political parties weaker today than in the past?
3. Why does America have just two major political parties?
4. Why does America have so many interest groups?
5. Are some interests more fully represented in Washington than other interests?
SUMMARY OVERVIEW
Political parties have three functions:
• Supply candidates with labels.
• Provide organization for recruiting/campaigning.
• Create sets of leaders in three levels of government to achieve the party agenda.
In the Founding era, the Framers feared political parties and referred to parties as factions
motivated by ambition and self-interest. Two parties emerged, Democratic–Republicans and the
Federalists, which were organized by coalitions of notables with management being top down.
Andrew Jackson organized a tightly coordinated system focused around local mass political
participation. Presidential electors were selected by popular vote within the states. This was the
era of the “spoils” system in which politics was dominated by the political machine.
The Civil War shattered the control and domination of the Democrats. Business sought to control
government and used its economic power to gain control over the parties that led to widespread
abuse by business of farmers, workers, and consumers. Political opposition developed as
reformers curtailed abuses. The Progressive reform movement sought to end the control of parties
by business. The reforms curtailed political corruption but weakened the power of political
parties. The machine era ended when parties lost their power to control leaders or to control a
highly fragmented political structure.
Today’s party structure is less coordinated. Day-to-day management of the party is by a full-time
professional staff that is headed by a national committee with an appointed chair. The committee
assists congressional candidates in campaigning and fund raising.
The national committee controls the nominating process for president by setting the time and
place for the nominating convention and determining the number of delegates from each state.
Since 1972, Democrats have attempted to weaken the control of powerful party bosses by
increasing the proportion of delegates who are women, youth, and minority. The combination of
Progressive reforms and recent changes in party rules has shifted the delegate selection process to
primaries where voters select the delegates. Both parties have become extremely ideological and
deeply polarized.
offices. Three categories of incentives propel persons to become members of these organized
interest groups: solidarity, material, and purposive incentives.
Purposive incentives serve as powerful inducement to prospective members of some groups. The
effectiveness of opposition to interest groups depends on power, wealth, and public status of the
opponents. Funding for interest groups is from three sources: foundation grants, federal grants,
and direct mail. Direct mail using computers raises money from the general public. Interest group
members come from the upper middle class and represent business and professional groups.
Interest groups engage in a variety of activities that affect the direction of public policy.
Lobbyists traditionally have developed “access” to political leaders, the “insider” approach. Grass
roots or “outsider” strategy has proven effective.
Campaign finance laws passed following the Watergate scandal created PACs. PAC monies are
given to incumbents within Congress regardless of party affiliation and account for one-third of
the monies spent by Congressional candidates. Conservative PAC formation has increased, but
it’s not clear if the PAC monies directly influence Congressional votes. They do, however,
influence access to candidates. Of greater importance is the promise by interest groups of future
jobs to officials (“Revolving Door”).
The 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act and new regulations in 1995 have attempted to
control the lobbying process. The enforcement areas are the tax code and campaign finance laws.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. PARTIES—HERE AND ABROAD
A. Decentralization
• U.S.-European party differences
o European parties are more centralized than the U.S. parties.
o U.S. presidential system means that the legislative majority
does not select the chief executive; the president is
independently elected.
B. Political Culture
• In the United States, citizens do not usually join parties in the sense of
paying dues, and so on; they merely vote for party candidates.
• Most of life in the United States is nonpartisan.
• In Europe, parties dominate more; there are dues and meetings, and
parties have more structure.
C. The Rise and Decline of American Political Parties
• Founders feared political parties as factions—motivated by ambition and
self-interest.
• Democratic-Republicans and Federalists emerged as parties of local
notables (organizing from the top down)—a weak system.
• The Jacksonians—the first national party system
o Mass political participation owing to the increase in men eligible
to vote
o Presidential electors were selected by popular vote in almost
every state.
o Parties were organized from the bottom up, with political
conventions providing some local control over the
presidential nomination.
V. NOMINATING A PRESIDENT
• Parties must appeal to a cross-section of voters but still keep their more
ideological members loyal.
A. Are the Delegates Representative of the Voters?
• Democratic delegates much more liberal
• Republican delegates much more conservative
5. Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan have both led political revolutions within political
parties. Discuss the revolutions. What were the key elements of each man’s influence?
What skills are required for a leader to transform a political party?
6. It has been said that America is run by special interests. How do special interests
influence the direction of the American political process? How does their influence
contrast with that of political parties? Is it good for the nation?
7. How do special interest groups influence individual political leaders? Have they
purchased the government, one political leader at a time?
LECTURE LAUNCHERS
1. Jefferson and other founders fought to create a republican government emphasizing
democratic systems as superior to aristocracy. Later he characterized Jackson as the most
dangerous man in America. Why did he fear Jackson? What does this imply for the
creation of democracy? Which man truly supported the creation of a democratic state?
2. The Chamber of Commerce and organized labor have influence on politics. Which
groups have greater resources? Which groups have greater influence? Why do they
influence?
3. Do poor people have any influence on the direction of public policy in America? What
policies have been established to help the poor? What are the combined percentages of
these programs as a part of the federal budget?
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Who are the activists and the moderates? Activists tend to engage in many different
kinds of political participation, whereas moderates often demonstrate less interest in the
daily business of government. Why do these people have such different attitudes? Ask
students to attend meetings on campus or local political organizations, talking with the
members to better understand what motivates them to take action. Then ask students to
speak with people who have never attended such a meeting. What similarities and
differences exist between the two sets of people? Based on this small (and probably
unrepresentative) sample, how can students refine the statement that the United States is
“a nation of joiners”?
2. How hard is it to register to vote? Ask students to visit the local office of the registrar
of voters to learn about the process of registering to vote. Is there an effort to register
people to vote in the local communities? If so, where and when is it conducted? What are
the rules for registering to vote? Students should think about the kinds of personal and
political efficacy that are required even to register to vote.
3. Ask students to research an interest group of their choosing. The students will report their
findings in class detailing the following:
a. the mission of each group
b. the origins of each group
c. the budget of the group and their fundraising methods.
4. Have students create a model of an interest group. What are the key factors that should be
considered in forming the group? What steps need to be taken to form an interest group?
Divide the class into two groups. Each group will select a spokesperson to present their
findings to the class.
KEY TERMS
caucus (congressional) An association of members of Congress created to advocate a political
ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
congressional campaign committee A party committee in Congress that provides funds to
members who are running for reelection or to would-be members running for an open
seat or challenging a candidate from the opposition party.
cue (political) A signal telling a congressional representative what values (for example, liberal
or conservative) are at stake in a vote—who is for, who is against a proposal—and how
that issue fits into his or her own set of political beliefs or party agenda.
faction According to James Madison, a group of people who seek to influence public policy in
ways contrary to the public good.
federal money Money raised to support the campaign of a candidate for federal office. Amounts
are regulated by federal law.
ideological party A party that values principled stands on issues above all else, including
winning. It claims to have a comprehensive view of American society and government
radically different from that of the established parties.
interest group An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to
influence public policy.
lobbyists Persons who try to influence legislation on behalf of an interest group.
material incentives Benefits that have monetary value, including money, gifts, services, or
discounts received as a result of one’s membership in an organization.
national chairman A paid, full-time manager of a party’s day-to-day work who is elected by the
national committee.
national committee A committee of delegates from each state and territory that runs party
affairs between national conventions.
national convention A meeting of party delegates—elected in state primaries, caucuses, or
conventions—that is held every four years. Its primary purpose is to nominate
presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to ratify a campaign platform.
personal following The political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal
popularity and networks.
pluralist theory (politics) A theory that competition among all affected interests shapes
public policy.
plurality system An electoral system, used in almost all American elections, in which the
winner is the candidate who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a
majority of the votes.
political efficacy A citizen’s sense that he or she can understand and influence politics.
political machine A party organization that recruits its members by dispensing patronage—
tangible incentives such as money, political jobs, an opportunity to get favors from
WEB LINKS
Some political parties:
Democratic National Committee (www.democrats.org).
Republican National Committee (www.rnc.org).
Green party (www.greens.org).
Libertarian party (www.lp.org).
Reform party (www.reformparty.org).
National Political Conventions since 1856:
(http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781449.html).
Conservative
American Conservative Union (www.conservative.org).
Tea Party (http://www.teaparty.org/).
Liberal
INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
Aldrich, John H. Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America.
Chicago: U of Chicago P. 1995. Print.
Explains why parties form and are essential to democracy.
Berry, Jeffrey M. Lobbying for the People. Princeton, NJ: Princeton U P. 1977. Print.
Discusses the general characteristics of more than eighty “public interest” lobbies, with a
detailed discussion of two.
Cigler, Allan J., and Burdett A. Loomis, eds. Interest Group Politics, 7th ed. Washington, D. C.:
CQ Press. 2007. Print.
A good collection of essays on interest groups.
Goldwin, Robert A., ed. Political Parties in the Eighties. Washington, D. C.: American
Enterprise Institute. 1980.
Essays evaluating parties and efforts to reform them.
Heinz, John P., et al. The Hollow Core. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. 1993. Print.
A close study of how interest groups affect national politics in agriculture, energy, health,
and labor.
Key, V. O., Jr. Southern Politics. New York: Knopf. 1949. Print.
A classic account of how politics once operated in the one-party South.
Lowi, Theodore J. The End of Liberalism. New York: Norton. 1969. Print.
A critique of the role of interest groups in American government.
Olson, Mancur. The Logic of Collective Action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. 1965. Print.
A theory of interest-group formation from an economic perspective.
Ranney, Austin. Curing the Mischiefs of Faction: Party Reform in America. Berkeley: U of
California P. 1975. Print.
History and analysis of party “reforms” with special attention on the 1972 changes in the
Democratic party rules.
Riordan, William L. Plunkitt of Tammany Hall. New York: Knopf, 1948 (first published in
1905). Print.
Amusing and insightful account of how an old-style party boss operated in New
York City.
Schattschneider, E. E. Party Government. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1942. Print.
An argument for a more disciplined and centralized two-party system.
Schlozman, Kay, Sidney Verba and Henry Brady. The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political
Voice and the Broken Promise of American Democracy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton
UP. 2012. Print.
A comprehensive study suggesting that upper-class individuals and business interests
have disproportionate influence in the policymaking process.
Wilson, James Q. Political Organizations, rev. ed. Princeton: Princeton UP. 1995. Print.
A theory of interest groups and political parties that emphasizes the incentives they use to
attract members.