HOW ARE VIEWED THE POLITICAL PARTIES ?
Parties are not mentioned in the Constitution. They are viewed as potentially divisive by the Founding Fathers
HOW ARE ORGANIZED PARTIES NATIONWIDE SPEAKING ?
the parties are very decentralized, with local and state base. They only truly come together every years at their National Convention. The Parties are organizationally weak but ideologically strong and robust, and participating in structuring the political life
WHAT ARE THE BIG TENTS ?
the other name of political parties
parties cork as broad coalition of distinct interests (a french equivalent would be NUPES). Many elements/ factions are coexisting within one party. There is the regular wing and the ideological wing
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FACTION WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ?
mainstreet republicans
fiscal conservatives (or freedom caucus)
christian conservatives (or social conservatives
libertarians
populist conservatives (or nationalist conservatives
WHAT ARE THE MAINSTREET REPUBLICANS ?
moderate wing
they are republican 1st and conservative 2nd
open to some degrees of compromise and bipartisanship to get things done
most presidential candidates up to 2016 are from that wing
priority: governing
3 MEMBER OF THE MAINSTREET FACTION
George W. Bush
Mitt Romney
Mitch McConnell
WHAT ARE THE FISCAL CONSERVATIVES ?
Conservatives 1st
priority: limiting government intervention in the economy
WHAT ARE THE CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES ?
deeply rooted in religion
priority: advancing Christian values and morality
some motivating issues (creationism in school, cutting funds for planned parenthood and abortion)
WHO WAS MEMBER OF THE CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES ?
Mike Pence
WHAT ARE LIBERTARIANS ?
priority: minimal government intervention in all spheres (economy and private life), including in individual choices (sexuality, abortion…)
WHAT ARE POPULIST CONSERVATIVES ?
priority: upholding national and cultural identity
opposing unrestrained multiculturalism, advocating cultural conservatism, anti-unskilled immigration and globalization
WHO WAS PART OF THE POPULIST CONSERVATIVES ?
Donald Trump
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FACTIONS WITHIN THE DEMOCRATS PARTY ?
Progressive wing
Liberal wing
Centrist wing
Conservative wing
+Libertarian wing
WHAT IS THE PROGRESSIVE WING ?
unapologetically on the left
3 MEMBERS OF THE PROGRESSIVE WING
Bernie Sanders
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Elizabeth Warren
3 MEMBERS OF THE LIBERAL WING
Hilary Clinton
Barack Obama
Joe Biden
WHAT IS THE CENTRIST WING ?
more willing to reduce government welfare
WHO WAS MEMBER OF THE CENTRIST WING ?
Bill Clinton
WHAT IS THE CONSERVATIVE WING ?
also known as DINOs = Democrat In Name Only
left of center on economic issues (guns, abortion)
WHAT IS THE LIBERTARIAN WING WITHIN THE DEMOCRATS ?
appealed by the positions on civil rights or separation of state and church for example
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DEMOCRATS ?
colour: blue
symbol: donkey
seeking to promote equality
generally referred to as more liberal
government on backs is desirable for them
government should be in boardrooms (business and economy)
government should stay out of bedrooms (privacy)
see a positive role for government in:
protecting the environment
increase social equality
promoting social justice
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE REPUBLICANS ?
color: red
symbol: elephant
a.k.a. the GOP = Grand Old Party
support limited government intervention
oppose proactive governmental measures designed to improve the position of collectivities (women, blacks, migrants etc.)
generally referred to as the more conservative
government on backs is viewed as an interference/ encroachment
government should be off backs in boardrooms
government should be in bedrooms
HOW MUCH OF THE VOTE DID THE 3RD PARTIES REPRESENT IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS ? WHAT ABOUT IN CONGRESS ?
2% all together
All but 2 of the 535 Congressmen and women are either Democrats or Republicans.
WHY DO THE 3RD PARTIES HAVE SO FEW INFLUENCE ?
Electoral process: first-past-the-post system → people are careful not to disperse their votes
mass media: invariably focusing on the most electable candidates
pragmatism: the 2 big parties are permeable (big tents), so why bother to leave and create a new party?
Institutional system: the legislative life is organized according to which party holds a majority (committees, timetabling of debates). Running as an independent excludes one from those benefits
major party marginalization: 2 big parties co-opting issues with which 3rd parties made inroads in the previous election undermining motivation to support challenge
WHAT DO THE PRATIES IN THE ELECTORATE ?
help clarify/ simplify choices for the voters. But decline in identification with parties, voters are increasingly volatile (= less predictable). They tend to vote more on individual candidates.
Help candidates with an existing base of public support, help mobilize voters. But the primary system is prevailing (voters, no party officials, select nominees for election). Candidates run in the primary, then run as Republican/ Democrat candidate if they win. They have already organized everything (money, team) without support of the party.
WHAT DO THE PARTIES IN GOVERNMENT ?
Organize legislative life in Congress (committees, setting the agenda, coalition on votes)
provide staff and advisers to help the president fill in the White House and executive position
WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ?
primaries
nation party convention
general election
electoral college
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARIES ?
in each state, internal party primary election
voters must register with the party sponsoring the primary
between February and June of election
disproportionate role to early states: they set the tone
WHAT IS THE NATION PARTY CONVENTION ?
July or August
the 1st time every 4 years when the parties truly come together
each state sends delegates to pick the official candidate (only perfunctory)
the ticket is revealed
goal: completing the presidential candidate (ideological or regional balance or demographic appeal)
WHAT IS THE GENERAL ELECTION ?
November
voters vote not for the president but for electors pledged to a certain ticket
WHAT IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ?
the number of electors per state = the number of representatives + senators California: 53 representatives + 2 Senators = 55 electors
the winner-take-all system: in all but 2 States, the winning candidate in the State gets all of the Electors’ votes for that State. The election winner is not necessarily the winner of the popular vote. It is not about winning the popular vote but about winning in enough States to secure 270 Electors.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANDAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THIS SYSTEM ?
Advantages:
reinforces federalism
originally ensured the president would be chosen by a set of wise and worthy individuals
inhibits splinter and extremist parties
Disadvantages:
ignores the popular vote
gives disproportionate influence to small states
crushes any chances for a 3rd party candidate.
Last changed9 days ago