2 Political Parties

• Ideology

  Core beliefs and ideas of political parties. US parties were traditionally seen as much less ideological than their UK equivalents
• Previously, parties were broad

  • 1930s, New Deal Coalition by Democrat president Roosevelt included blue-collar workers, minorities and conservative white segregationists from South
  • WW2 hero General Eisenhower approached by both parties to run. 1948, offered by Democrat but rejected and 1952, ran for Republican
• Now, parties are ideological

  • 67% of Republicans thought 2020 election rigged
• Farewell speech

  • Truman
  • atomic bomb on Japan and “starting an atomic war is totally unthinkable”
  • Eisenhower
  • warned about military-industrial complex and army too big
  • Washington
  • warned about political parties too strong - reinvent tribalism
• Democratic Party p1

  • large government help poverty and enable individual enterprise
  • taxes on wealthiest to fund social welfare
  • 2020 tax policy to reverse Trump's tax cuts
  • affordable healthcare
  • civil rights for minorities
  • pro-choice on abortion
  • separation between church and state
  • gun control
• Democratic Party p2

  • Supreme Court judges favour ‘living’ Constitution to protect rights
  • diverse multicultural and multi-religion
  • humane reforms to immigration
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy and DREAM Act for illegal immigrants working
  • reforms racial policies after 2020 Floyd murder
  • work with international organisations eg climate change and nuclear proliferation
  • environmentalism and climate change , ‘Green New Deal’
• Republican Party p1

  • government intervention wasteful
  • limited government in economic regulation
  • lower taxes for riches, trickle down economics
  • healthcare reflect ability to pay but many support Medicare
  • no extension of civil rights or affirmative action
  • accept same-sex marriage after Obergefell case but oppose more rights
  • Republican-controlled states try pass bathroom bills against transgender rights
  • pro-life on abortion and 2022, overturn Roe v Wade
• Republican Party p2

  • religion and prayers in public schools
  • 2nd Amendment is individual’s right
  • ties with National Rifle Association (NRA)
  • Supreme Court favour ‘originalist’ and restraint on Constitution
  • too diverse and traditional national identity sacrificed
  • immigration regulated
  • Mexican border wall and deportation of illegal immigrants
  • suspicious of international organisations eg UN, WHO and NATO. Trump’s ‘America first’
  • sceptical of stopping fossil fuels and climate change
• Organisation: leadership

  • both parties have own party leaders in each chamber
  • 2021, in House, Nancy Pelosi speaker for Democrats and Kevin McCarthy House Republican leader
  • President negotiate and persuade Congress
  • Trump not pass healthcare reforms in first 2 years despite Republican majority Congress
• Primaried

  When incumbent congressional legislator faces a strong primary challenge from within their own party
• Organisation: state-based parties

  • Minnesota, Democrats run as Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
  • Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) organise national naming convention but can’t select candidate
  • 4 ‘Hill committees’ try get party in Congress:
  • Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
  • National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
  • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
  • National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)
  • 2020 Senate elections, NRSC billboard campaign
• Party organisation

  Formal structures of a political party eg RNC and DNC
• Organisation: associated groups

  • Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
  • independent from Democratic Party
  • 2018, 2 endorsed candidates elected to House
  • Tea Party movement supports Republican

  Combines strength of organisation:

  • 2020, Republican Steve King (Iowa) lost primary as racist comments
  • removed from House committee eg Agriculture
  • lost endorsements from conservative evangelical leaders
• Factionalism

  Different groups within the same party that often compete for power and influence. Most factions reflect either moderate or more extreme positions within the party
• Changes: geography

  • South more Republican while East and West coasts more Democrat
  • 1976 election last time Democrat won across South
  • 1992, southerner Democrat Bill Clinton won but only got few southern states
• Changes: ideology

  • Republicans more conservative and Democrats more liberal
  • Democrat Johnson signed Civil Rights Act 1964
  • fallout from desegregation. Republicans oppose educational integration eg busing (schools more racially diverse)
  • New York from Republican to Democrat as Republicans protect of 2nd Amendment and against big government
  • 1950s, Black Senator Brooke said "Republican Party was more progressive than Democratic Party" but not anymore
• Changes: demographics

  • Republicans white, rural areas and attend church. Less likely educated to degree level
  • Democrats in urban areas, diverse backgrounds and less religious. More likely higher levels of education
  • Democrat ads view Republicans as racists, bigots and against women’s rights
  • Republican ads view Democrats as unpatriotic, socialists and anti-gun
• Changes: cohesiveness

  • Obamacare and Trump tax cuts passed without support from opposing party
  • but Johnson passed Civil Rights Act 1964 with Republican votes
  • 81% Republicans but 69% of Democrats in Senate supported
  • 1974, House begin impeachment for Nixon after Watergate. 7 / 17 Republicans voted with Democrats to impeach
  • 2019, Trump’s impeachment, 0 Republican supported Democrats
• Party unity

  • parties and individuals loyal when seeking party’s nomination
  • least loyal in 2nd half of 2-term presidency - lame duck period
  • end of pork-barrelling reduced incentives for loyalty
• Divisions in unity for:

  • ideology
  • geography
  • personalities
• US parties are united

  • 2018 in House, Republicans stuck with party 91% of time and Democrats 89%
  • 2019 no Republicans voted for Trump’s impeachment
  • both parties more cohesive on controversial policy issues eg abortion and gun control
  • 1994, Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America
  • 2018 midterms, Democrats campaigned under Better Deal programme for ‘Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future’
• US parties aren’t united

  • 2020, Senate limit Trump’s power so no military action against Iran without Congress permission. 8 Republicans joined Democrat senators to pass
  • 2020, bipartisan CARES Act in Covid
  • 2021, 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump
  • 2018, Congressional Quarterly annual vote study showed in Senate, party unity votes fell from 69% in 2017 to 50%
  • in criminal justice issues, same goal but different motives eg Republicans cut jail numbers to save money and Democrats for rehabilitation
• Unity

  • individuals most loyal when seeking party’s nomination
  • least loyal in second half of two-term presidency - lame duck period
  • end of pork-barrelling reduced incentives for loyalty
• Unity: McCarthy Rebellion

  • remove Speaker McCarthy
  • rebellion when he used bipartisan support to pass temporary funding bill to prevent government shutdown
  • far-right supporters rebelled
• Unity: Contract with America

  • Republican Newt Gingrich made contract eg reducing size of government, lower taxes and had party support
  • removed President Clinton’s control of Congress
• Factions: Blue Dog Coalition

  • Democrat coalition for centrists
  • neutral on issues eg gun control and gay rights
  • seek common cause with Republicans
  • fiscally responsible policies eg strong national defence
• Factions: New Democrat Coalition

  • pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, fiscally responsible policies
  • centrists
  • Henry Cuellar in Blue Dog Coalition and New Democrats
• Factions: Congressional Progressive Caucus

  • most liberal and progressive caucus
  • overtook New Democrat Coalition as largest Democrat caucus in House
  • economic justice and security, environmental protection, energy independence
• Factions: Justice Democrats

  • progressive PAC
  • endorse Democrats eg Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
  • Henry Cuellar 8-term incumbent in South Texas, was anti-abortion and had support of NRA for pro-gun
  • Justice supported Cisneros but lost 48% - 52%
• Factions: Tuesday Group

  • centrist Republicans
  • pragmatic approach to government
  • bipartisan approaches
  • members often represent swing districts
• Factions: Study Committee

  • largest caucus in House
  • 3/4 of all House Republicans
  • conservative Republicans eg limited government, preserving social values, protect Second Amendment
• Factions: Freedom Caucus

  • most right-wing Republican caucus
  • share members with Study Committee
  • social-conservatism eg on abortion and LGBTQ+, small government
  • chair voted against Covid relief measure for funds for vaccines
• Party decline

  parties have become weak with little real power or grip on US politics
• Party renewal

  parties remain central to US political life and have grown in importance and relevance
• Party decline and renewal:

  • 1888, Lord Bryce said parties are ‘two bottles, each having a label denoting the type of liquor it contains, but each being empty’
• Party decline:

  • ‘The Party’s over’ by Broder
  • party system not working and vote-winning machines
  • writing during Vietnam War
  • parties not formulate policies eg foreign policy and left to experts. President changes but advisers don’t
  • leadership held accountable and less emphasis on seniority eg votes on floor of House
  • end to Senate filibuster and Electoral College
  • without parties, presidential tyranny and destroy freedom and democracy
  • restrictions on campaign finance and through party campaign committees, not individuals
• US parties are in decline

  • primaries causes divisions
  • political campaigns are candidate, not party, focused
  • split ticket voting so favour individual candidates
  • 2020, New Hampshire elected Democrat senator and Republican governor
  • voter turnout decreased
  • parties have conflicting policies so divisions
  • Democrat approaches to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency or defunding police
• US parties are in renewal

  • primaries reinforce party brand as candidates align with dominant parties
  • Hill committees run adverts, direct donor funding and promote candidates
  • Split ticket decreased
  • 2016, Senate election winner from same party as presidential candidate in every state
  • 2020, only Maine split Senate and presidential votes
  • voter turnout not fallen consistently
  • 2020 election, went up
  • parties narrows in policy as polarisation in Congress and public
• Weakness of parties

  • lack single leader. National nominating conventions select candidates, not leaders
  • election campaigns focus on individuals, not party
  • power within parties dispersed, not concentrated eg chairs of the DNC and RNC, state governors, pressure groups, PACs
  • federalism so state parties have power
  • direct primaries make parties weaker eg Trump opposed by Republican Party at primary stage
• Third parties

  Parties other than the Republicans and Democrats eg Green Party or Libertarian Party