·
Political parties make a major contribution
to American government by linking citizens and government, overcoming some of
the fragmentation of government that separation of powers and federalism can
produce, and creating an articulate opposition.
·
American political parties offer the average
voter a choice in terms of ideology, membership, and policy positions
(platform). The differences may not always be evident, however, because
electoral forces create incentives for parties to take moderate positions,
drawing the parties together. At the same time, party activists who are
committed to the values and policies of a particular party play a key role in
pushing the parties apart and keeping them ideologically distinct.
·
The two primary activities of parties are
electioneering (getting candidates elected) and governing (all the activities
related to enacting party policy agendas in government).
·
American history reveals at least five
distinct party eras. These are periods of political stability when one party
has a majority of congressional seats and controls the presidency. A
realignment, or new era, occurs when a different party assumes control of
government. Party politics today may be undergoing both a realignment and a
dealignment, resulting in greater numbers of voters identifying themselves as
independents.
·
America's two-party system is relatively
moderate, decentralized, and increasingly disciplined. Although the rules are
designed to make it hard for third parties to break in, numerous third-party
movements have arisen at different times to challenge the two dominant parties.
·
While public disenchantment with political
parties may be on the increase, parties remain one of the most accessible
avenues for citizen participation in government.
·
what political parties are, and whether they
live up to our expectations of their role in a democracy
·
what parties stand for in America, and
whether they offer us a choice
·
the history of political parties in America
·
how the functions of parties developed in
the American context and what they do today—how they conduct two central
functions of democratic politics: electioneering and governing
·
characteristics of the American party
system, and how it compares to party systems in other countries
·
the relationship of citizens to parties, in
particular the popular unhappiness with partisanship and parties in the United
States
