Question

Write a reflection of Chapter 12 - Political Parties.

CHAPTER 12. POLITICAL PARTIES
Read Chapter 12 - Political Parties in the Keeping the Republic textbook. In this chapter we will learn about...

What political parties are and the role they play in a democracy
What parties in America stand for
The history of political parties in America
The central functions of parties: electioneering and governing
Characteristics of the American party system
The relationship of citizens to political parties
The role of parties in a democracy

Political linkage
Unification of a fragmented government
A voice for the opposition
Three components of political parties

Party organization
Party-in-government
Party-in-the-electorate
The responsible party model

Each party presents a coherent set of programs to voters, consistent with its ideology and clearly different from those of the other party.
The candidates for each party pledge to support their party’s platform and to implement their party’s programs if elected.
Voters make choices based on which party’s programs most closely reflect their own ideas and hold the parties responsible for unkept promises by voting members out of office.
While governing, each party exercises control over its elected officials to ensure that party officials are promoting and voting for its programs, thereby providing accountability to voters.
What do the parties stand for?

Party ideology
Party membership
Policy differences between the parties
The dilemma party candidates face

Most Republican primary voters are very conservative, whereas most Democratic primary voters are very liberal, meaning that candidates must run to the extremes to win the party’s nomination
But:

Many moderate voters turn out in the general election, so candidates should position themselves in the center of the ideological scale to win the general election
The history of parties in America

Andrew Jackson and the rise of party machines
Domination of party bosses in the cities
Democratization of political parties and the creation of the party primary
The history of party eras

Critical elections that lead to realignments
Five agreed-upon party eras
A sixth party era?
A sixth party era?

No single critical election
The demise of the New Deal coalition
Movement of southern whites to Republican Party
African Americans become overwhelming Democratic
Dealignment? Reduction in party identifiers into 1980s but increase in party identifiers since then
No real third-party movement for some time, but the Tea Party movement and October 2010 midterm elections show that third parties are not dead
What do parties do? Electioneering

Recruiting candidates
Nominating candidates
Open vs. closed primaries
Nominating convention
Defining policy agendas
General elections
What do parties do? Governing

Controlling government
Execution of policy agendas and accountability
Characteristics of the American party system

Two parties
Few serious political splits
Ability to change with the time
The rules of the game!!
Legal barriers faced by third parties
Third parties become more prevalent and powerful, like FreedomWorks and the Tea Party movement
Decentralized party organizations
National committees
Congressional campaign committees
State party committees
Local party organizations
Recent changes

U.S. parties are becoming more ideological,
Hyperpartisanship, polarization, and recent gridlock
The citizens and political parties

Three things citizens can do to offset their frustration with political parties:
Have realistic expectations
Get involved
Don’t split your ticket

Answer 1

Chapter 12 of the Keeping the Republic textbook covers the topic of political parties in America. The chapter describes the role of political parties in a democracy, their history, and the central functions of parties: electioneering and governing. It also discusses the characteristics of the American party system, the relationship of citizens to political parties, and the responsible party model. The chapter further outlines the parties' ideology, membership, policy differences, and the dilemma party candidates face. It also covers the history of parties in America, including the rise of party machines, democratization of political parties, and party eras.

The chapter details what parties do, including electioneering, which involves recruiting and nominating candidates, defining policy agendas, and holding general elections. It also discusses the role of parties in governing and controlling government, executing policy agendas, and accountability. The chapter highlights the characteristics of the American party system, including its two-party system, decentralized party organizations, and legal barriers faced by third parties. The chapter concludes by discussing recent changes in U.S. parties, including their increasing ideology, hyperpartisanship, and polarization, and offers advice to citizens on how to offset their frustration with political parties by having realistic expectations, getting involved, and not splitting their ticket.