6 - US Political Parties

Question 1

Key Values of the Democratic Party?

Answer 1

1) Large government
2) Affordable healthcare
3) LGBTQ Rights
4) Gun Control
5) Environmentalism

Question 2

Key Values of the Republican Party?

Answer 2

1) Small government
2) Private healthcare
3) Judeo-Christian Values
4) Support for 2nd Amendment
5) Climate sceptics

Question 3

Significance of party leaders?

Answer 3

• No clear leaders (reflects separation of power/ federalism)
• Lack of party discipline
• Leaders in each chamber

Question 4

Details of party organisation?

Answer 4

• “100 party system”
• No official party leaders

Question 8

Significance of Associated Groups?

Answer 8

• Help to secure candidate elections
• e.g. Democratic Socialist of America helped elect AOC
• Similar to pressure groups

Question 8

Democratic Party Factions?

Answer 8

1) Blue Dog Democrats
2) New Democrat Coalition
3) Congressional Progressive Caucus

Question 8

Geographical changes since the 1960s?

Answer 8

• 1976 was last time Democrat won the South
• Southern Strategy - Goldwater
• Shift between North and South over civil rights
• However, Georgia was Blue in 2020

Question 9

Republican Party Factions?

Answer 9

1) Republican Governance Group (similar to Blue Dogs)
2) Republican Study Committee
3) Freedom Caucus

Question 10

Ideological changes since the 1960s?

Answer 10

• Republicans aligned with segregationists
• Democrats became more liberal
• Republicans became more religious

Question 11

Demographic changes since the 1960s?

Answer 11

• White Southerners shifted to Republicans
• BAME shifted to Democrats
• Northerners shifted to Democrats

Question 12

Cohesiveness changes since the 1960s?

Answer 12

• 81% of Senate Republicans backed Civil Rights Act
• 7/17 Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon
• Trump 2019 Impeachment: no Republican broke ranks

Question 13

How are US parties united?

Answer 13

1) Key Votes (e.g. House: 90%)
2) Increasingly divided on policy
3) Emergence of Trump

Question 14

How are US parties not united?

Answer 14

1) Still bipartisan votes (e.g. CARES Act in Covid-19)
2) No party discipline system
3) Common ground on certain policy (e.g. reducing prison numbers)

Question 15

What is the Broder Thesis about?

Answer 15

• Party decline
• Parties abdicated policy formulation to “experts”
• Parties need to be reinvigorated and leaders given greater powers

Question 16

How are parties in renewal?

Answer 16

1) Decrease in split ticket voting
2) Individuals campaign on party policy
3) Primaries reinforce “party brand”

Question 17

How are parties in decline?

Answer 17

1) Traditional split ticket voting
2) Individual focused campaigns
3) Primaries less dependent on party - more formality

Question 18

Important details on third parties?

Answer 18

• No tradition of third parties in Congress
• Only two independent senators
• No third party ECV since 1968
• Greens & Libertarians founded in 1970s and 80s

Question 19

How are third parties significant?

Answer 19

1) “Spoiler effect” (e.g. 2000 election Greens Ralph Nader)
2) Attractive policies (e.g. Green New Deal)
3) Influence in Congressional elections (e.g. Maine 2018 Republican lost seat)

Question 20

How are third parties not significant?

Answer 20

1) Usually have no effect on election outcomes
2) Only Maine doesn’t use FPTP
3) Lack of high-profile media presence

Question 21

How is the US two-party system similar to the UK?

Answer 21

1) Internal coalitions 2) Ideological distinctions 3) Internal rebellions 4) Favour current electoral systems

Question 22

How is the US two-party system different to the UK?

Answer 22

1) Dominance of national party much weaker in the US 2) Alternative election systems in parts of the UK not US 3) Conservatives much more socially progressive 4) Differences in party discipline