Party Politics: When Third Parties Make a Difference
There have been times in U. S. history when third parties have affected the outcome of an election. If a third party takes disproportionately from one party rather than the other they can be divisive. Ironically, Ross Perot got 19% of the vote in 19...
Party Politics: Politician-Centered Politics
Despite partisan support, political parties are relatively weak in the United States. They still recruit candidates, raise money, and develop policy positions, but they do not control these activities as they once did. Candidates can bypass their pa...
Party Politics: U.S. and Parliamentary System Elections
Third parties in the United States have been unsuccessful largely because of the single-member-plurality system. Whoever comes in first wins the office. In parliamentary systems, the percentage of votes each party gets equates to the percentage of s...
Party Politics: Two Political Parties Emerge During Washington's Administration
There was no plan for a party system in the early days of the United States. It was thought there would be so many different factions that no one faction would survive. To the surprise of the citizens, two parties--the Federalists favoring a strong ...
Party Politics: Party Activists More Extreme than Majority of Party Members
People who are activists in both the Republican and Democrat parties are more extreme than the American public in general. Republicans leaders are more conservative; Democrats more liberal. As a result there has been a general decline in public supp...
Party Politics: Evolution of the Democrat and Republican Parties
Republicans and Democrats of today bear little resemblance to their predecessors. From the time of Lincoln until the 1930s, Republicans were the great reformers who believe in active government whereas Democrats with their base support in the South ...
Party Politics: Ideological Differences Between Republicans and Democrats
There are distinct ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats. In recent years the Republicans have become more coherent in their conservatism, whereas Democrats debate about whether or not the party should be more moderate. Democrats...
Party Politics: Consistent Partisanship
In addition to researchers, party officials track the voting behavior of groups election to election, year after year. Changes in the party affiliation and vote of Asian Americans between 1992 and 2000, as well as trends among blacks, Hispanics wome...
Party Politics: Elections Won in the Center
Elections are won in the center and that is where both parties compete. Over the last decades of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century the Republican right wing has been a more potent force than the liberal left wing of the Democ...