Chapter Four

Parties and Elections in the States

Chapter Outline

I. Peaceful transfer of power

A. Yugoslavia’s 2000 election

II. Electoral politics in the states and localities

A. Administration of elections

1. All elections in the United States are administered by state and local governments, not by the national government—thus, great variation

2. In most states the Republican and Democratic parties have a “preferred position”

3. States vary in the difficulty of ballot access for minor parties

4. States choose one of two kinds of ballots

a. Party column or Indiana ballot, which encourages party-line voting

b. Office block or Massachusetts ballot, which encourages split-ticket voting

B. Party organization and officers, usually prescribed by the state

1. Party chair – spokesperson for the party

2. Vice-chair – by state law or party bylaws generally must be of the opposite gender from the party chair

3. Central committee – consists of 20 or more persons who are elected or otherwise chosen for specified terms

4. Executive director - oversees the staff, assists the chair, and coordinates the work of the central committee and other party officials

C. Party activities in elections

1. Structure for elections

2. Candidate recruitment

3. Voter registration

4. Voter mobilization

5. Campaign resources

D. Voting choices

1. Party identification

a. Partisanship is the single most important predictor of the vote

b. An important element in elections where most voters have little information about candidates

2. Candidate appeal, with the importance of name identification and the advantages of incumbency

3. Issue voting

a. State elections often focus on economic conditions, education, jobs, and the environment

b. However, issues are less important at the state than at the national level

4. Nonpartisan local elections

a. Some contend nonpartisan local elections make it more difficult for poor persons, minorities, and the less educated to participate effectively

E. Parties in state government

1. Parties in the executive branch

a. Winning the governorship is the big prize at the state level

b. Governors often assist in recruiting candidates for the state legislature

2. Parties in the legislature

a. Like Congress, state legislatures (excluding Nebraska) are organized largely along party lines

b. Redistricting or reapportionment is one area on which legislatures are predictably partisan

3. Parties in the judiciary

a. Where judges are elected on party ballots, partisanship is important

b. Party matters less in states that select judges on nonpartisanship ballots and in retention elections

F. Parties in local government

1. The main objectives of the urban reform movement in the early twentieth century was to overthrow political machines, and this was accomplished

2. Political parties are still important in the politics of many cities, although they are much weaker today

G. Party balance and imbalance

1. State politics may be classified according to how the parties share public offices

a. Two-party state

b. Modified one-party state

c. One-party state

1. Since the end of World War II, there has been a trend toward two-party competition

2. Consequences of an even party balance

a.Parties and candidates are more sensitive to slight changes in public opinion

b.More teamwork and efficiency in government as leaders within each party work together

1. Consequences of party imbalance

a. Competition occurs within the majority party in the primary, disorganizing the dominant party

b. Pulverizes the minority party, causing it to focus on national politics and patronage

III. Elections at the state and local level

A. U.S. has large number and variety of elections compared to Europe

B. Differences in state election systems

1. Who may vote

a. States can limit suffrage; for example, most states do not permit prison inmates to vote

b. States differ in voter registration rules

2. Reform of election laws

a. Elections by mail: fear of fraud, hope for higher turnout

b. Absentee ballots: can loosen requirements to encourage turnout

c. Early voting

3. Nomination processes

a. State law establishes the process by which party nominees are selected: primary, caucus, or convention system

b. States have different approaches to primaries

1. Closed primary - only those voters registered in a party may vote in that party’s primary

2. Open primary - any voter can participate in any party’s primary on primary election day

3. Blanket primary – can vote for more than one party in same primary election

c. Caucuses or conventions used in a few states (e.g., Iowa) – emphasize candidate organizational efforts

d. Louisiana system – all candidates from all parties in a single election; runoff to determine winner

4. Timing and frequency of elections

a. States consolidate gubernatorial and state general elections of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

b. There is great variability in the timing of state and local primary elections and local general elections

c. State law establishes the rules for local elections but often allows cities and towns some discretion in setting the precise dates

d. State and local governments can call special elections to vote on a ballot initiative, a statewide constitutional change, a new constitution, or to replace a U.S. senator who has died or resigned

C. Participation: who votes?

1. States vary significantly in turnout rates

a. Definition: turnout as proportion of voting age population that votes

b. Can’t use registration rates for turnout due to state variation in procedures

2. Low primary vote raises concerns for representativeness of primary electorate

D. Campaign finance

1. Disclosure is a common element of campaign finance legislation at the state and local level

2. About two-thirds of the states have enacted campaign finance reforms that limit individual contributions; some states provide a form of public financing

E. Voting in ballot questions (initiatives)

1. With voter volatility, voting is influenced heavily by campaign spending

2. Big spending in some initiative campaigns by special interests, due to national implications

3. Voting choices on ballot questions is different because of lack of simplifying factors such as parties and candidate appeal

F. How we vote

1. Method of voting is still antiquated

2. Only 10% of counties use electronic voting systems

IV. The future of grassroots democracy

A. Steps in the renewal of political parties

1. Change image of political parties and persuade citizens that partisan activity is essential to a healthy constitutional democracy

2. Give people who support parties a greater say in choosing the candidates who run under their party’s label

B. Make elections more “voter friendly”

C. Challenge of getting good people to run for office