Parties and Elections in the States
The authors use this chapter to apply some of the material from previous chapters more specifically to the state and local level. A major theme developed throughout the chapter is that state governments are truly a vital part of the electoral process. State governments regulate elections, control voting registration, regulate campaign finance, and even define what a political party is and how it should be structured and operate. Moreover, since every office in our country is chosen at the state and local level (even the presidency is chosen in a series of fifty separate state elections), the differing social and economic characteristics of the states and the actions of states will have profound effects not only on state government but also on national government.
Any attempt to reform the electoral system--campaign finance, political party rules and structure, nomination procedures, voting and registration requirements--must go through the state governments. Some reforms will take constitutional amendments to override the states' predominant role in this arena. That requirement complicates matters--it's much more difficult to reform fifty different systems rather than just one federal one--but it is also fully in keeping with the broad intentions of the framers' federal system.
I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Describe how we have peaceful transfer of power after elections.
2. Describe the extent to which the electoral system in the
3. Distinguish between the party column ballot and the office block ticket.
4. Outline the organization of state and local parties.
5. List and describe the functions parties perform in elections.
6. Assess the importance of party identification, candidate appeal, and issues as factors explaining the vote at the state and local level.
7. Indicate the purposes and effects of nonpartisanship on local elections.
8. Describe the role played by parties in state legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
9. Explain the role of party machines in local government.
10. Examine the level of two‑party competition in the states and the effect of party balance and imbalance.
11. Evaluate the actions of state government in regulating who may vote, how parties may nominate candidates, and when elections are held.
12. Indicate the variation in voter turnout and the effects of low turnout on voter representativeness.
13. Identify the major state and local campaign finance proposals.
14. Discuss the factors that affect voter choice in state and local elections and ballot questions.
15. Assess ways to strengthen grass roots democracy.