Political Parties

Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

4.1 Describe the structure of political parties in Texas, distinguishing between the temporary party structure and the permanent party structure. 4.2 Compare and contrast the different political ideologies Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 2 rights reserved.found in the Lone Star State. 4.3 Trace the history of political parties in Texas. 4.4 Identify electoral trends in Texas, including the roles of dealigned voters, minor parties, and independent candidates. Party Structure

§ Political party § Two-party system- An organization influenced by political ideology whose primary interest is to gain control of government by winning elections § Interest groups tend to focus on influencing governmental policies § Democrat and Republican

§ 3 Party Structure

§ Political party § Third party candidates have little chance § State election laws make the process of getting on the ballot complex for third parties. Have to get 1% of vote of the past governor election (49,000) § Third-party candidates have little chance of winning an election by defeating the two major-party nominees

4 Party Structure

§ Political party § In addition to making it harder for third party candidtates, there is a requirement that the winner of the general election held in November of even-numbered years to be the candidate who receives the largest number of votes (plurality)

5 Party Structure

§ Political party § Hierarchy- Business with a chain of command that makes each level directly accountable to the level above it § Political parties organized as a stratarchy- power is diffused among and within levels of party organization § State and local party organizations are free to decide their positions on party and policy issues § Encouraged to support national party policies 6 Party Structure

§ Temporary Party Organization § Overall § Primaries and conventions § Function briefly to nominate candidates, pass resolutions, adopt a party platform and select delegates to party conventions at higher levels

7 Party Structure

§ Temporary Party Organization § Precinct Conventions

§ Occur every even-numbered year on first Tuesday in March (1-2 hours)

§ Held immediately after polls close on primary election day/first step in process

§ Any citizen who voted in primary can attend

§ Usually sparsely attended

8 Party Structure

§ Temporary Party Organization § Precinct Conventions (cont)

§ Elect delegates to county or district convention

§ Adopt resolutions to be sent to county or district convention

§ The party's nominees for the general election are selected(earlier that day voters in the party primary selected through their voting)

9 Party Structure

§ Temporary Party Organization § County and District Conventions

§ Occur third Saturday after primary elections (1 day; Saturday)

§ Elect delegates to state conventions

§ Adopt resolutions to be sent to sent convention

§ Main business is to elect delegates for the state convention

§ Some counties (Harris) have more than one state senator and so they call it a district 10 convention Party Structure

§ Temporary Party Organization § State Conventions

§ Held in June of even-numbered years (2-3 days)

§ Certify party members nominated in primaries

§ Draft and adopt party platform

§ Select party’s state executive committee (perm)

§ Elect delegates to national presidential nominating convention

§ Elect slate of potential presidential electors to 11 cast state’s electoral votes (38) Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § Select State Chair and Vice Chair § One man and one woman. Elected by delegates to state convention (temporary party organization)

12 Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § State chair works with state executive committee to recruit candidates for statewide and district offices, plans statewide strategies and raise funds for the party at the state level § The state executive committee of each party must canvass (count) statewide primary returns and certify the 13 nomination of party candidates Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § Chair to have fund raising and administrative skills (Steve Munisteri ( R) and Gilberto Hinojasa (D § State Executive Committee § One man, one woman from each of the state's 31 senatorial districts Elected by delegates to state

convention 14 Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § County Chair (Harris) § Elected by voters countywide in primary election § May be elected by write-in vote § County Executive Committee § County chair and precinct chairs

15 Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § Precinct Chair (2 years) § Responsible for the interests and activities of a political party in a voting district; voter registration, distributing campaign literature, operating phone banks, and getting out the vote on Election Day § Elected by voters in the precinct in primary election § May be elected by write-in vote 16 Party Structure

§ Permanent Party Organization § Precinct chair (cont) § Serves on the county executive committee. § Many of the positions go unfilled in more populous counties; Democrats and Republicans each filled chairs in only slightly more than half of the 1000

precincts in Harris County 17 Texas Political Party Organization

Critical Thinking Question: In what ways does the structure of political parties in Texas encourage participation in partisan politics? In what ways does it discourage participation? Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 18 rights reserved. Party Structure

§ Selection of National Convention Delegates § Presidential preference primary- A primary in which the voters indicate their preference for a person seeking nomination as the party's presidential candidate(Rep/Dem) § Caucus- A meeting at which members of a political party assemble to select delegates and make other policy recommendations at the precinct, county, or state senatorial 19 district and state level (Iowa)(Rep/Dem) Party Structure

§ Selection of National Convention Delegates § Democratic selection

§ “Texas Two Step”-presidential preference primary and presidential candidates are awarded delegates to local and state conventions in proportion to the number of their supporters in attendance (precinct meetings at 7 pm)(Caucus togher)Superdelegate- An unpledged party official or elected official who serves as a delegate to a party's national convention 20 Party Structure

§ Selection of National Convention Delegates § Republican selection

§ Presidential preference primary- A primary in which the voters indicate their preferences for a person seeking nomination as the party's presidential candidate (similar to general election)

§ Receive national delegates in proportion to the votes

§ Used to be winner take all (plurality) and in some21 other states still the case Party Structure

§ Selection of National Convention Delegates § Learning check: Difference between permanent and temporary party organizations § Permanent Recruit candidates, devise strategies, raise funds, distribute candidate literature and information, (register voters and turn out and turn out voters on Election Day; precinct chairman). § Temporary-primaries and conventions in which members select candidates for public office 22 Texas state senator Wendy Davis, shakes hands with Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, after participating in the Rio Grande Valley Gubernatorial Debate in Edinburg, Texas on September 19, 2014. This was the first of two scheduled debates between the two candidates. On November 4, 2014, Critical Thinking Question: Abbott won the election. How might a candidate debate persuade voters?

§ Conservatism § Prefer social/economic systems that have minimal intervention by government. Too much regulation or unnecessary regulation can hamper business expansion/jobs § Equitable distribution of wealth is achieved through the free market system and not punishing productivity (take from Peter to pay Paul) 24 Political Ideology

§ Conservatism § Believe in government assistance to people who are disabled, dependent children, and the elderly but not to individuals who are able to be employed § Fiscal and social conservatives- Fiscal more concerned with business expansion; social more concerned with abortion, traditional views of marriage25 Political Ideology

§ Conservatism § Neoconservatism- A political ideology that reflects fiscal conservatism but accepts a limited governmental role in solving social problems § Tea Party-scope of government have grown out of control. 3400 local groups § Very influential in directing policy at the national level 26 § Mixed success with elections Cornyn/Cruz Political Ideology

§ Liberalism § Favor government regulation of economy § Government obligated to aid unemployed, alleviate poverty (conservatives believe poverty best relieved by jobs), guarantee equal rights (conservatives ;equality of opportunity instead of equality of outcomes) 27

§ Political Ideology

§ Liberalism § Protects individual freedoms and rights: abortion but not with school choice and choice in different health plans § Neoliberal – A political ideology that advocates less movement regulation of business but supports more governmental involvement in social matters ( Democrat Texans more aligned with this than LearningDemocrats Check of other states) 28 Political Ideology

§ Both Texas liberals and conservatives are often ideologically inconsistent

§ Some Democrats who are pro life and some Republicans are pro choice

§ Democrats-oppose to 10 commandments posted in schools but favor health insurance that goes against employer's religious beliefs

§ 29 Political Ideology

§ A conservative opposed government subsidies, such as welfare assistance for citizens, but support similar payments to corporations. However, difference between establishment republicans and conservative republicans in that they do not want the subsidies to corporations. Believes government should not be picking Learning Check winners and losers 30 Political Ideology

§ Party Platform for both Democrats and Republicans are formed by individuals who are very interested in party politics. Party platform is not absolute.

§ Abortion: Republican party should provide financial support on only candidates who support the right-to-life planks but Democrats only support prochoice candidates. Both want to have contraception. 31 Political Ideology

§ Party platform (continued )

§ Education

§ Republicans mention of school choice of which many minorities applaud but Democrats more beholden to Teacher's unions (No mention in book)

§ Health Care – Discussion in class and with assignment of outcomes since inception of Obama Care 32 An Overview of Texas Political History § 1840s to 1870s: The Origin of the Party System § Pro-Houston and anti-Houston (Sam) § Jackson Democrats/Calhoun Democrats § During Civil War, became firmly Democratic § Republicans controlled during Reconstruction 33

§ Anglo majority disliked Republican Governor Davis An Overview of Texas Political History § 1840s to 1870s: The Origin of the Party System § Republicans controlled during Reconstruction

§ Anglo majority disliked Republican Governor Davis (disenfranchised Anglos )

§ Did place African Americans in office throughout state

§ Davis took control of voter registration and appointed more than 8,000 public officials 34 § Corruption, graft, and high taxation An Overview of Texas Political History § 1870s to 1970s: A One-Party Dominant System § Democrats strong/Republicans weak § Populist party strong during 1890s- protection of common people by government against railroads and banks

§ Conservatives Democrats (1940's) and liberal Democrats (1930's) § Republicans come to power in 1960s § Even before the 1960's, then Governor Shivers (D) supported Dwight D Eisenhower ( R) in 1952 and 1956 Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 36 rights reserved. An Overview of Texas Political History § 1870s to 1970s: A One-Party Dominant System § 1961 US Senate of John Towers ( R ) a statewide race that filled the seat left by the departure of Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) as Vice President to John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 37 rights reserved. An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § Republican party made gains in 1970s § Kay Bailey Hutchison first Texas woman in Senate (1993) § 1994 election last time Democrat won a statewide office § 1996 first time Republican primaries held in all 254 Texas counties 38 An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § Republican party made gains in 1970s § Kay Bailey Hutchison first Texas woman in Senate (1993) § George Bush defeated Ann Richards (governor) § 1994 election last time Democrat won a statewide office(Lt. Gov. attorney 39 general, comptroller, commissioner of general land office. Perry had won the Agricultural Commissioner An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § 1994 election last time Democrat won a statewide office( Democrats won Lt. Gov. attorney general, comptroller, commissioner of general land office. Perry had won the Agricultural Commissioner but Republicans won Tx. Supreme and TX Court of Criminal

Appeal and the TX Railroad 40 Commission An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § 1994-In Republicans gained control of the 15 member State Board of Education § 1996 first time Republican primaries held in all 254 Texas counties § 1998 elections gave Republicans control of all statewide offices but one 41 and control of the Texas Senate An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § 1998-Bush received endorsements from more than 100 elected Democratic officials and almost 70% of vote in the gubernatorial election § Clinton during presidential race concentrated on other states to win presidency without Texas 42 An Overview of Texas Political

History§ 2000 to 2014: Republican Dominance § Statewide party success in 1998 § Bush narrowly defeats Gore for presidency in 2000 § GOP sweeps all races in 2002

§ Gained control of the House and Senate § Obama does not win Texas in 2008 or

Learning2012 Check

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 43 rights reserved. An Overview of Texas Political History § 1970s to 1990s: An Emerging Two-Party System § 1974 Republicans only had 1 in the US Senate, no statewide offices, 2 in the US House, 3 in the Texas Senate, 16 in the Texas House, no one on the State Board of Education. Total of 22. § 2014 Republicans had 2 in the US Senate, 27 statewide offices, 25 in the US House, 20 in the Texas Senate, 98 in the Texas House, 10 on the State Board of Educ. Total of 182

44 Texas Counties Obama Won in 2012 Presidential Election (blue)

Critical Thinking Question: How does Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s success in Texas’s five largest (or urban) counties in 2012 reflect the changing demographic nature of the state? What implications might this have for the two major parties?

History§ 2000 to 2014: Republican Dominance (cont.)

§ Election in 2012 -high Hispanic turnout for Cruz . Latinos are a diverse bunch and that many are willing to vote for the right Republicans

§ Governor Election in 2014 40% of Hispanic votes

History§ 2000 to 2014: Republican Dominance (cont.)

§ Most believe Democrats won‘t be competitive in Texas until at least 2024 § Significantly more Republican voters in 2014 gubernatorial primary

§ After election, Republicans retain control of all three branches of Texas government

Learning Check

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All 47 rights reserved. Texas GOP primary candidates for lieutenant governor—Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, State Sen. Dan Patrick, Agricultural Commissioner Todd Staples, and incumbent Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst—are shown during a debate at the KERA Channel 13 studios in downtown Dallas in February 2014.

Critical Thinking Question: What has been the impact of strong one-party (Republican) dominance on Texas primary elections?

§ Texas politics more partisan- more competitive and more nationalized. § Both parties experience factionalism § Democrats (liberal/conservative)- Though less so at this point)

Critical Thinking § Republicans (business/social) 49 Electoral Trends

§ Dealignment of Texas voters- when citizens have no allegiance to a political party and become independent voters (or leaning Republican) ● Realignment of Texas voters § Democrats have switched loyalty to Republican party

50 Electoral Trends

§ Republicans: West Texas, Panhadle/South Plains; small towns and rural areas in East Texas with the suburbs of the larger cities; Democrats: in El Paso, South Texas, the Golden Triangle (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange, some of Central Texas (Austin) and urban areas of larger cities

§ Straight-ticket voting-declined on the general election ballot § “Yellow-dog Democrats”-people whose party loyalty is said to be so strong that they would vote for a yellow dog if it were a Democratic candidate for public office

§ Third Parties-limited membership and voter support § Make public aware of issues § Populist party during 1890s

§ Agricultural concerns § La Raza Unida during 1970s

§ Latino concerns

§ Libertarian Ron Paul-minimizing government involvement at all levels while maximizing individual freedom and rights. (Kathie Glass 2014) § Green Party-2000 Ralph Nader 2.2 % of vote. Brandon Parmer 2014 (candidate for Governor) § Environmental protection § Like Libertarians, the Green party has won no elections 54 Electoral Trends

§ Independents § No party affiliation § Lack ready-made campaign organization and fundraising abilities § Difficulty in gaining ballot access-1% of the total gubernatorial (governor) vote so needed 49, 798 signatures who had not voted in the Republican or

Democrat primary 55 Electoral Trends

§ Independents

§ Most candidates lose elections

§ Richard S.”Kinky” Friedman(14% of vote but still lost)

§ Former state comptroller Carol Keeton Strayhorn (18%of vote but still lost)

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1. What are the benefits of a two-party system?

2. According to former Governor Richards, what brought many new residents to Texas?