Chapter summary imageThe Democratic Party won the 2008 election, capturing the presidency for the first time in three elections and strenthening its hold on Congress.

Political Parties and Public Policy

Agenda Building

  • Political parties help set the policy agenda. Individuals and groups work through political parties to identify problems and raise issues for government action. In recent years, for example, religious conservatives have worked within the Republican Party to call attention to what they see as the moral decay of American society. The GOP has articulated their concerns in its party platform, and Republican candidates and elected officials have raised moral issues during election campaigns and while in office.

Policy Formulation and Adoption

  • Political parties play an important role in policy formulation and adoption. Parties not only raise issues, but they develop policy solutions to address the problems they identify. For example, the 2000 Republican Party platform included an outline of a tax cut proposal that eventually became the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act.
  • Although political parties do not directly adopt policies, they facilitate policy adoption by bridging the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. The president works with fellow party members in Congress to pass legislation they support or defeat legislation favored by the other party. Without political parties, congressional leaders would have to negotiate with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of members of the House and Senate in order to build majority support for policy proposals.

Policy Implementation and Evaluation

  • Political parties participate indirectly in policy implementation. Appointed executive-branch officials typically bring their partisan perspectives with them to the task of policy implementation. For example, Democratic presidents typically appoint administrators to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who have a background in environmental activism with the Sierra Club or other environmental organizations. They are committed to aggressively enforcing the nation’s environmental laws.
  • While the governing party plays a larger role in policy implementation, the opposition party plays a key role in policy evaluation. Opposition parties help make democracy work by providing information to citizens, highlighting inefficiencies and failures, and offering voters alternative policies and leaders.

Key Terms

Access

the opportunity to communicate directly with legislators and other government officials in hopes of influencing the details of policy

Conservatism

the political philosophy that government power undermines the development of the individual and diminishes society as a whole

Divided Government

the phenomenon of one political party controlling the legislative branch of government while the other holds the executive branch

Electoral College

the system established in the Constitution for indirect election of the president and vice president

Exit Polls

surveys based on random samples of voters leaving the polling place

Gender Gap

differences in party identification and political attitudes between men and women

Governing Party

the political party or party coalition holding the reins of government in a democracy

Grand Old Party (GOP)

Nickname of the Republican Party

Liberalism

the political philosophy that favors the use of government power to foster the development of the individual and promote the welfare of society

Multiparty System

the division of voter loyalties among three or more major political parties

Opposition Party

the political party out of power in a democracy

Party Platform

a statement of party principles and issue positions

Plurality Election System

a method for choosing public officials that awards office to the candidate with the most votes; it favors a two-party system

Political Party

a group of individuals who join together to seek government office in order to make public policy

Proportional Representation (PR)

an election system that awards legislative seats to each party approximately equal to its popular voting strength

Separation of Powers

the division of political power among executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government

Third Party

a minor party in a two-party system

Two-Party System

the division of voter loyalties between two major political parties

Discussion Questions

1. What is the cause of America’s two-party system?

2. What problems do third-party and independent candidates face in America’s electoral system?

3. Compare and contrast the Democratic and Republican parties of today in terms of voting patterns and issue positions.

4. What is the relationship between religion and voting behavior?

5. What role do American political parties play in the policy process?

Interactive Activity

Timeline: The Evolution of Political Parties in the United States

Political parties are not mentioned in the Constitution. However, it is difficult to imagine the U.S. system of government without them. In this timeline activity, you will trace the evolution of American political parties and their impact on U.S. society and government. What events have led to changes in the U.S. party system? How have changes in the U.S. party system been a reflection of events in society as a whole?

View Timeline

“Talking About American Government” Podcasts

Author Neal Tannahill discusses the most important concepts in this chapter

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