PAL-211M (a period 4 module)
Political Parties in Theory and Practice
Spring, 1999
Class Sessions: T/Th 11:30 – 1:00
Professor David C. King
Office: Littauer 303, 617-495-1665
Office Hours: T/Th 9:30 – 11:00
Course Description
The first half of this module reviews the political science literature on political parties in the United States. Where do parties come from, and why are there only two stable ones in the U.S.? What are the fundamental differences between parties and interest groups? The second half of the course focuses on practical skills around party building, both locally and nationally. Students observe parties locally in the Boston area or help out on a presidential campaign in New Hampshire. The course culminates in a final paper, in which students apply party theories to their experiences in local parties or in New Hampshire.
Readings are available at the CMO, books at the Harvard Coop. Two books are required:
Paul Allen Beck. 1997. Party Politics in America. 8th Edition. New York: Longman.
Martin P. Wattenberg. 1996. The Decline of American Political Parties, 1952-1994. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Grading
Participation in Class Discussions 15%
Summary of Assigned Readings 35%
Final Paper 50%
Course Schedule
| Thus, Mar 18 | Course Overview
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Required Readings James Madison, "Federalist, Number 10," from The Federalist Papers. Alexis de Tocqueville, "Political Associations in the United States," in Democracy in America, Chapter 10. Richard Hofstadter, The Idea of a Party System (University of California Press, 1969), pgs. 64-73. |
Reserve Readings John H. Aldrich, Why Parties? (Chicago 1995). John Gerring, Political Ideologies in America, 1828-1996, (Cambridge 1998). |
| Tue, Mar 23 | Theory: Five Party Periods and Why we have Two
Parties.
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Required Readings Beck, Chapters 1 & 2. Michael McGerr, The Decline of Popular Politics, (Oxford 1986), Chapter 1. Anthony Downs, An Economic Theory of Democracy, (Harper & Row, 1957), pgs. 115-125. Gary W. Cox, Making Votes Count: Strategic Coordination in the World's Electoral Systems, (Cambridge 1997), pgs. 13-27. |
Reserve Readings William H. Riker, "The Two-Party System and Duverger's Law," American Political Science Review, 76 (December 1982): 753-766. Mark P. Jones, "Electoral Laws and the Effective Number of Candidates in Presidential Elections," Journal of Politics 61 (February 1999): 171-84. Walter Dean Burnham, Critical Elections (Norton 1970). Arend Lijphart, Democracies (Yale 1984), Chapters 1-3. |
| Thus, Mar 25 | Theory: Parties in the Electorate | Required Reading Beck, Chapters 6, 7, 8. Wattenberg, Chapters 1 & 2. David C. King. "The Polarization of American Political Parties and Mistrust of Government," in Joseph S. Nye, Philip Zelikow & David C. King eds.). Why People Don't Trust Government. Harvard University Press, 1997. |
Reserve Readings Angus Campbell, Philip E. Converse, Warren E. Miller & Donald E. Stokes, The American Voter, Wiley, 1960. Philip E. Converse & Gregory B. Markus, "Plus qa Change... The New CPS Election Study Panel," American Political Science Review, 73 (January 1979) 32-49. Benjamin I. Page & Calvin C. Jones, "Reciprocal Effects of Policy Preferences, Party Loyalties and the Vote," American Political Science Review, 73 (December 1979) 1071-90. |
| Tue, April 6 | Practice: Parties in the Electorate | Required Readings "An Openly Gay Man in Politics: The Story of Michael Duffy," KSG Case 1152.0. David C. King & Richard E. Matland. "Partisanship and the Impact of Candidate Gender in Congressional Elections: Results from an Experiment." September 28, 1998. |
Reserve Readings KSG link list to Third Parties. Steven J. Rosenstone, Roy L. Beher, Edward H. Lazarus, third Parties in America, 2nd Edition. (Princeton 1996). |
| Thus, April 9 | Theory: Parties as Organizations | Required Readings Beck, Chapters 3, 4. Seymour Martin Lipset, introduction to Robert Michels, Political Parties, (Free Press, 1968), pgs. 15-25. Ronald Inglehart, "Postmaterialist Values and the Erosion of Institutional Authority." in Joseph S. Nye, Philip Zelikow & David C. King eds.). Why People Don't Trust Government. Harvard University Press, 1997. |
Reserve Readings Cornelius P. Cotter, James L. Gibson, John F. Bibby, and Robert J. Huckshorn. Party Organizations in American Politics, (Praeger, 1984). Mildred A. Schwartz, The Party network: The Robust Organization of Illinois Republicans, (Wisconsin 1990).
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| Tue, April 13 | Practice: Parties as Organizations | Required Readings Stephen Frank, "Perspective on the Republican Party," Los Angeles Times, March 14, 1999. Norah M. O'Donnell,"The Golden State GOP Moderates Hope New Calif. Chair Seeks Middle," Roll Call, March 11, 1999. Richard W. Stevenson, "Liberals Wary of Clinton's Resolve on Social Security," The New York Times, March 10, 1999 David Lesher, "Davis Piques Washington's Curiosity," Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1999. |
Reserve Readings
Guest: Skip Humphrey |
| Thus, April 15 | Theory: Party Activists Please come to class with a one-page semi-formal theory for why activists tend to be extremists. |
Required Readings Wattenberg, Chapters 3, 4. Beck, Chapter 5. James A. McCann, "Presidential Nomination Activists and Political Representation: A View from the Active Minority Studies," in William G. Mayer (ed.), In Pursuit of the White House, (Chatham House 1996). |
Reserve Readings James Q. Wilson, The Amateur Democrat (Chicago 1962). Denise L. Baer & David A. Bostis, Elite Cadres and Party Coalitions (Greenwood 1988). Walter J. Stone, Ronald B. Rapoport, Alan I Abramowitz, The Reagan Revolution and Party Polarization in the 1980s, in L. Sandy Maisel (ed.), The Parties Respond, (Westview 1990). William G. Mayer, The Divided Democrats, (Westview 1996). |
| Tue, April 20 | Practice: Party Activists | Required Reading David
C. King. "Party Competition and Polarization in American Politics." Annual
Meeting of the Midwest Political |
Reserve Readings Melvin J. Hinich & Michael C. Munger, Ideology and the Theory of Political Choice, (Michigan 1994) STATA "real-time" analysis in class today. |
| Thus, April 22 | Theory: Party in Government | Required Readings Beck, Chapters 13, 14, 15. Joseph Cooper & Garry Young, "Partisanship, Bipartisanship, and Crosspartisanship in Congress Since the New Deal," in Lawrence C. Dodd & Bruce I Oppenheimer (eds.), Congress Reconsidered, 6th Edition, (CQ Press 1997). |
Reserve Readings David W. Rohde, Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House, (Chicago 1991). Gary W. Cox & Mathew D. McCubbins, legislative Leviathan: Party Government in the House, (California 1993). John J. Coleman, Party Decline in America, (Princeton 1996).
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| Tue, April 27 | Practice: Party in Government | Required Readings KSG Case #1235.0 "Public Conversations and
Legislative |
Reserve Readings David
C. King & Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Legislators as Negotiators,"
in Robert H. Mnookin, Lawrence E. Susskind and Guest in class today. |
| Thus, April 29 | Representation and Parties | Required Readings Barbara C. Burrell & J. Cherie Strachan, "Women's Political Leadership and the State of the Parties, 1992-1994," in John C. Green & Daniel M. Schea (eds.), The State of the Parties, 2nd Edition, (Rowman & Littlefield 1996). Anna Greenberg, "Race, Religiosity and the 'Women's Vote'," Harvard University, March 11, 1999. Lawrence Bobo & Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., "Race, Sociopolitical Participation, and Black Empowerment," American Political Science Review, 84 (June 1990): 377-94. |
Reserve Readings Russell J. Dalton, Citizen Politics, 2nd Edition. (Chatham House 1996), Chapter11.
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| Tue, May 4 | Party Reform Please come to class with a one-page memo proposing and defending specific reforms for one of the following: increasing participation, campaign finance, or modifying accountability while in office. |
Required Readings Beck, Chapter 12.
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Reserve Readings James W. Ceaser, Reforming the Reforms, (Ballinger 1982). Kay Lawson & Peter H. Merkl (eds.), When Parties Fail: Emerging Alternative Organizations, (Princeton 1988). |
| Thu, May 7 | Evaluations and Summary Papers due today. |
Required Readings Beck, Chapter 16. |
Reserve Readings |