POLI 100C POLITICAL PARTIES
2 February 2006

  1. What is a Political Party?

    1. Practically Every Nation State has organizations which describe themselves as Political Parties.

    2. We are only interested in Political Parites in free societies! The keys:

      1. Freedom of Association

      2. Freedom of Speech

    3. The Chicken-Egg Question -- Political Parties/Free Society

      1. Does a democratic free society allow the development of political parties?…or

      2. Do political parties allow the development of a free society?

      3. Answer: You have to have an institutional structure in place that allows Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Association (Political Culture). This allows both to Evolve.

    4. The Uniqueness of the United States

      1. In the United States Representative Government (basic freedoms established from the beginning by force of circumstances!) and Private Property Rights (Capitalism) cohabitated from the beginning.

      2. The basic freedoms are a NECESSARY CONDITION for REAL (see below) Political Parties – Capitalism is not [China has a form of Capitalism without freedom].

      3. BIG QUESTION – can you have true entrepreneurial capitalism without Democracy?

      4. 2nd BIG QUESTION – Given the close relationship between Science and entrepreneurial capitalism (why is this so?), can you have either without Democracy (in the long run)?

      5. How are Economic Growth and Democracy Related?

    5. A real Political Party Must Have a Realistic Chance to Take Power!

      1. Definition (E. E. Schatschneider): A Political Party is an Organized Realistic Attempt to Get Power

      2. Anthony Downs: A team of individuals seeking to gain control of the governing apparatus through gaining office in an election.

    6. How do you decide what a Real Political Party is? According to Schattschneider (Party Government) there are two tests:

      1. Does the Political Party now Control the Government?

      2. If not, has it been able to Create the General Belief that it will take control of the Government in the Reasonably Near Future?

    7. How Many Real Political Parties have there been in American History?

    8. Drawing the Line Between an Interest Group and a Political Party (Freedom of Association and Freedom of Speech allow both to flourish!)

    9. Definition of an Interest Group: An Interest Group is a Voluntary Association of Individuals with a Shared Concern (economic or idealistic) that Tries to Influence Decisions of the Political System.

    10. The Two Types of Interest Groups -- Economic and Idealistic

    11. Are Political Parties Simply Coalitions (Confederations) of Interest Groups?

    12. Lead in to Downs: The Party Method for Taking Power

      1. More than 1 party

      2. Periodic Elections

      3. Universal Adult Suffrage

      4. Party in Power Cannot Restrict Political Activity

      5. Parties do not try to take power by force

  2. Anthony Downs' An Economic Theory of Democracy

    1. The Rational Choice Paradigm -- Individuals are seen as maximizing their preferences in light of their beliefs. Downs uses strong form of Rational Choice (p.6).

    2. Basic Assumptions

      1. Methodological Individualism

      2. Purposive Action

      3. A Logical Framework

        1. Actions

        2. Outcomes

        3. States of Nature

      4. Preferences -- In this framework what Action we choose depends on our Preferences Over the Outcomes NOT Preferences Over Actions.

    3. Downs Makes Very Strong Assumptions about Rationality:

      1. Preferences are Complete

      2. Preferences are Transitive

      3. Preferences are Stable across Choice Situations (Independence Condition)