The Role of Parties in the State Political System
Political scientists often say that in comparison to other representative democracies, parties are relatively weak in the United States. They point to the fact that we have candidate-centered elections, meaning that candidates choose to run for office rather than being selected by party leaders. For local and county elected offices, by law (with its origins in the Progressive era), elections are nonpartisan. Parties do not formally organize the proceedings of city councils or county supervisors. Moreover, we have thriving mechanisms of direct democracy. Initiatives and referenda are often nonpartisan, focusing on how particular issues should be addressed. In California, the top-two primary makes registering for a specific party less critical (except for the vote for president), and hence, one-fourth don’t even bother expressing a preference.
Despite these facts, political parties still have significant functions in the political system. Political scientists focus on three roles: how parties organize the electorate, their role as mediating institutions between voters and the government, and how parties organize the state legislature. These three roles are called: party-in-the-electorate, party organizations, and party-in-government.
The party organizes the electorate by creating coherent points of view and platforms for the voter to understand and support, essentially creating teams of rivals to manage the complexity of politics in a mass democracy rationally. Voters participate in the political system as party members, identifying with one party or another. Even defining themselves as “independents,” voters think in terms of parties.
Parties are brands that are crucial to attaining office. Choose the wrong brand and political ambition is likely foiled, especially if a candidate embraces a third party. However, a candidate still personalizes his candidacy within the brand. For Democrats, the division is often between “progressives” who hold more dogmatic positions (not to be confused with early twentieth-century Progressives) on issues and “moderates” who are willing to compromise with Republicans to achieve common aims. For Republicans, the division after 2016 is between those who support President Trump and those who may be “RINOs” or “Republicans in name only” because they are too moderate to be worthy of conservative respect. Voters find their choices shaped by these internal party divisions. In turn, the relative electoral success of the different approaches within each party will then cause elected officials to shift their positions.
Second, party organizations don’t formally select candidates, but the local and state party committees do endorse their favorites. They also help party members devise coherent platforms, promote the party, and strategize about elections. Each party has a state central committee, and county central committees that party members elect. Caucuses and committees meet to plan programs and positions on various contemporary issues. At biannual state party conventions, these party officials approve party platforms; candidates give speeches, and network with one another (for the latest, see the California Democratic and California Republican Party websites). The minor parties have similar organizational structures, although their organizations are not as well-developed across the state.
Third, the parties help organize the California state legislature and the legislative process. The Democrats hold a majority in both the State Assembly and the State Senate, and thus, the Democrats ultimately pick the political leaders of the chambers. The Speaker of the State Assembly and the President pro Tempore of the State Senate are both Democrats. The chairs of all committees are also Democrats. The Democratic leadership is in charge of which bills reach the floor for a vote. In recent years, the number of Democrats has grown so much that their supermajority (two-thirds) now can override a governor’s veto or pass a revenue (tax) bill.
In short, political parties are central to the conduct of California politics. Parties organize our thinking, elections, and government lawmaking processes. Of course, there are exceptions, such as with initiatives and local elected offices. The question is whether the role of parties has been good for our politics.
