4.4: Conclusion

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Ideally, competitive party systems are characterized by a great deal of public dialogue between the parties. Emerging new groups of voters—African Americans, Latinos, and women, for example—and unique issues found receptive ears in one or more of the competing parties. In this way, these concerns became known throughout the political system. More citizens became active when there is a true two-party system, meaning either party might win an election, and voter turnouts were generally higher in this type of political environment. However, in one-party states, all of these factors were different, and Texas furnished a good historical example of these phenomenon.⁴² At the national level, however, the United States settled into a pattern of two- party competition that has prevailed ever since.⁴³

This chapter has covered the basics of how political parties have emerged as the engine behind democracy and how we currently have two parties—Democrats and Republicans—who represent particular ideologies. We have covered the following:

Political parties are organizations with a specific set of values and beliefs that aim to gain control of government by winning elections so that they can influence policy.
Political ideology is set of ideas, attitudes, or values about government and politics held by individuals.
Economic liberals want government intervention in the economy; economic conservatives do not.
Social liberals want the government to stay out of personal lives while social conservatives want the government to enforce traditional values.

Republicans in Texas favor low government regulation of economy, friend of big business, oppose abortion and gay marriage, and oppose big social programs.
Texas Democrats are more conservative than national Democrats - oppose implementing a state income tax or raising the sales tax but favor education spending and have moderate support for abortion.
Third Parties have historically been an important part of our political system. Libertarians are the most significant Third Party in Texas today and support fiscal responsibility and social tolerance, opposing government intervention in both the economy and social issues.
Party organizations are weak in Texas

Is the party over? Many have argued that the days of political parties are over. Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone talks about the decline in people joining groups.⁴⁴ But what does this have to do with political science you ask? Well, political parties are groups or organizations that people join. They are an essential part of democracy. The American system of government causes us to have a two-party system. While these parties change, and we can have Third Parties, we really have a winner-take-all two-party system. If we did not have two parties that both have a chance of winning office, would we still have a democracy? If you answer no, then think about this: if people are not joining groups or organizations as much anymore, does that mean that we have a decline in the importance or relevance of political parties? And if you answer yes, then does that mean that democracy is in decline?

42. Dautrich, et al., American Government: Texas Edition.

43. David Williams, “Party Competition and Majority Rule: The History of U.S. Parties” (lecture notes), University of Texas at Austin.

44. Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000).