I believe that political parties are governmental organizations that have the power to vote and influence legislation; coming together based on a common set of morals, beliefs and values. This is one reason why interest groups are not political parties. Although they come together based on a common set of morals, beliefs and values, they do not have any designated governmental power and do not have the power to vote on governmental issues.
When the framers first created the Constitution, parties were seen as a bad thing. They wanted to unite the country and they saw the development of political parties another way to separate people and divide the country. They were even scared of giving the President too much power, for fear or tyranny. I think they were scared that if the people were divided into parties, one party could become stronger than the other, which could lead to a revolution and eventually, a state of domination.
However, as our government progressed and our national problems become more complicated, it was inevitable that people would divide. Although complete unity is a great concept, it became evident over time and things would not stay that way. So people started to develop different ideas and opinions about the same issues. And eventually, political parties were born.
Now, political parties are no longer since as a bad thing. Personally, I think it would be boring if everyone believed in the same thing. Sure it would make things easier, but there would be no room for growth and new ideas. Political parties, I think, definitely contribute to a checks and balances system. As Tom Delay stated in his farewell address, “for all its faults, it is partisanship, based on core principles, that clarifies our debates, that prevents one party from straying too far from the mainstream, and that constantly refresh our politics with new ideas and new leaders.” The different political parties absolutely keep each other in check and on their toes.
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Not sure if I agree that parties are governmental organizations. While they may have many formal recognitions by government in the way of election rules, the makeup of legislatures, etc., the parties are not really an entity of the government. That is I think something that has been key to American democracy. that party leadership does not automatically lead to being the chief executive. From what I have been reading, the U S still is doing relatively better than parliamentary run countries such as the U K in this current economic crisis. I would credit part of that to the distinction between the executive and legislative branches here, and the fact that you can have an executive and the houses of the legislative branch run by different parties.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that if everyone believed in the same ideas that politics would be boring, but wouldn't it be nice if the two parties would put aside their differences every once in a while and stop bickering, especially if it is an important issue. I just look back last year at the first so-called "bail-out" bill when the "fiscally-conservative" Republicans came riding in gallantly at the last moment to defeat it because Speaker Paelosi hurt their feelings, costing the economy over one trillion dollars, which was much, much more than the bill was even for.
ReplyDeleteNow for your theory about parties being groups coming together based on a common set of morals, beliefs, and values. Before reading this week's readings, I would have agreed with you, but now, I don't think I do. After learning how diverse each party is, it is hard to imagine them being just based on common morals, beliefs, and values. As Professor Tofias pointed out in his lecture, Republicans in the northeast have different views as Republicans in the deep south, as well do the Democrats. The idea of the "big tent" helps us understand this concept, that there are so many diverse opinions, even within parties, that they need a so-called "big tent" to cover all of the people of the United States morals, beliefs, and values.
I guess what I meant about governmental organizations was that they do have influence on government decisions. I don’t necessarily believe they are an entity of the government, but they do persuade it.
ReplyDeleteAnd although political parties may have members that have different beliefs within one party, I do still believe that they would not have come together in the first place if their core values and goals were not similar.
I agree with you on your definition of political parties. To comment on the above discussion on whether parties are based on a common set of morals, beliefs, and values, I agree with you. Your right that they are not a government run institution, but its their common purpose that brings them together. Its true, Republicans in the North vary differently from Republicans in the South, and the same with Democrats. Its not the fact that politicians all share the same opinions, rather that they believe in the same beliefs, and values in Democracy. Basically what I'm trying to get across is that its not their opinions that bring them together, but their service to the people they represent and their important job in making a democratic society work.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I liked that you brought up the fact that, at least in our political system, both parties keep each other from becoming too extreme. I overlooked that when I made my definition and I enjoyed seeing you make that point.