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(3) Party Ideologies changes, Organization similarities

Similarities Between UK and USA
1. 2 major parties - have ward organisation, county committees, congressional district committee, state committees
2. National Committees
  1. Democratic National Committee (DNC) - 440 members from state and territories
    1. Members include: 2 Senators, 2 Representatives, 2 members of the College Democrats, 3 Governors, 3 mayors, 3 state legislators and 3 county officials
  2. Republican Nation Committee has 165 members from state and territories
Differences Between UK and USA
1. USA no formal membership system or structure
  1. There are only party supporters - registered as on their voter registration form
    1. They can voter in party primaries
2. Parties are state-based
  1. National committees have had a significantly higher public profile in recent years - still weak
3. Loose in ideological terms - disagreements within them
  1. No sense of discipline, members of Congress and state legislature in same party often vote in different ways
  2. Probably share some basic values
Democrats
1. Share Commitment to basic welfare provision and activist government
  1. Look back on New Deal
2. Associated with identity politics
  1. Influenced by liberal think 60's
  2. support measures which will help disadvantaged, particularly women, gay people, and ethnic and racial minorities
    1. Affirmative action, multiculturalism and abortion provisions
3. Move left in 1972 with George McGovern's presidential candidate
  1. Loss of white male industrial workers
4. Regan year took tole on Democratic Liberalism
5. 90's saw Clinton and his "New Democrats" image
  1. opposed tax rises
  2. Free trade
  3. Welfare reform
  4. Tough anti-crime measures
6. Three other groups in Democrats
  1. "Tax and spend" - big government
  2. Protectionism (restrictions on imports) preserve American Jobs - Associated with trade unions
  3. Support interests of racial/ethnic groups and women
Republican
1. The Republican (GOP) were also traditionally a "broad church"
  1. Associated with Wall Street, big business interests and the cities
  2. Conservative values - emphasised by countryside and rural towns
  3. Interventions role on globe / others Isolationist view
2. Latter half of 19 century - supported laissez-faire economics and cultural traditionalism, lost it liberal wing, pro life
3. Nixon and Reagan Brought White industrial works and white southerners to Republicans
  1. Exploited "wedge issues" between conservatism of industrial workers and liberalism of democratic party activists
  2. Promised
    1. Tax reductions
    2. small govt
    3. family values
    4. opposition to race and gender-based policies
    5. Improved US status on world stage
Reaganism
1. Reaganism strategy appeared successful in presidential elections
  1. 1980
  2. 1984
  3. 1988
  4. And Congress elections
    1. 1994
2. The tide turned in 1995 even though the Republican had forfilled there "Contract with America"
  1. Due to Clinton win the battle of wills - Gingrich and other conservatives seen as extremists
  2. Public opinion accepted government role in economy and social affairs
  3. Cultural conservatives (family values) seen out of touch - young
    1. Some Republicans in northeast endorsed abortion and gay rights
    2. North east modified the harsh conservative image
3. Senator John McCain in 2000 pres elections distanced him self from the Religious Right
4. George W. Bush spoke of "compassionate conservatism"

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(3) Party Ideologies changes, Organization similarities

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	Created by Marcus Danvers about 10 years ago