Yo, what it is! You know what it is, it’s your man Kingmusa— and welcome to The Study Guide! I'm here to break down today's class notes and help us learn together. Today we are going over Texas Gov’t and we will be focusing on Week 8: Political Parties" Let's dive into our module on Political Parties. We’ve been looking at Texas government, and now we’re focusing on the groups that try to control it.
Key Concept of the Day:
In this session, we will define political parties, distinguish them from ideologies, evaluate party models, outline party levels, list their functions, and describe how they change, particularly in the Texas context with its history of one-party dominance and the role of third parties. We will also explore the temporary and permanent party organizations and briefly examine the Texas party platforms on current issues. This week’s module explores the definition, evolution, and functions of political parties, particularly within the context of Texas. We'll differentiate between political parties and ideologies, examine various party models like the Responsible Party Model and the Electoral Competition Model, and outline the different levels of party organization. We will also delve into how parties change through realignment, dealignment, and tipping, and discuss the historical one-party dominance in Texas. Finally, we will touch on third parties in Texas and the structure and functions of the temporary and permanent party organizations, concluding with a look at the Texas party platforms on key issues like energy, the environment, and education.
Let’s explore political parties, their definitions, changes, and functions, focusing on statelevel parties and platforms. Our learning objectives are clear is describe the relationship between political parties and ideologies, evaluate party models, outline party levels, list and describe party functions, and analyze party changes. A political party is a broad-based coalition of people who come together to win elections and control the government. Ideologies represent a spectrum of beliefs about government intervention, while political parties are organized groups that seek to implement those beliefs through elections. The ideological spectrum illustrates different degrees of government intervention, with the left advocating for more intervention and the right believing in less. The United States has a twoparty system, with the Democratic and Republican parties being the dominant ones. However, US political parties are decentralized, meaning control is distributed among national, state, and local levels. Two popular party models are the Responsible Party model and the Electoral Competition model. The Responsible Party model involves parties holding consistent and coherent policies and ideologies, which limits voter choices and reduces the likelihood of compromise.
The Electoral Competition model encourages parties to moderate their stances to appeal to a wider range of voters, increasing the likelihood of compromise. After the Civil War, African Americans joined the Republican Party, while white Southerners mostly supported the Democratic Party. During the Great Depression, poor people turned to the Democratic Party due to FDR’s New Deal programs, while conservative white voters moved to the Republican Party. The Civil Rights Movement led African Americans to join the Democratic Party, while white Southerners opposing integration joined the Republican Party. Many voters are Independents, and a group’s size can change the political balance by joining a party. Parties often attract them by agreeing to their issues. Potential Political Realignment suggests a possible realignment might start with racially conservative Democrats moving to the Republican Party after Barack Obama’s election.
Understanding political parties helps us see how people organize to win elections and influence government. It’s key to grasping how different beliefs translate into political action and how the political landscape shifts over time, especially here in Texas.
Here are the main points:
- Political parties are groups aiming to win elections and control government, distinct from ideologies (belief systems). The US has a two-party system. Parties operate under models like the Responsible Party model (strict adherence to beliefs) and the Electoral Competition model (moderation for broader appeal).
- Parties change through realignments (major shifts in party dominance), dealignments (rise of independents), and tipping (influence of new demographics). Texas historically had one-party dominance by Democrats until the 1970s, followed by a Republican takeover in 2000. This shift was influenced by events like the Civil Rights Movement.
- Parties have temporary organizations (conventions) and permanent organizations (precinct/county/state chairs and committees) that recruit candidates, mobilize voters, and organize government.
- Texas parties have platforms on issues like energy (Republicans prioritize grid independence and fossil fuels; Democrats favor renewables and regulation), the environment (Republicans emphasize less regulation; Democrats advocate for protection and clean energy), and education (Republicans support school choice and parental control; Democrats focus on public school funding and equity).
Alright, so this week we're talking all about political parties! It's not just about whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. We'll see how these groups are formed to win elections and how they're a bit different from just having a political opinion (that's more like an ideology). We'll also look at how parties work. Some try to stick strictly to their beliefs, while others are more focused on winning over as many voters as possible, even if it means being a bit more flexible. Plus, we'll break down how parties are organized, from the national level all the way down to your local neighborhood. Things change over time, and political parties are no exception. We'll talk about big shifts in who's in charge (that's realignment), when people stop picking a side (dealignment), and how new groups can shake things up (tipping). Texas has a long history of one party being dominant (first Democrats, then Republicans), and we'll get into why that is and how it's been changing. We'll even touch on those smaller "third" parties you sometimes hear about. Finally, we'll peek at what the big parties in Texas are actually saying they stand for right now on important issues like energy, the environment, and schools.
Texas’ political scene has been predominantly one-party rule, with the Democratic Party leading until the 1970s. Sam Houston’s popularity and the Civil War strengthened the Democrats’ dominance. However, the Populist and Progressive parties challenged them but were either absorbed or lost. In 2000, the Republican Party finally took over Texas after a long battle with the Democrats. The Civil Rights Movement shifted political loyalties, with some conservative Democrats joining the Republicans. Texas is transitioning from a Republican-dominated state to a more competitive one. Third parties exist at the local level but lack significant influence at the state or national level. La Raza Unida, a Texas-specific liberal party, fights against unfair policies and supports Latino communities. National third parties like the Libertarians and the Green Party focus on individual freedom and limited government, while the Green Party emphasizes environmental protection, social justice, and local control. A party has three main parts is the Party in the Electorate (voters), the Party in Government (elected officials), and the Party as Organization (formal structure). The Party in the Electorate identifies and takes action on basic partisanship. Voters and influential party members organize parties, making it easier for voters to choose candidates, recruiting them, and holding conventions to nominate official candidates.
Parties also support candidates, mobilize voters, and aid in government transitions. A weak party system occurs when parties lose control over political parties and elections due to factors like direct primaries and the rise of national issues. Technological advancements like TV and radio have reduced candidates’ reliance on party organizations, contributing to the decline in party power. Texas has both temporary and permanent party organizations. Temporary organizations are formed during election seasons and dissolve afterward, while permanent organizations operate year-round. Temporary organizations consist of party members who elect representatives for the permanent organization. Texas holds precinct, county, and senatorial conventions to elect delegates to the State Convention. Delegates write and approve the party’s platform, elect party chairs and the Executive Committee, and elect Electoral College delegates. Permanent party organizations manage party business between primaries and conventions, mobilize voters, and encourage political engagement.
Here’s how the county party is organized is County Chairs recruit candidates and manage funds, while Precinct Chairs recruit volunteers and serve on the County Executive Committee. The County Executive Committee organizes primaries, outlines party principles, goals, and positions, manages the party organization, governs operations, and directs the message to voters. Some important issues for Texans include is Texas Electric Grid: Republicans aim for independence from the US grid; Democrats advocate for linking to national grids and prioritizing renewables. Environmental Protection: Republicans focus on less regulation; Democrats support stronger EPA enforcement and clean energy transition aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Public Utility Commission Representation: Both parties want the PUC to represent the public interest. Energy Storage Capacity: Republicans prioritize renewable energy and PUC representation; Democrats also emphasize national grid links. Sex Education: Republicans support abstinence-only programs and parental consent, aiming to prohibit sex education in government schools. Democrats generally support comprehensive sex education. American Identity: Republicans aim to strengthen American identity and reject Critical Race Theory; Democrats emphasize inclusivity and addressing systemic inequalities. School Flags and Patriotism: Republicans want US and Texas flags displayed, daily pledges, and a ban on progressive agenda flags. Democrats generally support inclusive environments. Student Enrollment: Republicans prioritize citizens and legal residents, opposing enrollment of undocumented students. Democrats support education equity for all, including multilingual instruction and support for undocumented students.
Mental Health Support: Republicans focus on state-supported living centers and oppose mental health surveys in schools, requiring parental consent for referrals. Democrats aim to expand access, increase insurance reimbursement, and support community-based services. LGBTQIA Issues: Republicans oppose special legal status based on LGBTQ+ identification and gender-affirming care for minors (considering it child abuse), and for individuals aged 18-26. They support reparative therapy. Democrats support the Equality Act, aiming to end attacks on transgender youth, ban conversion therapy, and ensure non-discrimination and marriage equality. Border Security: Republicans prioritize funding for barriers, personnel, and technology, advocating for a Border Protection Unit, equipping the Texas Military Department, and working with other states. They want all Texas law enforcement to participate in the 287(g) program, stop funding sanctuary cities and entities aiding illegal aliens. Democrats advocate for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, ending family separations and for-profit detention centers, increasing legal assistance, allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students, ending Operation Lone Star, and increasing foreign aid to address root causes. Criminal Justice Reform: Republicans focus on holding law enforcement accountable while protecting them from political targeting, reforming bail based on danger and flight risk, and holding district attorneys accountable for enforcing Texas law. Democrats aim to reduce frivolous lawsuits against police, promote cultural awareness, prioritize de-escalation, limit military equipment use by police, ensure state-level decertification, public disciplinary records, changes to qualified immunity, and ending racial profiling. They also support bail reform based on safety and appearance risk, and oppose cash bail for minor offenses.
Basically, political parties are how people team up to try and run things. They have different ways of working and change over time. Texas has its own unique story with parties, and even looking at what they say they believe in shows us a lot about our state government. So, understanding political parties means looking at their goals, how they operate using different models, and how they're structured at various levels. These parties aren't static; they evolve through major shifts in voter loyalty, people becoming independent, and the rise of influential groups. Texas has a unique history of party dominance, and even the platforms of the major parties show distinct approaches to key policy areas. Knowing all this helps us understand how political power is organized and how we can get involved. To support immigrants, we can is Give DACA recipients a path to citizenship. Expand Affordable Care Act coverage to undocumented immigrants, Ensure equal housing opportunities for all.
Regarding immigration reform, we should is Stop separating children from their families, End forprofit detention centers, Add more judges and legal assistance to reduce backlogs, Provide fair treatment in immigration proceedings. Let undocumented students pay in-state tuition, Allow all residents to get driver’s licenses, Reduce militarization and policing at the border, Stop Operation Lone Star, Increase foreign aid and economic development in the Americas. Abolish civil asset forfeiture, Ensure private property is only taken away for criminal convictions, Provide funding for good training programs for first responders, including mental health care. Support the Texas Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, Change abortion homicide exemptions to only apply to nonelective abortions, Hold law enforcement officers accountable for following the same rules, punishing crimes fairly, and protecting them from political targeting. Reform bail based on danger, likelihood of flight, and criminal history, Penalties for judges and district attorneys who release violent offenders, Impeachment accusers should pay for legal fees and lost wages if false impeachment charges are found, Allow jury nullification. Hold district attorneys accountable for not enforcing Texas law.
To address police brutality, we must reduce frivolous lawsuits, promote cultural awareness among officers, and build trust with communities. We should prioritize de-escalation over escalation, use military equipment only for police purposes, and report SWAT deployments. Accountability should be ensured through state-level decertification processes, public disciplinary records, changes to qualified immunity laws, expedited handling of criminal behavior cases, easier reporting of force incidents, independent police oversight, and ending racial and gender-based profiling. Instead of cash bail for minor offenses, we should adopt a bail system based on community safety and court appearances. Detention decisions should be made within 48 hours based on solid evidence, and court procedures should prioritize the public interest and hold everyone accountable.
That wraps up today’s episode of The Study Guide. Remember, we teach to learn, and I hope this has helped you understand Week 8: Political Parties better. Keep studying, keep learning, and keep pushing toward your academic goals. Don’t forget to follow me on all platforms @Kingmusa428 and check out more episodes at kingmusa428.com. See y’all next time!
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