182 CHAPTER 6|POLITICAL PARTIES
AGENDA SETTING
Throughout the year the parties in government meet to devise strategies
for legislative action—that is, to set agendas. What proposals should they
off er, and in what order should they be considered? Should they try to
make a deal with the president or with legislators from the other party?
However, the party in government can act collectively this way only
when its members can agree on what they want. Such agreement is not
always possible or may require extensive negotiation and compromise.
For example, health care legislation was enacted in 2010 only after pro-
tracted negotiations with Democratic senators and the granting of con-
cessions in return for their support. House Republicans faced similar
problems in 2011: while they have a majority in the chamber, there are
signifi cant disagreements in their ranks about legislative priorities on
issues such as budget cuts and immigration.COORDINATION
Political parties play an important role in coordinating the actions taken in dif-
ferent branches of government. Such coordination is extremely important for
enacting new laws, because unless supporters in Congress can amass a two-thirds
majority to override a veto, they need the president’s support. Similarly, the presi-
dent needs congressional support to enact the proposals he favors. To these ends,
the president routinely meets with congressional leaders from his party and occa-
sionally meets with the entire caucus or conference. Various members of the presi-
dent’s staff also meet with House and Senate members to present the president’s
proposals and hear what members of Congress from both parties want to enact.
During 2009 President Obama held many meetings with Democratic mem-
bers of Congress to lobby them to support his proposals for health care reform.
Although many congressional Democrats supported Obama’s proposals, enact-
ment was nearly derailed by several Democratic representatives and senators who
demanded amendments to restrict government payment for abortions. Obama
opposed these eff orts but was powerless to stop them. In fact, getting the last few
votes needed for enactment required Obama to promise to issue an executive order
that had essentially the same eff ect as the proposed amendments.
Coordination can also occur between caucuses or conferences in the House and
Senate. At the same time that President Obama and Democrats in Congress were
negotiating over health care reform, congressional Republicans were devising
strategies for delaying and defeating these proposals. Although their eff orts did not
prevent the enactment of reform legislation, their strong opposition required the
president and congressional leaders to accept many changes favored by moderate
and conservative Democrats in order to enact the legislation without Republican
support. Such coordination eff orts require real work and compromise, as party
leaders in the House and the Senate do not have authority over each other or over
the elected members of their party. Nor can the president order a House member
or senator to do anything, even if the legislator is from the president’s own party.ACCOUNTABILITY
One of the most important roles of political parties in a democracy is giving citizens
identifi able g roups to rewa rd or punish for government actions, thereby providing a
means for voters to focus their desire for accountability. By rewarding and punish-
ing elected offi cials, often based on their party affi liation and other party members’FOCUSING ON PARTIES CAN MAKE
it easier for voters to issue
rewards and punishments. In
2011, Republicans in Congress
(including Senate minority leader
Mitch McConnell, shown here)
held numerous press conferences
to contrast their position on the
budget and the national debt with
the Democrats’ position.