186 CHAPTER 6|POLITICAL PARTIES
those espoused by the major parties. The Constitution Party, for
example, advocates an end to government civil service regula-
tions; a ban on compulsory school attendance laws; withdrawal
of the United States from the United Nations and all interna-
tional trade agreements; abolishing foreign aid, the income tax,
the Internal Revenue Service, and all federal welfare programs;
and repealing all campaign fi nance legislation, the Endangered
Species Act, and federal fi rearms regulations.^33 These positions
are extreme, not in the sense of being silly or dangerous, but in
the sense that relatively few Americans feel the same way.Conclusion
American political parties help organize elections, unify disparate social groups,
simplify the choices facing voters, and build compromises around party mem-
bers’ shared policy concerns. A close look at how parties operate demonstrates
that groups such as the various Tea Party organizations, for all their activities and
press attention, fall far short of what it takes to make a political party.
However, in all their activities the success of political parties depends on
whether individual party members—candidates, citizens, and party leaders—are
willing to take the actions necessary to achieve these goals. Sometimes they are,
but at other times they decide that their own interests, or those of their constitu-
ents, are best served by ignoring or working against party priorities. And when
party members refuse to cooperate, political parties may be unable to do the things
that help American democracy to work well.
The case of the Democratic Party from 2006 to 2012 illustrates these limits. It
was an easy choice for Democratic candidates to emphasize their party affi liation
in the 2006 and 2008 elections, but the brand name was valuable during these con-
tests only because of the unpopularity of then-president Bush and the Republicans
in the House and Senate. Those individuals were seen as being responsible for the
poor state of the economy and the unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After the 2008 election, however, divisions within the Democratic Party in
government soon became apparent. Though Democrats were able to unite to enact
an economic stimulus package, building consensus around health care reform
legislation took considerable time and required jettisoning provisions that many
Democratic leg islators suppor ted. Despite having strong majorities in both houses
of Congress, Democratic leaders had to worry as much about keeping their own
members in line as they did about thwarting Republican opposition.
And in the 2010 midterm and 2012 presidential elections, with Democrats now
seen as the party responsible for poor economic conditions, many Democratic can-
didates tried to disassociate themselves from the party and campaigned on their
personal accomplishments.
Of course, these diffi culties do not refl ect a problem with Democrats per se.
Republicans did little better when they controlled the House, Senate, and presi-
dency, and they may have similar problems given the additional seats their
candidates won in 2010. Rather, the diffi culties show that the individuals who
make up American political parties often do not have an incentive to behave in the
interests of their party or as theories of democracy suggest they should.VOTERS MAY PUNISH THE PARTY IN
power if they are unhappy with its
policies. In 2010, frustration with
many of President Obama’s
policies worked against Democrats
and helped Republicans. Senator
Marco Rubio of Florida was one
of the new Republican members
elected to Congress that year.