Factional Persistence within Parties in the United States

Abstract

A B S T R A C TFactionalism within parties is a subject that is crucial in understanding how parties operate and how well they carry out the functions they are widely assumed to perform. However, factionalism has been undertheorized. In order to provide some theoretical content to the study of factions within parties, I develop a three-part typology of factionalism based on the degree of persistence of factional coalitions and what underlies them. An examination of presidential nominating contests in the major parties of the United States concludes that the degree of factional persistence is due to exogenous factors, and I infer from it a developmental theory. I conclude by suggesting ways in which the analysis might be extended to other nations.KEY WORDS Ⅲ American political parties Ⅲ factionalism Ⅲ factions Factionalism within parties is one of the most widely discussed but undertheorized aspects of party politics. Aside from some definitional disputes, political scientists have done little to develop taxonomic or developmental approaches to intra-party factionalism. While some political scientists have spun typologies of factionalism within particular parties, their methodology has often been no more sophisticated than their own observations and hunches. Their claims may be plausible and even insightful, but they offer no methodology that is accessible to other scholars other than their own ingenuity; methodologically, they are like clever journalists. As Laver and Schofield (1990: 33) have pointed out, the reader is left with no guidance as to how to choose between two equally plausible taxonomies of a party's factions.

Moderate Caucuses in a Polarised US Congress

“…A plethora of studies find that members' voting records are very much in line with their constituencies (Miller and Stokes 1963, Mayhew 1974, Cain et al 1987, Bartels 1991, Canes-Wrone et al 2002. A few studies even find that their memberships in caucuses are heavily influenced by their constituents, though few of these studies examine ideologically based caucuses (Hammond 1998, Rae 1998, Reiter 2004, Medvic 2007. We use the Democratic presidential vote within constituency in the most recent election to test if members from moderate constituencies belong to moderate caucuses.…”

Subpartisan Cues and Ideological Distinctions: The Effect of the Tea Party Label on Voter Perceptions of Congressional Candidates*

“…Significant intraparty tension over ideology is rarely enough to lead to the formation of a completely new third party, often because the majority bloc is willing to cater to the minority faction to maintain the coalition (Hirschman, ). However, attempts to keep subpartisan movements within the party can lead to a battle for the “soul” and direction the party will take (Reiter, ). These subpartisan factions remain “protest” groups within parties.…”

“…Do candidates’ connections to intraparty factions also influence voter perceptions? Previous research suggests that factions may diminish “the electorate's ability to distinguish between parties” (Reiter, ). Political scientists have traditionally argued that factionalism will impede a party's electoral performance in the American system, in part because policy programs should be less clear to voters (Schattschneider, ; Herrera, ).…”

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“…8 Scholars are also addressing the role of intraparty factions, considering, among other things, their ideological infl uences on the larger parties. 9 Several factors have been cited as drivers of party ideology, including economics and social class, ethnicity and culture, critical realignments, and elite-led responses to various domestic events. 10 John Gerring aptly summarizes this literature: "To put it baldly, the premise of nonideological parties no longer seems to fi t the facts as we know them.…”