Party System
"Liberty is to faction what air is to fire." --James Madison
In Montana YMCA Youth and Government, we have had political parties as part of our Model Legislative program since 1980, and real Republican and Democratic parties since 1983. Our participants serve not only as legislators, but as members of the Republican Party, Democratic Party and other Third Parties as interest warrants. Montana has one of the few partisan model legislatures in the USA. We are proud of our system and are continuing to try and make it better every year!
What DO Political Parties Do?
Parties are a way people with similar ideas can join with others to express their opinions. Factions and parties form because not all people think alike; conflict and differences of opinion seem to be natural to humanity.
Suppressing disagreement, or prohibiting peaceful forms of conflict, can often lead to a loss of liberty. If dissenting views are denied the right to be heard, violence can be the alternative.
The genius of the American model of democracy allows people to freely express what they think, thus working out conflicts with words instead of weapons. By necessity, consensus and compromise are embedded into the American system.
No one side will always win, and some people will disagree with the majority. But, if everyone has had a say, and the rights of the minority are respected, then most people are willing to accept the decisions made, using peaceful means to express any differences that may remain.
Why Organized Parties?
Political Scientists say that organized political parties serve two major purposes: INTEREST ARTICULATION and INTEREST AGGREGATION. Translated into ordinary words, Interest Articulation means that parties define and express a group's needs and wants in a way that the public and political system can understand.
Interest Aggregation means the process by which a party brings together various viewpoints on an issue. A party develops enough common ideas among enough people so that pressure can be brought to bear upon the political system.
This process usually results in two major centers of political power. They might be the US two-party system, or they may be like the shifting majority and opposition coalitions seen in the multiparty systems of many European nations and in Israel.
This process does not always work perfectly. In the USA, the appearance of strong third parties is usually a sign that the major parties have become unresponsive to the public.
New parties are often very effective at Interest Articulation. They tend to be very visible and assertive about expressing what they believe in. But, independents and third parties in the US have traditionally suffered from not having enough members to be effective at Interest Aggregation. They can express their views, but have trouble creating the "big tent" that the major parties use to bring about change.
The Role of Third Parties
In America, third parties have traditionally held the role of protest vehicles. Third parties arise when a group of people believe that the major two parties have become unresponsive to their needs. Many independent candidacies and third parties fulfill the important role of bringing an issue to the public eye that has been neglected by the major players.
However, before the issue can be resolved, it usually has to be "adopted" by one of the major parties. Over time, third parties and their ideas tend to be reabsorbed into whichever major party is willing to listen to their issues.
For example, in the 1890s, the Populist Party was one of the best known third parties in America. By the early 1900s, some ideas of the Populist Party were absorbed into the major parties, which then enacted many Populist ideas into law (including the direct election of US Senators and the Federal Income Tax). In the present day, some of the goals of the Reform Party (such as a balanced budget) are being absorbed by the major parties.
The American system is not entirely fair to third parties. Campaign finance laws and restrictions on ballot access also make it hard for third parties to develop and thrive in the US. However, in nations such as Italy or Israel, where multiparty systems thrive, it sometimes takes a coalition of many parties working together to form a working government. So in effect, even multiparty systems usually develop two major political centers of power--the majority ruling coalition and the "principled opposition."
There has been only one third party in US history that succeeded in rising to become a major party and winning the Presidency: The Republican party, which reached major party status in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln.
Why a Partisan System?
(Besides to help Dire Straits write a cool song...)
- Because we believe principled differences of opinion are an important part of the democratic process.
- Because we believe that conflicting viewpoints, peacefully and respectfully expressed, help lead everyone to a fuller understanding of the issues.
- Because it helps us better understand what we believe as individuals.
- Because it teaches us how to peacefully confront and then resolve our differences.
- Because creating workable compromises is an integral part of the American system, dating back to the writing of our constitution.
- Because it gives us a more realistic model of how the real legislative process works.
- Because it teaches us what the different political parties stand for.
- Because it helps us learn about the purpose and duties of political parties.
- Because it's fun!
How Does it Work?
All participants who run for elective office or who serve as legislators (Senators and Representatives) must declare a party preference--just the same as elected officials do for these public offices in the real world. Party preference is to be based entirely on personal choice; all participants are free to express their own political opinions. Reporters, Lobbyists, Attorneys and other participants do not need to declare a party preference.
The Republican and Democratic parties are automatically "recognized" by the Montana YMCA Youth and Government Program, the same as they are "recognized" on the ballot by the State of Montana. If a participant wants to be a Democrat or a Republican, all they need to do is to declare their party when they register. It is strongly recommended that all participants read the platforms of both parties so that they make an informed choice. People can also register as members of a third party.
Important: Delegations cannot require their members to be part of one party or the other. They can not register their entire delegation as one party, nor can they decide that a given number of members must be of one party or another. Advisors are not to assign party affiliation to participants. Party preference is a question of individual choice. On the other hand, participants are also not required to vote the positions or ticket of the party they declare. They can cross party lines on any floor vote in the Legislature, and they have a secret ballot in the elections that, just like Montana's real elections, allows them to choose to vote whichever ticket they wish.
If a student or a group of students do not wish to identify with either major party, they are welcome to form a third party. However, to make it a bit more realistic, we require independents and third parties to submit a written party platform if they do not want to be a Republican or a Democrat.
Majority/Minority Status:
The House and Senate determine majority and minority party status by the declared party preferences of the actual participants who register for the individual chamber. Some years, one party may control both chambers, other years may have mixed leadership with the House controlled by one party and the Senate by another. All legislators must declare a party preference, just as they do in the real world. Participants don't have to be a Republican or a Democrat, but if they declare a third party, they need to submit a platform so that others know where they stand. (Click here for Third Party rules)
Because some people who preregister don't make it to the session, actual party numbers are not known in advance. (Majority status is usually decided by a very close margin!) Once registration if finalized, the majority parties are announced at the Sunday evening caucuses. The majority party does not really have a lot of special power (other than numbers) at Youth Legislature, but the majority leaders do serve as floor leaders during sessions of the House and Senate.
Platforms and Caucuses
Platforms aren't a strait jacket. Both Republicans and Democrats pride themselves on being a "big tent" where many viewpoints can be heard. People in a party don't all march in lock step and neither do people in the Youth Legislature! For example, some Republicans are Pro-Choice, some Democrats are Pro-Life. People choose whichever party comes the closest to their own values MORE of the time--but seldom will a person agree with their party ALL of the time!
People who don't care for either party need to know not just what they are AGAINST, but also what they are FOR. Most national third parties also publish their party platforms.
So participants, try and FIND a copy of your party platform (all Montana County Central Committee Chairs usually have them, as do the State Headquarters offices) and actually read it so that you know what your party stands for.
About Caucuses:
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, time is set aside for party caucuses. A party leader and party whip are chosen by each caucus Sunday night for both the House and Senate. Party leaders preside over the caucuses, which are open to the press and public, (a difference from the real world of Montana politics, where they are closed) and decide on party strategies, bills to support, drum up support for candidates and other tasks.
Third parties may caucus on their own if they submitted a party platform. When there are guest speakers in the caucuses, or when candidates for office speak in the caucuses, third parties to the left of center may caucus with the Democrats and third parties to the right of center may caucus with the Republicans.
The Rules for Third Parties:
Participants may form their own unique party and write their own platform, or they can declare as members of a nationally known third party and condense the official platform of that party down to one page.
Why require a party platform? The main reason is that the people have a right to know where a candidate or a public office holder stands. In the real world, the platforms of the Republican and Democratic parties are widely published and it is fairly easy to learn what the two major parties stand for. Third parties are not as well known, and they need to do a bit more to get their message out. Even independent candidates essentially write a platform as they campaign and make their opinions known to the public. In the Youth Legislature, third party candidates and legislators make their positions known by having their party platform published in the billbook so everyone knows where they stand on the major issues.
Unfair? Of course this extra work isn't quite fair to third parties. But, neither is the American system. It is realistic for members of a third party to have to jump through a few more hoops in order to participate. This happens to third parties in the real world as they work to gain access to the ballot and to elective office. It's easier to form a third party at Youth and Government than in the real world, actually!
There are many third parties out there: Just ask the Greens, the Libertarians, the Reform Party, or anyone else. They all will be glad to tell you where they stand!
Click Here to learn more about third parties.
Writing a Third Party Platform:
- Party platforms are printed in the billbook and are due on March 1.
- "Early bird" platforms are submitted earlier, get a chance to be published on this website.
- Platforms must meet the following criteria:
- No more than one page long. Platforms must be typed or done on a computer and submitted digitally. No hand-written copies.
- Express what the party is for without attacking the views of other parties. Platforms with inflammatory language will be returned for a rewrite that uses more diplomatic terms.
- If a party misses the deadline, they may still form if they write a platform, print up 250 copies at their own expense and submit them to the program office.
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