Organisation of the Parties (AQA A-Level Politics): Revision Notes

Organisation of the Parties

The organisational structure of American political parties differs significantly from parties in other democracies. US parties are characterised by three key features: the absence of a single national party leader, a decentralised state-based structure with relatively weak central bodies, and the involvement of numerous associated organisations and interest groups that support party goals without formal institutional affiliation.

Leadership

Unlike political parties in the UK, US parties do not have a clear, single leader. This reflects both the separation of powers and the federal framework of the American political system, as well as the broader political culture.

Presidential authority vs party leadership

Even the president is not the formal party leader. While the president typically has considerable authority within their party and sets much of the political agenda, they lack direct control over their party in Congress. This creates a complex relationship where negotiation and persuasion become essential tools.

Congressional party leaders

Both parties maintain their own leaders in each chamber of Congress. In 2021, these positions were held by:

Senate:

• Mitch McConnell - Republican leader
• Chuck Schumer - Democratic leader

House of Representatives:

• Nancy Pelosi - Democratic speaker and leader
• Kevin McCarthy - Republican leader

The president or presidential nominee has no direct power over their party's legislators in Congress. While most members of Congress share political views aligned with their party's president or presidential candidate, much negotiation and persuasion is required to achieve legislative goals.

Weak party discipline

A notable example occurred during Trump's first two years in office, when he was unable to pass his healthcare reforms despite Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. This demonstrated that even unified government does not guarantee legislative success.

Informal leadership structures

Any leadership that exists is therefore largely informal and personality-driven. Trump arguably exerted influence over the Republican Party through his strong personal following among the grassroots base. Republican lawmakers largely remained loyal to him partly out of fear of being primaried for not following his lead.

Leadership becomes even less visible and effective when the party does not control the White House.

State-based parties and weak central structures

It is sometimes said that there are not two parties in the USA, but 100 - representing 50 state Republican parties and 50 state Democratic parties. This emphasises the significant degree of autonomy and independence enjoyed by state party organisations.

State party autonomy

State parties have their own structures and play an important role in organising primaries. However, they have minimal direct involvement in candidate selection. Local parties typically do not themselves endorse a primary candidate, although leading local party officials may personally endorse individuals in primaries.

An example of state party independence is Minnesota, where local Democrats run on the ticket of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, reflecting a 1944 party merger.

National party committees

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are the national party organisations. Their main roles are to:

• Organise the national convention that formally nominates the party's presidential candidate
• Draw up the party's national platform

Beyond these functions, their role in national politics remains limited, particularly as they have no power over candidate selection. Consequently, their chairs (in 2021, Jaime Harrison for the DNC and Ronna McDaniel for the RNC) are rarely household names or major political players.

Hill committees

Four 'Hill committees' aim to get members of their party elected to Congress on Capitol Hill:

• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
• National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
• Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
• National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)

In the lead-up to the 2020 Senate elections, for example, the NRSC ran a billboard campaign in several states using the same format, simply changing the name of the Democratic candidate to reflect the individual state.

Although these committees have no direct role in choosing candidates, they often encourage and aid promising candidates, particularly those fighting their first national election.

Associated groups

A final element of party organisation is the existence of many loosely affiliated groups. These share characteristics with pressure groups but are more overtly party political.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a good example. While independent of official Democratic Party structures, with a membership of around 50,000, it works to secure the victory of very progressive Democrats in primaries.

In 2018, the DSA saw two of its endorsed candidates elected to the House:

• Rashida Tlaib
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Tea Party movement

A similar organisation on the Republican side is the conservative/populist/libertarian Tea Party movement.

Combined influence of party structures

Traditional pressure groups, such as the NRA and NARAL Pro-Choice America, also throw influence, endorsement and funding behind candidates they see as supportive of their positions. This feature of US politics further weakens the power of national party bodies.

Case study: Steve King's primary defeat (June 2020)

Understanding party organisation

All these groups, committees and organisations exemplify the 'unity within diversity' model of the modern US party. There is a strong common purpose - securing election victories - but with parallel avenues of giving and activism. When added to the campaign committees of every individual legislator or candidate, the impression is of a complex network of party organisations and supporters' groups, rather than a single hierarchical party with state branches.

Perhaps the organisation of US parties resembles mighty rivers fed by many separate tributaries and streams. They are all headed in the same direction, despite the whirlpools of internal factionalism, and are also awash with cash.

Exam guidance

When analysing US party organisation in exam questions:

• Contrast with UK parties: US parties lack the centralised structure and clear leadership found in UK parties where national ballots of party members choose the leader
• Emphasise decentralisation: Focus on the state-based nature and weak central structures
• Use specific examples: Reference the Hill committees, DNC/RNC roles, and associated groups like DSA and Tea Party
• Link to separation of powers: Explain how the constitutional structure shapes party organisation
• Consider the impact: Discuss how weak party discipline affects legislative outcomes

Remember!