Unity and Factions Within the Parties (AQA A-Level Politics): Revision Notes

Unity and Factions Within the Parties

Understanding how united or divided the main US political parties are is crucial for analysing American politics. Whilst recent trends show increasing polarisation between Republicans and Democrats, significant divisions and factions remain within each party. This note examines both the evidence for party cohesion and the internal divisions that persist.

Growing cohesiveness in Congress

Cohesiveness refers to the degree of unity within a political party, particularly in how members vote on legislation. In recent decades, both major US parties have become significantly more cohesive in Congress, marking a departure from the more fluid party politics of earlier eras.

The parties now function with much greater unity in how they vote. There is considerably less bipartisanship than in previous decades, meaning fewer instances where members of both parties work together on legislation. Major policies such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and the Trump tax cuts were passed with minimal support from the opposing party.

The impeachment proceedings against different presidents also illustrate this growing cohesiveness:

The unity and division debate

The question of whether US parties are united or divided does not have a straightforward answer. Evidence exists to support both positions, and the reality is more nuanced than either extreme suggests.

Evidence of party unity

Several factors demonstrate high levels of party unity in contemporary American politics:

High party unity voting: In 2018, congressional voting patterns showed remarkable party loyalty. House Republicans voted with their party 91% of the time on average, whilst Democrats maintained 89% party unity. These figures represent consistently high levels of partisan voting behaviour.

Policy cohesion on divisive issues: Both parties have become increasingly uniform in their stances on controversial policies. On issues such as abortion and gun control, it has become extremely difficult to find pro-life Democrats or pro-choice Republicans. The parties have sorted themselves ideologically on these key policy areas.

Unified party platforms: There is growing emphasis on coordinated party messaging. The Republicans pioneered this approach with Newt Gingrich's 'Contract with America' in 1994. More recently, Democrats campaigned under the 'Better Deal' programme for the 2018 midterms, focusing on 'Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future'.

Evidence of party divisions

Despite these trends towards unity, significant divisions and instances of bipartisan cooperation still occur:

Bipartisan rebellions: In February 2020, the Senate passed a resolution limiting Trump's power to order military action against Iran without Congressional approval. Eight Republicans joined Democrat senators to pass this measure. In March 2020, the House passed the bipartisan CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten House Republicans also voted to impeach Trump in January 2021.

Common ground on specific policies: Some policy areas show potential for bipartisan cooperation. These include financial regulation of Wall Street, lowering prescription drug charges, and certain criminal justice issues. Whilst motivations may differ (Republicans seeking to cut jail costs, Democrats emphasising rehabilitation), these areas demonstrate that complete polarisation is not inevitable.

Trump's unconventional positions: Some of Trump's less conventional policy stances created unease within Republican ranks. These included foreign policy matters such as US commitment to NATO and the introduction of tariffs, which diverged from traditional Republican positions.

Candidate autonomy: There is no requirement for a party's candidates to subscribe to the entire party platform. Since candidates secure nominations by winning their own primary races, they can afford to be selective in their campaign pledges, leading to variation within party positions.

Reasons for internal divisions

Despite growing polarisation between the parties, divisions within them persist for several key reasons:

Contextual factors affecting party unity

The level of party unity varies depending on political context. Understanding these contextual factors is essential for analysing party cohesiveness.

Primary elections: Parties and individuals tend to demonstrate greatest loyalty when seeking their party's nomination. For example, Democrat senators who sought the 2020 presidential nomination, such as Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, were among the most loyal and partisan members.

Electoral cycles: Lawmakers often show greater willingness to work across party lines in the lead-up to congressional elections. This allows them to demonstrate to voters that they can 'govern and deliver' without excessively straining party unity.

Lame duck periods: The second half of a two-term presidency, known as the 'lame duck period', typically sees reduced party loyalty. Legislators have less incentive to maintain close relationships with the president when they will soon leave office.

Main factions within each party

Both parties contain distinct factions that represent different ideological positions and approaches to governance. Some of these are formally organised as congressional caucuses, whilst others represent looser groupings.

Democrat factions

Blue Dog Coalition: This moderate faction supports fiscal responsibility and adopts more neutral positions on social issues compared to progressive Democrats. Blue Dogs are more willing to seek common ground with Republicans in Congress. In 2020, the caucus had 25 House members, including Stephanie Murphy and Lou Correa. Many represent districts that lean Republican.

New Democrat Coalition: The largest Democrat House caucus with 104 members in 2020, this group describes itself as committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies. Members come from diverse states and represent the broad centrist wing of the party. Some members belong to multiple caucuses; for example, Henry Cuellar was part of both the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrats.

Republican factions

Tuesday Group: A grouping of moderate or centrist Republicans committed to pragmatic, solution-oriented approaches to government. Similar to Democrat Blue Dogs, they actively seek bipartisan approaches to issues. In 2020, they numbered around 15 House members, including John Katko and Elise Stefanik. Members often represent swing districts where moderate positions help electoral success.

Republican Study Committee: This conservative grouping represented the largest caucus in the entire House in 2020 with 147 members, comprising around three-quarters of all House Republicans. It advocates for limited government, high defence spending, preserving traditional values and the Second Amendment, and balancing the federal budget. Originally starting as one wing of the party in 1973, it now arguably represents the mainstream of the Republican Party. Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson chaired the committee in the 116th Congress.

Important terminology note

Case study: Justice Democrats

Understanding party dynamics

Both main parties, despite greater polarisation in recent times, continue to have a range of competing factions within them. These groups, along with allied pressure groups and PACs, play particularly significant roles in primary elections and support their favoured candidates.

In both parties, the principal distinction exists between those who might loosely be termed pragmatic centrists (willing to work with the other party occasionally) and the more 'ideologically pure' (who view compromise as betraying the party's core principles). This tension between pragmatism and ideological purity shapes much of the internal party dynamics.

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