My personal definition of a political party really is as simple “as a group of people who have similar ideas on how the country should be run.” In the history of our world, these groups of people have become a bit more simplified and official, so to speak. By this I mean there are plenty of leniencies in our (America’s) party system in regards to ideology. Some people consider the terms Liberals and Conservatives to be political parties but I believe those terms define a person’s placement on a political spectrum based on ideologies. A Conservative might associate themselves with the Republican Party and Liberals with the Democratic Party, but this is most definitely not always the case.
George Washington would not have approved of these "factions" we have today.
"The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish Government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established Government."
"All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency.."
In Washington's farewell speech he seems to allude to the idea that these Parties are destructive organizations to create conflict among citizens. He was right.
Tom Delay took a much different approach in his farewell speech. According to the Washington Post "DeLay suggested that pundits who complain about 'the divisive partisan rancor that supposedly weakens our democracy" are merely nostalgic for the days when most Republicans meekly accepted minority status. DeLay was never one of those Republicans.'" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060801342.html)
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What's the difference between a political party and an interest group?
ReplyDeleteAh, Delay. There are many things you can say about the man, but you can’t say that he’s been boring. The article at the end of your post was interesting to read, thanks for posting it! It touches on how Delay incorporated the lobbying community for his causes (or more specifically the causes of his party). Delay’s comment that “the common lament over the recent rise in political partisanship is often nothing more than a veiled complaint about the recent rise of political conservatism” also showcases one side of the pro/con argument regarding political parties.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you on the fact that political ideologies are different than parties however they do usually correlate as far as conservatives being republicans and liberals being democrats. Its almost as if people who are considered to be liberals are assumed to be democrats and people who are conservatives republicans. However I disagree that parties are destructive and aim to make conflict among citizens. I view them as a way to associate with people that have like views of your own and can be used as a networking tool to organize and structure campaigns.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by networking tool? Say more. Sounds interesting.
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