The Texas Republican Party held its 2104 convention this weekend in Forth Worth. Texas Democrats are set to hold theirs in Dallas June 27th and 28th.
Both 2305 and 2306 students will note that U.S. Constitution reserves to the states the power to pass laws about elections, and since political parties are the primary actors in elections, these laws impact how they form and operate. This means that each of the 50 states passes the laws that govern the activities of political parties. In 2306 we discuss this further when we cover the election code, and the part of the code that deal with political parties.
The reason that each party holds conventions each year - in a legal sense - is because the state election code says they must. Every two years. Of course you should keep in mind that the election code is based on laws passed by legislators who are members of political parties, so parties get to write their own rules, but let's not wander into that circular thicket.
When 2306 students read the section on the temporary and permanent party organizations they'll note that the state convention
The purpose of the state convention is to allow the grassroots within each party to have an impact on the way the state party is run, and the positions it holds. During presidential election years they also determine which delegates will represent which presidential candidates in the nation convention (which are only held during presidential elections). State conventions are where the activists and the professionals (let's call them the establishment) butt heads. We can also think of this as a war between the temporary and permanent party organizations.
Apparently there was a lot of head butting in Fort Worth.
The Tea Party wing of the Republican Party - people who are passionately committed to political participation - has developed an incredible degree of influence within the party. This is far beyond what their numbers suggest they ought to have, but they have it because when you and I are sleeping late - they are organizing.
Perhaps we should modify "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" to read "government of the participants, by the participants, and for the participants" because it is a far more accurate description of the reality of democratic politics. Things don't just happen for people, they happen because people work to get them.
The problem for the party establishment - especially in the Republican Party right now - the issues the Tea Party activists push for may jeopardize the party's future competitiveness. The Republican Party has done well for a while with the current electorate in the state, but as the electorate changes, the party must change in order to continue to do well. The temporary party organization - the people who reflect the needs of the grassroots - seem to be preventing them from making those changes.
I'll post - separately - links to stories that illustrate this tension.
