Why Party?: Political Organizations and American Minor Party Strategy and Support

• In Event: 474 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 17. Party Politics and Social Movements

Abstract

Despite theoretical predictions, minor parties emerge and persist in the American political landscape. Analyzing over fifty active minor party organization in the United States, we find that these organizations fall short of existing definitions and expectations of political parties. Additionally, these organizations incorporate behaviors and characteristics of social movement organizations, creating a hybrid organizational form. Yet, these organizations call themselves political parties. If they cannot fulfill basic duties of a political party and adopt tactics of social movement organizations, what is the rationale for the party label? This paper proposes and tests various arguments for the continued use of the party label among this hybrid organizational form. Using an online survey experiment of US citizens and interviews with minor party officials, we explore why minor party organizers prefer the party label and potential consequences of its use for popular perceptions and support of these organizations.

Authors

• Catherine Kane, University of Maryland

• Kanisha De Ann Bond, University of Maryland