The Role of a Political Party is Not Understood

Ask any Republican or Democrat this: “What is the role of the political party?”

This is the answer you will get: “The role of the political party is to elect candidates.”

That answer gets only 25% credit or a D-.

So what is the answer? And more importantly, why does it matter? Why do we struggle as a political party? Why is this a 50/50 state? It’s a four part response.

1. Determine a governing philosophy. The main purpose of a political party is to determine how it thinks the country should be governed, for what purpose, and why it will work. This is Job #1.

Types. Socialism is a governing philosophy. So is an oligarchy of rich landowners or business tycoons. A theocracy lets the religious people structure our lives by principles of that religion. Geniocracy is government by the very intelligent. There are many more types. The Founders of America choose a Democratic Republic (or constitutional federal republic).

Governing method. A political party promotes a specific governing method within the overall philosophy. Republicans advocate freedom – political and economic. (Originally it advocated preserving the nation and ending slavery.) Democrats promote socialism and leftism. (Originally it was populism.)

2. Seek popular approval. The people of the country have to believe in the ability of the party’s governing philosophy to work and that it will reliably achieve the results they desire. The party’s Job #2 is to market or sell its governing philosophy and method. They need to win over a majority of the people or at least a significant plurality. In doing that, establishing a “brand” helps. Our Founders won people over to their philosophy of freedom and independence, promoting it within government, intellectual and business circles as well as the general population.

Current issues. The party needs to also demonstrate how their ideas applies to the nation’s problems, threats, opportunities, and crises. How will we solve these national issues?

Continuous job. This Job #2 never ends. Commonly, Republicans and conservatives feel elections are the time to debate and decide public issues. This is where we fail. It is in the 18 Golden Months between elections, when the bulk of the political battle is decided. It is when hearts and minds can be won over and the “base” can be expanded. When the elections begin, the sides are pretty much fixed.

3. Find candidates that support our governing principles and issues and market them. Job #3 is finding candidates and conducting campaigns based on the issues. Political parties generally devote all of their time to campaigns while ignoring the 18 Golden Months between elections.

4. The fourth job is everything else. All the other jobs of the party are part of Job #4.

So, why are we a 50/50 state? It’s become we don’t do Job #2. Our governing philosophy, Job #1, is well established at this point. But the Republican Party is not generally active during the 18 Golden Months between elections. We are not trying to win people over to our views between elections. The Democrats are very active between elections, often through “issue groups.” They are winning hearts and minds on issues. We need to be active on issues including political action.

Ronald Reagan became President after spending 25 years talking with people on the radio, on TV, in printed publications, in battles with the communists in Hollywood unions, and then as Governor of California he applied conservative governance to that state’s problems. He won people over to our principles of political and economic freedom. He was the first conservative President since the Great Depression.

How can Republican organizations win hearts and minds? That is a discussion for another time.

Author Kim M. Babler is a longtime political activist in south-central Wisconsin and the state.