Internal coalitions

                In order to be electorally successful, a political party must present a broadly united front to the voting public. The need for unity is paramount because voters tend to associate divided parties with an inability to govern. There are several historical examples of this point, most notably the Democrats in 1968. The party had dominated elections to the White House for a considerable period of time, but by that time the New Deal coalition had fallen apart due to divisions within the party over civil rights. Many southern Democrats were opposed to extending civil rights to African-Americans, whereas others within the party were largely favorable. The 1968 Democrat Party Convention is widely cited as the example par excellence of a party in turmoil. More recently, the 1992 Republican Convention exposed divisions within the party that contributed to George Bush senior losing the subsequent presidential election. Indeed, Bush senior remains the only incumbent president to lose an election since 1980.

                For many years, it was widely held that divisions within the two main parties in America were as great at the divisions between the main parties. Both main parties were catch-all in character, thereby encompassing a very wide range of beliefs and opinions. The most electorally successful coalition of the twentieth century (the New Deal) was based upon a coalition of support that incorporated groups with contrasting interests and values. Equally, the GOP often brought together a disparate band of supporters. In the contemporary era, divisions between the parties are more pronounced than those within them. Indeed, the real contest can often be during a party’s primary campaign.

                When seeking to promote a particular cause or objective, members of Congress will form together within a caucus. These may be of an ideological character (such as the Tea Party caucus) or a shared background (such as the black caucus or the women’s caucus). Many ideological caucuses consist of members from one particular party, although this is not entirely the case given the relatively weak character of party labels in the states. To some extent, the very existence of congressional caucuses exposes the breadth of divisions within the two parties. That said; congressional caucuses can lead to Republicans and Democrats working together where shared interests are identified.

                Internal coalitions are invariably brought to light during the race for the presidential nomination. In 2012, the various strands of conservatism within the GOP were represented by those figures contesting the Republican nomination (such as the social conservatism of Rick Santorum and the fiscal conservatism of Ron Paul). The same could be said of the Democrats in 2004, when moderate figures such as John Kerry fought off challenges from the left of the party. One of the issues party managers need to be wary of is that a lengthy primary campaign can expose ideological divisions to the public. This can be very damaging to the party brand. In order to avoid this, the party elite will seek to endorse the candidate most likely to win the presidential election. This is often the more moderate candidate, although not in every situation. It is also important for the candidate who gains the party nomination to appeal to the party base and moderate/independents.