Political parties frame the debate, recruit candidates and raise money (2000 activities). The Democratic and Republican parties dominate American politics and are organized at the national, state, and local level level. Other parties (third or minor parties) are struggling to gain a foothold. Note: The table below shows party leadership through the 2000 campaign. Following the campaign, Bush nominated Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore to lead the RNC; members of the RNC approved the choice of Gilmore at the party's winter meeting in Jan. 2001. Democrats selected Terry McAuliffe as DNC chair at their winter meeting in early February. |
National Committees | . |
Republican National Committee
Chairman Jim Nicholson (CO) Co-chair Patricia Harrison (NY) .................................................................finances |
Democratic National
Committee Nat'l Chair Joe Andrew (IN) General Chair Ed Rendell (PA) ................................................................finances |
Republican Governors
Association Chairman Ed Schafer (ND) |
Democratic
Governors Association Chairman Paul Patton (KY) Vice Chairman Gray Davis (CA) |
National Republican
Congressional Committee ...........................................................contribs | expends |
Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee ................................................................finances |
National
Republican Senatorial Committee ................................................................finances |
Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee ................................................................finances |
State Parties | . |
Links to Republican State Parties | Link to Democratic State Parties |
Official Party Auxiliaries | . |
National Federation of Republican Women | College Democrats of America |
Young Republican National Federation | Young Democrats of America |
College Republican National Committee | Democrats Abroad |
Nat'l Fed. of the Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs, Inc. | |
Partisan Groups | . |
Republican Liberty Caucus
represents the G.O.P's libertarian tradition |
Democratic
Leadership Council New Democrats |
Ripon
Society to promote moderate Republican principles (also see: The Moderate Republican) |
New Democrat
Network the political action arm of the New Democrat movement |
Log
Cabin Republicans gay and lesbian Republican organization |
Americans for Democratic
Action independent liberal political organization |
Republican
Jewish Coalition voice of Jewish Republicans |
Democrats 2000 recruiting and electing progressive candidates |
Republican National
Coalition for Life works to ensure adoption of the pro-life plank in the Republican platform |
National
Committee for an Effective Congress supports progressive candidates |
Republicans
for
Choice (2)
seeks to remove the anti-choice plank in the Republican platform |
National Jewish
Democratic Council promoting Jewish values in the Democratic Party |
Republican Pro-Choice
Coalition seeks to get abortion out of politics |
EMILY's List electing pro-choice Democratic women candidates |
GOPAC Republican training and education |
|
Republican
Leadership Council emphasizes economic issues and inclusiveness over a narrow moral agenda |
Italian American Democratic Leadership Council |
National Federation of
Republican Assemblies conservative Republican group |
|
Republicans for
Environmental Protection environmental conscience of the GOP |
|
House | . |
Speaker - Denny Hastert (IL) | Minority Leader - Richard A. Gephardt (MO) |
Majority Leader - Richard A. Armey (TX) | Minority Whip - David E. Bonior (MI) |
Majority Whip - Tom DeLay (TX) | Democratic Caucus Chairman - Martin Frost (TX) |
Republican Conference Chair - J.C. Watts (OK) | Democratic Caucus Vice Chair - Robert Menendez (NJ) |
Chair, Nat'l Rep. Cong. Comm. - Tom Davis III (VA) | Chair, Dem. Congr. Campaign Comm. - Patrick J. Kennedy (RI) |
Republican Conference Secretary - Deborah Pryce (OH) | |
Republican Policy Comm. Chair - Chris Cox (CA) | |
Senate | . |
Majority Leader - Trent Lott (MS) | Minority Leader - Tom Daschle (SD) |
Asst. Majority Ldr/Majority Whip - Don Nickles (OK) | Minority Whip - Harry Reid (NV) |
Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - Connie Mack (FL) | Secretary of the Conference - Barbara Mikulski (MD) |
Sec., Senate Rep. Conference - Paul Coverdell
(GA) died July 19, 2000 |
Chair, Dem. Sen. Campaign Comm. - Robert Torricelli (NJ) |
Chair, Nat'l Rep. Policy Comm. - Larry Craig (ID) | |
Chair, Nat'l Rep. Sen. Comm. - Mitch McConnell (KY) | |
Sen. President Pro Tem - Strom Thurmond (SC) | |
. | . |
RNC Chairman Jim Nicholson |
DNC National Chairman Joe Andrew |
Financial Summary 1999-2000 (Source: FEC) | |
Republicans Total Receipts: $715.7 million Federal ("hard dollars"): $465.8 million Non-Federal ("soft money"): $249.9 million |
Democrats Total Receipts: $520.4 million Federal ("hard dollars"): $275.2 million Non-Federal ("soft money"): $245.2 million |
In a political landscape dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, third or minor parties have had trouble getting rooted. (See Ballot Access News). Currently, five third parties are working to build a national presence and are running candidates in various states: Greens, Libertarian Party, Natural Law Party, Reform Party, and Constitution Party (formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party). |
Yet More Parties
In addition, there
are a number of other small national parties operating at the
fringes:
Communist Party
U.S.A.
Labor Party
New Party
Socialist Party USA
Workers World Party
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