Fighting back : political parties take to the airways

The state of American political parties has been of considerable interest to political scientists during recent years. A number of factors have combined to alter the parties' traditional role in the American political system, causing both political observers and researchers to question the parties' present and future roles in the electoral process.

Probably the most frequently cited factor in research on the decline of the American political party is television. Its ability to reach mass audiences has altered the way we as a society communicate, and thus how we elect our public officials.

How political parties are dealing with television, and what impact their efforts are likely to have in insuring the parties continue to play a primary role in electoral politics, is the focus of this paper.

As an employee of the National Republican Congressional Committee I personally became aware of the party's television advertising program. Through extensive interviews with the NRCC's •Director of Communications, the Democratic National Committee's Media Consultant and other party officials involved in advertising and campaigns, I collected further information on the history of television advertising by political parties, the success the parties believe they have had with their programs, and what plans and expectations party officials share.

Findings from these interviews and research of current literature suggest that while the roles of the party in electoral politics has been declining due to television, both parties have made strides towards regaining the power. Their media programs have presented an image of the party to appeal to independent voters, and the candidate advertising programs have offered a service to attract candidates to the party who might have otherwise conducted campaigns on their own.

These findings suggest that television has not brought about the demise of American political parties, but rather has forced them to alter their role and function.