What is the national party convention, and how much control does it exert over nominees and state and local party organizations? What are national party committees, and what do they do? In what ways have they become increasingly important? What are congressional campaign committees, and what do they do? How are they related to the national party convention and the national party committees? What do the connections between these national party bodies say about the organizational structure of the parties?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Describe the national party convention as the governing body of a political party; the delegates meet every four years to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates and to write the party platform and revise party rules.
2, Note that the national convention cannot dictate to party candidates or organizations at other levels of jurisdiction; thus, for example, nominees and state and local party organizations do not have to support the national party's platform.
3, Explain that the Democratic and Republican national committees conduct the business of the parties during the four years between national conventions.
4, Describe how the national committees, though exerting little direct power, have become increasingly important as campaign service organizations for party candidates running for national and state offices, providing financial support, media ads, direct mail campaigns, and so on.
5, Explain that there are four congressional campaign committees, two each (a Republican one and a Democratic one) for the House and the Senate, that aid members of Congress in their reelection campaigns by raising money, providing media services, conducting research, and so on.
6, Identify that these committees are independent of the national convention and the national committees; they are controlled by party members in Congress.
7, Discuss how the party structure of the major parties is not hierarchical like many other organizations, but more of a web-like structure in which there is no central authority or chain of command.