Political Group Wants Stronger State Parties

A faculty study group at the Institute of Politics last Tuesday proposed legislation to strengthen the two-party system in Massachusetts.

The study group, composed of members from the local academic and political communities, released a report to the media which concludes a strong party structure is "an invaluable element of representative government" and is needed to increase the accountability of elected officials to voters in Massachusetts.

The report says a weak party structure is especially evident in Massachusetts because "personal campaign organizations and single-issue groups have nearly excluded organized parties from the political system."

The legislation which the group intends to file in the Massachusetts State House aims to clarify lines of responsibility in party structures and increase resources available to parties.

The legislation would:

Institute a series of intra-party elections for different levels of state party committees;

Establish a state income tax dollar check-off system to provide parties with funds; and

Change the date of the state primary from September to June.

The report also proposes to make primary voting more difficult for those who are not party members, to reintroduce pre-primary nominating conventions, and to re-introduce partisan city elections.

Francis Hatch, minority leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and study group member, said last week that while he cannot support all of the recommendations, they provide a "useful basepoint for discussion" about strengthening political parties.

Kandra Kayden, chairman of the study group and assistant professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, said last week the proposals "fly in the face" of reforms designed to limit the power of parties.

'Independents Are Better'

Kayden said the report attacks the argument that "independents are better." She said strong party involvement is important because independents are statistically the least aware of the candidates, the issues, and are the most marginal voters.

The report says Massachusetts party organizations at present have "little impact" on elections and suggests that they should have a more significant role because of their power to focus issues, present alternatives to voters, aggregate political interests, and offer the voters a better perspective on the candidates.

Kayden said the state parties could have more influence if they were built from the ground up, with each succeeding level responsible and accountable to the one below