All Politics Is Local

Abstract

Despite lapses, American labor has committed itself to support the Democratic Party. To ensure the party’s success, labor has built its own voter mobilization organization in COPE. Party loyalty and discipline are the sine qua non for success of both the party and labor. Party success rests on the ability of leaders to convince their followers that the party will make a difference in their daily lives. To be maximally successful, the party stresses that it should win in all elections, local, state, and national. Yet, while local government is closest to voters, turnout in local elections is low; it is highest in national elections. Despite the pivotal importance of local politics in building party discipline, getting out the vote is the toughest problem that party and labor leaders face. The unreliability of the labor vote for the party reflects labor’s inability to build a sturdy and effective political machine. The machine can operate successfully in state and national elections only to the extent that it can mobilize voting in local elections.

Attributed to the late former House Speaker Edward “Tip” O’Neill.