DEERFIELD — Like it or not, political parties play a huge role in American government. But how do they work?
As part of a bipartisan education effort, Massachusetts party leaders Amy Carnevale (Republican state committee chair) and Steve Kerrigan (Democratic state committee chair) spoke at Deerfield Academy on Tuesday to discuss “In an era of polarization.” We had a conversation about “Political Parties.”
The conversation was a key event in the private school’s “24 for ’24: Election Education and Freedom of Expression” series. Director of Educational Initiatives David Miller explained that Deerfield Academy is planning a series of events three times a week for eight weeks leading up to the November election, for a total of 24 events. The content varies, but all aim to inform students about various aspects of elections.
Dean of Academic Affairs Ann Bruder added that “Political Parties in a Polarized Age” was designed to explore the role of political parties and how they function during election cycles.
“We are trying to shed light on political parties in a purely educational way,” Bruder explained. “And we’re bringing together two people who rarely share the same stage and trying to model how to learn across political divides.”
Tuesday’s discussion ranged from party structure and day-to-day operations to goals for the next election.
“Fundamentally, political parties are a means of identifying candidates and their positions on issues, and parties themselves are devices for supporting candidates,” Carnevale said. spoke. “A political party’s first responsibility is to elect candidates.”
Kerrigan explained that political parties work to raise money, organize resources, recruit potential candidates, help manage campaigns, and support candidates locally and nationally.
“Massachusetts has two big exports: political activists and cranberries,” Kerrigan said.
Kerrigan said Massachusetts has been a political leader since its founding, and to this day, the state’s politicians serve as a role model for campaigns across the country. Democrats often send lawmakers and money to support Democrats in other states.
In addition to supporting candidates for top offices across the country, political parties are also working to support candidates vying for seats in state legislatures.
“Democracy requires two parties and debate,” Carnevale said.
Carnevale explained that while the National Party focuses on national and international issues during election campaigns, she wants to keep local issues alive. During her campaign, she likes to focus on issues that affect Massachusetts residents and how the Beacon Hill Republican Party can help.
As of August, there were more than 5.05 million registered voters in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office. Of these, approximately 1.33 million are registered Democrats, 418,899 are Republicans, and the rest are registered with another political party or are unregistered.
Carnevale said that while the majority of voters in Massachusetts are unregistered, those who do vote tend to support Democratic candidates, especially in election years. But this year, they hope to change that and flip even more seats in the state Legislature.
Kerrigan said Democrats have performed well in the past few elections and is hopeful they can maintain that progress. Massachusetts currently has three Democratic districts, with Democrats controlling the Senate, House of Representatives, and the governor’s office.
Kerrigan and Carnevale agreed that reaching their respective parties’ goals requires connecting with young voters and spreading their message.
“You will be the most influential and most important voting group in the history of the United States,” Kerrigan told Deerfield Academy students. “You have an incredible responsibility for the work you are going to do as citizens of this country.”
