ABSTRACT
Political parties are, many argue, America’s sole contribution to the practice and science of politics; the rest of the American political structures and traditions were copied or salvaged from the European heritage. It is generally understood that the linkage between party and society is governed by the competitive balance of the parties in the system. There is a substantial core of literature that explains the magnetism between party competition and urbanism. It is well known that presidential politics often deviate remarkably from local politics; that party strength in the election of the US president may not reflect party strength at the grass roots. The major breakthrough for the Democratic party in Vermont occurred in 1952. An inspection of regional political enclaves in Montana is vital since it allows us to determine if the statewide competition level hides one-party environments. Regions other than the high line affect the party balance in Montana very little.
