POLITICAL PARTIES

A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and holding of public office • REPUBLICAN • DEMOCRAT • Who was the first democrat? • Who was the first republican? • Who is the current Dem. Candidate for pres.? • Who is the current Rep. Candidate for pres.? POLITICAL PARTIES

To run for office you need money! • Two ways: • Donations • Personal account • Anyone can donate to a presidential or political figure’s election • SUPER PAC • The creation of a group of very rich people that use their money and their businesses money to get a politician elected Money

OBAMA COMMERCIAL OBAMA CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL

Believe in America - YouTube ROMNEY CAMPAIGN COMMERICAL

Elections are shaped to preserve, protect and defend the two major parties in America • This promotes compromise • Too many parties = too many radical ideas • Bipartisan is when compromise is made between 2 parties. So if you were to act Partisan, you would refuse to work with someone from another party The electoral system

Our government was created without political parties. • The first were the Federalists and the Anti-federalists. Alexander Hamilton led the Fed. • Then Thomas Jefferson started the Democratic-Republican party Two-party system

Era of the democrats: 1800-1860 • Led by Jefferson (1800-1808) – The era of Good Feeling • Then, Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) • The Dem. Party started to split up, and eventually the WHIG party formed (2 presidents William henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor) • The Civil War finally split the Dem. Party up for good. 4 major eras of political parties

Era of the Republicans: (1860-1932) • Led by Abraham Lincoln (1860-1865) • Began as a Whig, turned to a Republican to oppose slavery • Then Theodore Roosevelt (1900-1908) • Resurged the Republicans and led an era of progress • The Great depression of 1929 took the wind out of the Rep. 4 major eras of political parties

The Return of the democrats: 1932-1968 • Led by Franklin Roosevelt (1932-1945) • Took America from the Great Depression to WWII • Then, John F. Kennedy (1960-1963) • Brought hope back to America • Lyndon Johnson ended the Era by getting America involved in Vietnam 4 major eras of political parties

Era of Divided Government: 1968-present • Rep. • Rep. • Dem. • Rep. • Rep. • Dem. • Rep. • Dem. • A different party nearly every 4 – 8 years. • The use of main stream media: 24 hour news networks, Internet • Americans are picky, blame everything on the president. 4 major eras of political parties

Minor parties

There are 4 distinct types of minor parties: • Ideological parties: based on a particular set of beliefs • Acomprehensive view of social, economic and political matters. • Most patterned after MARX • Socialist, Communist MINOR PARTIES

Single-Issue parties – focus on only one public-policy matter. • Names usually indicate concern • EX: Free Soil  opposed the spread of slavery Know Nothings  opposed Irish Catholic immigration MINOR PARTIES

Economic protest party – have been rooted in periods of economic discontent • They are disgusted by Major parties (Dem, Rep) • Focus their anger on enemies such as “Wall Street Bankers” • EX: • The Greenback Party – appealed to struggling farmers • The Populist Party – want public ownership of many big businesses MINOR PARTIES

Splinter Parties – Those that have split away from other parties. • The MOST IMPORTANT of all minor parties! • They usually form around a strong personality (leader) • Examples: • “Bull Moose” (progressive) party – TEDDY ROOSEVELT • Roosevelt was a Rep. president, but switched to the BULL MOOSE • The party gained the most votes ever for a minor party candidate in 1912. • Green Party – Ralph Nader MINOR PARTIES

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POLITICAL PARTIES