Unit 2: Political Parties, Voting, and Elections

1. Unit 2: Political Parties, Voting, and Elections American Government & Law Winslow High School

2. 2012?

4. Ideology & Political Spectrum • Parties & What They Do • 2 Party System • 2 Party System in History • The Minor Parties • Party Organization • Constitution & the Right to Vote • Voter Qualifications • Nonvoting • Voter Behavior • The Nominating Process • Elections • – 2013 Mock Election? • – 2013 PROJECT FIRST VOTE? Unit Topics

5. Where do they line up?

7. Mr. Thurston • Mr. Browne • Mr. Smith • Ms. Beckwith • Mr. Andresen • Mr. Goldsmith • Ms. Meehan • Mr. Hendsbee What about these celebrities?

8. A group of people… • Who share a common ideology… • And who seek to control the government… • By winning elections. What is a Political Party?

9. It depends on your ideology So…Which Should I Join?

10. Liberal-------Moderate-------Conservative • D R The “Old” Political Spectrum

11. LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. • They generally support a government-funded "safety net” to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. • Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and accept diverse lifestyles. Liberals

12. Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates "traditionalvalues." • They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. • Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement. Conservatives

13. A Better, Up-To-Date Spectrum

14. Democrats tend to favor lots of government control of economic issues, and little government control of personal issues. • Republicans tend to favor lots of government control of personal issues, and little government control of economic issues. Applying the Spectrum to the Parties:

15. What Do Political Parties Do? American Government & Law Winslow High School

16. Political party v. pressure group • Three elements must exist: • Shared beliefs • Program • Realistic chance of success Requirements to really be a political party

17. Organize a political majority • Provide electable candidates • Educate voters • Finance campaigns • Run the government • Act as the “watch-dog” What do parties try to accomplish?

18. The Two Party System in America American Government & Law Winslow High School

19. Desire for stability • National election laws • Size of the federal system • “Throw the bums out” tradition Why do we keep the 2-party system?

20. He ran for president in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000…. • For the Prohibition Party Who is Earl Dodge?

21. Dozens of minor parties (pressure groups) • At times difficult to describe & classify • Most have been short-lived • Some are centered around a single issue…others are more broad The Minor Parties

22. The Ideological Parties

23. The Single-Issue Parties

24. The Economic Protest Parties

25. The Splinter Parties

26. So…what’s the point? • They have had an impact • “Spoiler” role • 2000 Election • 25 electoral votes in FLA • Bush – 246 Gore – 267 • 270 to win • Bush - 2,912,790 • Gore - 2,912,253 • Nader – 97,488 • Bush – 271 • Gore - 266 • Just give Gore 51% • Bush – 2,960,559 • Gore – 2,961,972 • Critic • Innovator • http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm The Role of Minor Parties

27. What limits were once placed on the right to vote? (suffrage – franchise) • What limits remain today? • What does party membership have to do with voting? • How does the American secret ballot work? • How do Americans select their parties and candidates? • Why do so many Americans choose not to vote? Elections and Voting

28. Should there be limits?

29. Property ownership • Religious belief • Poll Tax • Gender discrimination • Condition of servitude • Literacy tests What limits were once placed on the right to vote?

30. The original Constitution and amendments guarantee: • Voting equality – the only real protection in the original document • No racial discrimination • No gender discrimination • No poll tax • 18 year olds Constitutional Protections

31. Pro Con Voter ID Laws

33. Limitations vary by state • Citizenship • Residency • Age • Registration • Legal disfranchisement: • Vagrants • Mentally challenged • Convicted felons • Inmates in public institutions What limits remain today?

34. General elections and voting • 1st Tuesday after the first Monday of November of an even-numbered year. • Primary elections • Party identification at registration • Do people ever change? • Closed vs open primaries Your Party and Voting

35. Many different types used • Paper & hand count • Voting machines with levers • Punch card ballots • Scanner ballots • Touch-screen • Mail-in ballot • All produced at public expense • Write-ins The American Ballot

36. Parents • Residence • Geography • Religion • Race • Age • Income • Education • Occupation How do we decide??

37. The previous slide shows trends…how much do they really matter? • Two new patterns beginning to blur the old certainties: • Split-ticket voting • Voting for the person New Trends in American Voting

38. Presidential election turnout • 2004: • 216.5 million • 70% • 122.3 million • 62 million • 29.5% • Off-Year turnout • Primary election turnout • Special election turnout Voter Turn-out

39. “Cannot” voters • Difficult registration process • Complex election issues • One-party domination • “Alienated” voters • Simple apathy Causes for Low Voter Turnout

40. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” • ~Edmund Burke