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The Republicans, Democrats, and Minor Parties

The Republicans, Democrats, and Minor Parties. The Republican Party: Also Known As. GOP- “Grand Old Party” “The Right” Conservatives Symbol: Elephant. Abraham Lincoln – first Republican President in 1860. Founded in 1854 – originally anti-slavery. The Democratic Party: Also Known As.

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The Republicans, Democrats, and Minor Parties

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  1. The Republicans, Democrats, and Minor Parties

  2. The Republican Party: Also Known As • GOP- “Grand Old Party” • “The Right” • Conservatives • Symbol: Elephant Abraham Lincoln – first Republican President in 1860 Founded in 1854 – originally anti-slavery

  3. The Democratic Party:Also Known As • “The Left” • Liberal • Symbol – Donkey • The story behind the Donkey and the Elephant Andrew Jackson – 1st Official Democrat President - 1828

  4. Thomas Nast first used the donkey in an 1870 Harper's Weekly cartoon to represent the "Copperhead Press" kicking a dead lion, symbolizing Lincoln's Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who had recently died. Nast intended the donkey to represent an anti-war faction with whom he disagreed, but the symbol caught the public's fancy and the cartoonist continued using it to indicate some Democratic editors and newspapers.

  5. 1874 Nast cartoon depicted GOP as an elephant demolishing the flimsy planks of the Democrats.

  6. Democratic Ideology • Tax the rich • Government involvement in economy • Protect civil liberties • Support same sex marriage • Pro-Choice on abortion • Government provided health insurance • Believe in global warming/climate change • Environmentalists • More critical of Afghanistan/Iraq War • Terrorists attack us because we are “over there” • Investment in infrastructure • Affirmative action • Equality • Pro gun control

  7. Republican Ideology • Less government involvement in economy • Strong National Defense • Get the terrorists “over there” before they get us here • Lower Taxes on rich • Free Market / free enterprise • Let the market decide • Gun ownership rights • Personal responsibility over welfare • Skeptical on global warming • School choice • Pro-Life on abortion • Against gay marriage • (“Govt. is not the solution to our problem. Govt. is the problem” – Ronald Reagan)

  8. Stereotypes of Democrats • Tree huggers/hippies/environmentalists • Anti-war • Will increase your taxes • Party for the minorities • Hollywood types • Lazy – on welfare • Soft on defense • Socialist • Well intentioned but ineffective (“They're the kind of people who'd stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car onfire.”)

  9. Stereotypes of Republicans • White Male • Rich • Heterosexual or homophobic • Anti-minorities • Racist • Uncaring • Support big business, not the common man • Anti-poor • Big Oil • Wanting war • Religious

  10. Democratic Factions • Liberal – Farthest left; push for civil liberties (same sex marriages), less militaristic • Progressive – oppose Iraq War, support universal health care, most critical of Republicans • Centrist – more supportive of military force; more willing to reduce welfare (Bill Clinton) • Labor Unions – (teachers, AFL-CIO)

  11. Republican Factions - Conservatives • Fiscal Conservatives – believe in prudence in govt. spending and debt • Evangelicals – “Religious Right” – Bush elected with support in 2004 • Social Conservatives – traditional values and morals – oppose divorce, same sex marriage, abortion. Like the Religious Right but not religious • Neoconservatives – “Neocons” – Strong patriotism; aggressive foreign policy

  12. Republican Factions – Moderates, Liberals, and Others • Libertarians– free market; oppose most taxes/spending; for gay rights, stem cell, abortion • Moderates – fiscally conservative (ex: lower taxes, balanced budget) and socially centrist/liberal (ex: pro gay rights, pro abortion rights) (Sometimes called RINOs) • Log Cabin Republicans – Gay Republicans – at odds with Religious Right • Tea Party –new movement of extreme right; protesting size of govt and taxes; (Sarah Palin)

  13. Supporters of Democrats Planned Parenthood NOW (National Organization for Women) ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) NEA – National Education Association (teacher union) Unions Younger Americans NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People)

  14. Groups Supporting Republicans • NRA (National Rifle Association) • Chamber of Commerce • Pro-life groups • Businesses • Military • Older Americans

  15. Barack Obama (President) Nancy Pelosi (House Minority Leader) Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader) John Kerry (Secretary of State) Joe Biden (Vice President) Current Prominent Democrats

  16. Mitt Romney (Pres. Candidate 2012) John Boehner (Speaker of the House) Marco Rubio (US Senator from Florida) Rush Limbaugh (conservative radio talk show host) Mitch McConnell (Senate Minority Leader Prominent Republicans (Current)

  17. Possible Republican Candidates for 2016 Paul Ryan (Past VP) Chris Christie (Gov of NJ) Marco Rubio (FL Senator) Jeb Bush (Prior Gov of FL) Rand Paul (KY Senator) Condoleeza Rice (Nat’l Sec. Advisor & Former Sec of State)

  18. Possible Democratic Candidates 2016 Hillary Clinton (Fmr Sec of State & Sen. NY) Joe Biden (VP) Andrew Cuomo (Gov of NY) Beau Biden (DE Att. Gen) Martin O’Malley (Gov of MD)

  19. Kansas Republican Leaders Mike Pompeo (4th District U.S. House) Sam Brownback (Governor) Jerry Moran (Senator) Pat Roberts (Senator)

  20. Similarities of Dems/Reps • Both say they want to improve the state of the United States, they just disagree on how. • Terrorism • Economy • Education • Etc.

  21. Red(Rep) States Vs. Blue (Dem) States 2012 Presidential Election 2000 Presidential Election 2004 Presidential Election 2008 Presidential Election

  22. Estimated Registered Voters in 2012 Election

  23. 113th Congress: Senate 53 Democrats 45 Republicans 2 Independents (Vote with Dems)

  24. 113th Congress: House of Representatives 200 Democrats 232 Republicans Current makeup has 3 vacancies

  25. Minor Parties Just a few of the many minor parties! Constitution Green Libertarian Reform Socialist Prohibition Independent

  26. Constitution Party Chuck Baldwin Virgil Goode – 2012 Pres. Candidate. Former GOP Congressman (VA) 1997-2009 3rd largest party (438,000 registered voters) Tries to reflect principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights Stricter on immigration Reduce role of federal government Opposes abortion & same sex marriage Combined with American Independent Party, which added 370,000 registered voters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Party_(United_States)#Platform

  27. Green Party • 4th largest party (305,000 registered voters in 2005) • *Environmentalists • Nonviolence • Social Justice • Respect for diversity Jill Stein – 2012 Pres. Candidate Cynthia McKinney http://www.gp.org/index.php

  28. Received 523,000 popular votes in 2008 Pres. election (0.4%) Libertarian 1988- Ron Paul Gary Johnson – 2012 Pres. Candidate. Governor New Mexico (R) 1995-2003 • 282,000 registered voters (5th Largest party) • Fastest growing party • Reduce govt. role in economy • Reduced taxes • Abolition of laws against victimless crimes • Foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism • Pro-gun rights • Strong civil liberties positions (freedom of speech, sexual freedom) • *Overall – reduce government’s role in everything Bob Barr 2008 Pres. Candidate www.lp.org

  29. Jesse Ventura – Gov of MN 1998 (Founded in 1995 by Ross Perot) Reform Party • Maintaining a balanced budget • Campaign Finance Reform • Enforcement of existing immigration laws • Term limits on Senators and Representatives • Direct election of the President by popular vote. • Avoid taking stands on social issues (abortion, gay rights) because they are divisive Ted Weill -2008 candidate http://andrebarnett2012.com/ Chuck Baldwin – KS Reform Candidate Frank McEnulty http://www.frankforpresident.org/

  30. Socialist Party Yes, there is a Socialist Party in the U.S.! • Opposed to capitalism and authoritarian communism • Establish a classless society • Production for use instead of profit Stewart Alexander – Pres. Candidate 2012

  31. Prohibition Party • Wants to prohibit use of beverages containing alcohol • Oldest minor party still in existence • Founded in 1869 • Received 519 votes in 2012 Presidential election Jack Fellure, ran in every election since 1988

  32. Independent • Sometimes referred to someone not Republican nor Democrat

  33. Importance of minor parties • First developed national conventions • Spoiler role – pulls votes away from major party • Critic and innovator – take clear cut stands on issues and draw attention to issues major parties ignore

  34. Multi-party system • System in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government offices separately or in a coalition. • More common in a parliamentary system than presidential system • Examples include United Kingdom, Canada and Germany

  35. Single Party System • Type of state in which a single political party forms the government • Examples include China, Cuba and North Korea

  36. Websites • Republican National Committee - http://www.gop.com/ • Official Democratic Party Website - http://www.democrats.org/

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