Political Parties, Voting, and Elections

1. Political Parties, Voting, and Elections

2. Political Parties • *organized groups of people who hold similar views about how government should operate • Function: • attempt to influence the government by electing candidates who share their core beliefs to governments offices • recruit candidates • promote voter registration • inform the public about important policy issues • help to reach agreements between different persons on new policy initiatives

3. Major Political Parties • Democrats: more liberal views • Republicans: more conservative values • Third Parties: usually organize around social and economic interests that are not given a voice by the other parties

4. Political Structure **WRITE THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR CHART** • Refers to the number of parties competing for power, the balance of power between and within parties, their structure and organization, and the different issues and policies embraced by the parties

5. One-Party • One political party has the ability to win elections and no other parties are permitted to have candidates in elections • Totalitarianism (China, Cuba and Nazi Germany)

6. Two-party • Two political parties have real ability to win elections with one usually holding a majority in the legislature and the other is in the minority • Democracy (United States)

7. What is a Coalition? • Parties join forces to get things done!

8. What is an Initiative? • Citizens try to get something done • Petition • People Vote

9. What is a Referendum? • WHEN PEOPLE VOTE!! • Why vote? To approve on an issue

10. Multi-Party • Three or more political parties have the real ability to win elections • Democracy (Italy)

11. Political Ideology • a person’s set of underlying ideas and beliefs through which he or she understands politics • includes beliefs about the role of government, public policy, and what groups in society should have power • Radical------Liberal------Moderate-----Conservative-----Reactionary (Far Left) (middle) (Far Right)

12. Political Ideology Cont’d • Radical: ideology embraces rapid changes in the structure of society • use extreme methods like violence or revolution to bring about changes • Terrorists • Liberal: ideology that supports political and social reform, expansion of federal social services, extensive government intervention in the economy, and active efforts on behalf of poor, minorities, women, and the environment • Core value is equality • Moderate: ideology that share viewpoints of both liberals and conservatives • Core value is tolerance of other’s views • Do not hold extreme views of their own

13. Political Ideology Cont’d • Conservative: ideology that supports the social and economic status quo and minimizing power and control of the government and are opposed to government regulations on businesses and value social positions like school prayer, traditional family arrangements, and oppose school bussing • Core value is liberty • Reactionary: ideology embraces ideas that focus on the past • Are often willing to use extreme methods to reach their goals • Terrorists

14. Organization of American Political Parties • National Party Organization • National Committee • Made up of representatives from every state • Raises funds for presidential elections • organizes the party’s national convention • held every four years • nominate candidates for president and vice president • write the party’s platforms and planks • platform: philosophy, principles, and positions on issues for a particular political party • plank: individual topics within the platform

15. Organization Cont’d • State Party Organization • State Committees • Focus on electing party candidates to state offices • Work to elect their state’s party candidates to national office • Local Party Organization • County • Largest political units in the state • County Chairperson • Runs the committee • Often has a great deal of political power in the county • Precinct • A geographic area that consists of a specific number of voters • All voters in a precinct cast their ballots at the same voting place

16. Election Process For President • Announcement of Candidacy *a politician announces that they would like to run for a political office 2. Primary Elections • Direct Primary: an election where voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election • Winner of the primary is most often nominated by his or her party • Two types of Direct Primaries • Closed Primary: only declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party’s nominees • Held by most states • Open Primary: voters do not need to declare their party preference in order to vote for the party’s nominees

17. Election Process Cont’d 3. Nomination • for a presidential election, this occurs at the National Convention • kicks of the campaign by “officially” naming the party’s candidate • Write party’s: • platform: official view on issues of the political party • planks:independent issues that make up the party platform

18. Election Process Cont’d 4. Campaign • candidates travel across the country, their state, or district giving speeches, appearing on TV, having debate, shaking hands, etc.

19. Election Process Cont’d • 5.Election Day • voters go to their polling place and cast their ballot • ballots are counted • Winner-Take-All System: candidate who wins the popular vote by a long shot in a state gets all electoral votes of state

20. Election Process Cont’d • 6. Electoral College sends Electoral votes to Congress • Electors from each state give state’s electoral votes to winner of popular vote in state • Need 270 electoral votes to win

21. Election Process Cont’d • 7. Inauguration Day • New President takes oath of office and officially begins term as President (January 20th)

22. Voting in America • Qualifications (General): • *at least 18 years old • *resident of the state for a specified period of time • *citizen of the United States • *registered to vote

23. Voting Cont’d • Voter Registration • * most states require that you register a minimum of 25 to 30 days before an election • * Registration requirements vary from state to state • * applications can usually be obtained from county offices • * National Voter Registration Act of 1995 • * a.k.a. Motor Voter Act • * requires states to allow people to register to vote when they renew their drivers’ licenses

24. Voting Cont’d • Registration Process • 1. Fill out forms with your name, address, age, and party affiliation • * registered party affiliation allows you to vote in primaries • 2. Show proof of citizenship, physical address, and age by showing a drivers’ license or birth certificate • 3. Assigned an election district (precinct) that you will vote at on Election Day

25. Voting Cont’d • Voting Process • 1. Go to the polling place in your precinct • 2. Study a sample ballot • 3. Sign in at the clerk’s desk • 4. Pass challenger’s signature comparison • 5. Proceed to voting booth • 6. Cast your ballot in secrecy • 7. May participate in an exit poll when leaving the polling place