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Chapter 5 – Political Parties

Chapter 5 – Political Parties. C H A P T E R 5 Political Parties. SECTION 1 Parties and What They Do SECTION 2 The Two-Party System SECTION 3 The Two-Party System in American History SECTION 4 The Minor Parties. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Chapter 5. S E C T I O N 1 Parties and What They Do.

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Chapter 5 – Political Parties

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  1. Chapter 5 – Political Parties

  2. C H A P T E R 5Political Parties SECTION 1Parties and What They Do SECTION 2The Two-Party System SECTION 3The Two-Party System in American History SECTION 4The Minor Parties 1 2 3 4 5 Chapter 5

  3. S E C T I O N 1Parties and What They Do • What is a political party? • What are the major functions of political parties?

  4. Question of the day • Have you ever ridden in a car with someone ho was such a bad driver that you wanted to stop the car and take over driving? • The political party that is out of office cannot wait to take control of government from the party that is in.

  5. What Is a Party? • Apolitical partyis a group of persons who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office. • The two major partiesin American politics are the Republican and Democratic parties. Chapter 5, Section 1

  6. 5 ThingsParties Do • Nominate Candidates—Recruit, choose, and present candidates to voters • Inform and Activate Supporters—Campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates(TV ads, radio, newspaper, etc.) • Act as Bonding Agent – acts as bonding agent to ensure good performance of its candidates. Want to maintain a good reputation for future elections so want successful candidates. • Governing – those who govern are chosen on the basis of party. Congress is organized on party lines and business is conducted on basis of partisanship – strong support for their party and policy stances. • Act as a Watchdog—Parties out of power watch the actions of the party in power for blunders to use against them in the next election.

  7. S E C T I O N 2TheTwo-Party System • Why does the United States have a two-party system? • How do multiparty and one-party systems function and what are their influences on government? • What membership characteristics do American parties have? 1 3 4 5 Chapter 5, Section 2

  8. Questionof the Day Explain the saying “two’s company, three’s a crowd.” In this section, you’ll learn about how that saying can be applied to the American party system.

  9. Two Party system In the U.S., we have a two party system – in a typical election, only the Republican and Democratic Party’s candidates have a real chance of winning. Both party’s typically take middle of the road positions, and so help unify rather than divide the nation. At times, this can blur party lines. Donkephant

  10. Why a Two-Party System? • Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. • Tradition. America has a two-party systembecause it always has had one. Minor parties, lacking wide political support, people feel like it’s a “wasted vote.” • Electoral Laws. Laws are written by major parties so they make it more difficult to get on ballot. • Ideological Consensus.Americans share many of the same ideals and principles – favor the two major parties that are similar…both moderate, “middle-of-the-road.”

  11. Multiparty Systems Advantages • Provides broader representation of the people. • Give voters more choices at the polls. Disadvantages • 1 party cannot usually win the majority of voters. • As a result, the power must be shared by a number of parties in a coalition in order to accomplish anything. Chapter 5, Section 2

  12. One-Party Systems One Party Systems where only one party is allowed. Example: Dictatorships such as Stalinist Russia One party system basically amounts to a “no party” system.

  13. Party Membership Patterns Factors that can influence party membership: Civil War, Great Depression 2/3 follow their parents Definitely not always the case, but historically higher income individuals have voted for Republican Party Catholics tend to vote Democratic. Protestants tend to vote Republican. Predicting how groups will vote is risky business as many voter profiles will vote for the opposite party. Chapter 5, Section 2

  14. Section 2 Review 1. When Democrats and Republicans cooperate with one another, they are acting in a way. (a) strange (b) pluralistic (c) bipartisan (d) typical 2. The outlook of the two parties could be described as (a) “too little, too late.” (b) “middle of the road.” (c) “a day late and a dollar short.” (d) “jumping on the bandwagon.” Chapter 5, Section 2

  15. S E C T I O N 3The Two-Party System in American History • How did the United States’ political parties originate? • What are the three major periods of single-party domination? • What characterizes the current era of government? Chapter 5, Section 3

  16. The Nation’s First Parties Federalists • Led by Alexander Hamilton • Represented wealthy and upper-class interests • Favored strong executive leadership and liberal interpretation of the Constitution Anti-Federalists • Led by Thomas Jefferson • Represented the “common man” • Favored Congress as the strongest arm of government and a strict interpretation of the Constitution (became the Democratic-Republicans) Chapter 5, Section 3

  17. Jacksonian Democracy Reigns • In 1828, the farmers and small business owners who made up Jefferson’s party, calling themselves the Democratic Party, nominated Andrew Jackson. He stood for the common citizen, but looked out for southern and western interests. • Those who did not support Jackson formed their own party called Whigs, after a Scottish political leader. • The Whigs and Democrats made up the two key parties in American politics for two decades.

  18. The Two Major Parties Emerge • In 1854 Whigs, and ex-Democrats formed the RepublicanParty to oppose the spread of slavery in US territories (1860 Lincoln became first Republican President). • From 1854 onward, Democratsand Republicanshave dominated the two-party system.

  19. American Parties: MajorEras Three Eras of Single-Party Domination The Era of the Democrats, 1800—1860 • Democrats dominate all but two presidential elections. • TheWhigParty emerges in 1834, but declines by the 1850s, electing only two Presidents. • The Republican Party is founded in 1854. The Era of the Republicans, 1860—1932 (Abraham Lincoln) • Republicans dominate all but four presidential elections. • The Civil War disables the DemocraticParty for the remainder of the 1800s. The Return of the Democrats, 1932—1968 • Democratsdominate all but two presidential elections. • DemocratFranklin D. Roosevelt is elected President four times. Chapter 5, Section 3

  20. American Parties: Parties Today The Start of a New Era: The Era of Divided Government Since 1968, neither Republicans nor Democrats have dominated the presidency and Congress has often been controlled by the opposing party. 1976–1980 Democrats hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Democrats 1968–1976 Republicans hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Democrats 1980–1992 Republicans hold the presidency Senate controlled by Republicans 1980-1986, controlled by Democrats from 1986 to 1994 1992 – 2000 Democrats hold the presidency Congress controlled by Republicans, 1994 to present 2000 Republicans hold the presidency Congress is controlled by Republicans 2008 – Democrats hold the presidency House controlled by Republicans, Senate by Democrats

  21. Section 3 Review 1. The nation’s first two parties were (a) the Democrats and the Republicans. (b) the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. (c) the Democratic-Republicans and the Republican-Democrats. (d) the Federalists and the Republicans. 2. The Republican Party dominated the presidency from (a) 1932–1968. (b) 1860–1932. (c) 1800–1860. (d) 1783–1800. 1 2 4 5 Chapter 5, Section 3

  22. S E C T I O N 4The Minor Parties • What types of minor parties have been active in American politics? • Why are minor parties important even though they seldom elect national candidates? 1 2 3 5 Chapter 5, Section 4

  23. Minor Parties in the United States Types of Minor Parties Splinter Party Example: “Bull Moose” Progressive Party – T. Roosevelt’s party - limit campaign financing, limit gov’t by business, women’s suffrage etc. Economic Protest Parties Example: The Greenback Party – anti monopoly, labor rights Ideological Parties Example: Libtertarian Party – socially liberal, limited gov’t, free market, favor balanced budget amendment, abolish income tax Single-issue Parties Example: Free Soil Party – opposed slavery to western territories Roosevelt riding a bull moose.

  24. Minor Parties in the United States

  25. Ideological Minor Parties • Minor third parties are often formed to support a specific issue. These rise and fall over time. • Ideological parties want to change society in major ways. • The Socialist and Communist Parties want to nationalize major industries.

  26. The Republicans Split – “Splinter” • Former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt left the Republican Party and was nominated by the Progressive Party. • It was nicknamed the“Bull Moose Party” because TR said he was“fit as a Bull Moose.” • TR split the 1912 Republican vote, allowing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to defeat President William H. Taft.

  27. The Odds Are Against Them • It is difficult for third parties candidates to raise enough money to compete with the major parties. • Only one candidate can win in a given district. Usually the winner is either Democratic or Republican. • Third-party candidates must show they have support by getting voter signatures to even be placed on the ballot for national office.

  28. Why Minor Parties Are Important Minor parties play several important roles: “Spoiler Role” • Minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the major parties’ candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from a splinter party (Teddy Roosevelt's “Bull Moose”). Critic • Minor parties, especially single-issue parties, often take stands on and draw attention to controversial issues that the major parties would prefer to ignore (gay rights, abortion, environment, taxes). Innovator • Often, minor parties will draw attention to important issues and propose innovative solutions to problems. If these proposals gain popular support, they are often integrated into the platforms of the two major parties.

  29. Cult of Personality • Some third parties form from the efforts of famous or wealthy people. • If they cannot gain support from one of the major parties, they form their own. • Ross Perot’s Reform Party was a force in 1992 and 1996. This party also placed pro wrestler Jesse Ventura in the governor’s mansion in Minnesota. • These parties usually fade after their candidate is defeated.

  30. Section 4 Review 1. Types of minor parties in the United States include all of the following EXCEPT (a) ideological parties. (b) single-issue parties. (c) regulatory parties. (d) splinter parties. 2. Ross Perot, who ran as a third-party candidate in 1992 and 1996, falls into which minor party category? (a) single-issue party (b) splinter party (c) economic protest party (d) none of the above 1 2 3 5 Chapter 5, Section 4

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