Political Processes

1. Political Processes

2. A political party is a group who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office. • There are two major political parties in the United States. • Republicans • Democrats Political Parties

3. Each political party has their own beliefs and core values. Also, each political party has their own symbol. An elephant is the Republican symbol, and the donkey is the Democrat symbol. Political Parties

5. The donkey for Democrats came from the 1828 election and critics of Andrew Jackson . Jackson turned the critics’ words into a strength and embraced the donkey as a symbol of intelligence and courage. Political Parties

6. The elephant symbol for Republicans first appeared in an editorial cartoon by Thomas Nast. • In it he drew a picture of a donkey dressed in lion’s skin scaring other animals and an elephant labeled as the “Republican vote”. • Republicans consider it strong and distinguished. Political Parties

7. Millions of American voters consider themselves either a Republican or a Democrat. However, there are still millions more who are called independent and have no connection to either. Political Parties

8. Democrats traditionally favor social welfare programs – or government helping those in need. Democrats usually favor government regulation on business and are focused on improving the status of minorities in the United States. Political Parties

9. Republicans traditionally are opposed to social welfare programs – they favor a free market place where success and failure is left to the individual. • Republicans also believe that the Federal Government should limit their regulation on business – allow competition to determine success. Political Parties

10. People choose to join a political party for many different reasons. • Usually it is for: • Having solidarity among friends and family. • Enjoy the excitement of debate and politics. • Ideologically motivated, or have strong beliefs about public policy. Political Parties

11. What is the benefit of political parties – what do parties do? Most importantly, parties nominate candidates for election – they endorse them. Parties also play an important role in helping their nominations win elections. Political Parties

12. Political parties inform and activate supporters – they get people involved in their cause. • Parties make people feel linked and connected to government. • We see this through campaigns, advertisements, interviews, signs, buttons, etc. Political Parties

13. Political parties also help actually govern the country. Elected officials in government normally are affiliated with Democrats or Republicans. They act as their party wants – votes and shapes public policy. Political Parties

14. Political parties also serve as a “watch dog” when they don’t hold public office. • For example – when Republican President George Bush was in office, Democrats criticized him often. • Now that Democrat Barrack Obama is President, Republicans criticize him often. Political Parties

17. The United States has traditionally functioned around a two-party system. • Began when the Constitution was ratified – there were Federalists and Anti-Federalists. • Even though the founding fathers like George Washington discouraged parties they have become an American tradition and will continue. Political Parties

18. summary Political Parties

19. There are numerous minor parties in the U.S. Some are limited to certain states or regions of the nation. Some have been successful in getting national support and have existed for decades. Minor Parties

20. Ideological Parties: are parties based on a particular set of beliefs. Most of these parties have been communist-natured in the past. Today the Libertarian Party exists as an example. Minor Parties

21. The Libertarian Party focuses on individualism. Calls for getting rid of most government programs and policies. However, they have struggled to obtain a large number of votes recently. Minor Parties

22. Single-Issue Parties: These parties focus on one public policy issue. Usually you can determine their platform from their name. Examples include the Free Soil Party which opposed the spread of slavery. Minor Parties

23. Another example is the Right to Life Party which opposes abortion. These parties are traditionally fickle – which means they do not last very long. Once the issue is resolved the party loses their platform and importance. Minor Parties

24. Economic Protest Parties: These parties have popped up when there has been bad economic times. These parties usually have complaints about both major parties and demand better economic times. Minor Parties

25. These parties usually call Wall Street “greedy” and “evil”. An example of this is the Greenback Party in the 1880s that appealed to struggling farmers. The Populist Party in 1890s called for public ownership of railroads and telephone Cos. Minor Parties

26. However, when the economy has climbed out of its troubles, these parties fade away. Splinter Parties: These parties have split away from the major parties. In 1912 Republican Theodore Roosevelt created the Bull Moose Party. Minor Parties

27. Other examples of splinter parties include the Dixiecrats in 1948, and the American Independent Party in 1968. • Both of these parties emerged from the Democratic Party. • These parties usually form around a strong leader and go away when they leader steps down. Minor Parties

28. Today, one of the more well-known minority parties is the Green Party. • It was formed in 1996 and started as a single-issue party focused on environmental protection. • But since then it has evolved as a more complex party. Minor Parties

29. Their greatest recognition came during the 2000 Presidential Election when Ralph Nader ran for President. • Nader earned about 3 million national votes – accounted for 2.7% of the total votes cast. • The winner of that election was Republican George W. Bush who beat Democrat Al Gore. Minor Parties

30. The election was extremely close and experts claim it was Nader that cost Gore the win. • The Green Party shared some common beliefs with Democrats and without Nader – those votes would have gone to Gore. • In 2008, there were 21 minor party candidates who ran for President. Minor Parties

31. Minor Parties play valuable roles in the U.S. • 1. Bring important issues to the public’s attention. • 2. Take bold stands on issues. • 3. Give frustrated and alienated voters a place to go. Minor Parties

32. summary Minor Parties

33. Voting qualifications are set by the states with some restrictions set by the Constitution. At first in 1789, voting rights were restricted to white male property owners. (Ben Franklin quote) Today voting rights have expanded. The Right to Vote

34. Over 230 million Americans have the right to vote. Anyone citizen over the age of 18. However, it was not always this simple, and to get to this point was a bitter struggle. The Right to Vote

35. There has been five stages of voting expansion throughout our history. 1. Began in early 1800s when property ownership laws ended making every adult white male eligible to vote. The Right to Vote

36. 2. Came after the Civil War with the 15th Amendment. • It protected every citizens right to vote no matter their race or color. • However, African-Americans were still being barred from voting through various loopholes from different states. The Right to Vote

37. 3. The 19th Amendment passed in 1920 as a result of the Suffragist Movement. Gave women the right to vote when they reached 18 years of age. The Right to Vote

38. 4. In the 1960s the Civil Rights Movement began trying to eliminate the loopholes states had made to prevent African-Americans from voting. • The Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplished this. • It made it illegal to interfere with anyone’s right to vote in any federal, state, or local election. The Right to Vote

39. 5. In 1971 the 26th Amendment made it illegal for states to raise the voting age beyond 18. Today, every person must be able to prove age, citizenship, and residence to vote. The Right to Vote

40. Age – must be 18, although most don’t vote. • Citizenship – to prevent aliens, or non-citizens from voting. • Residence – must be a legal resident of the state in which you are voting. • Today, it takes 30 days to achieve residency. The Right to Vote

41. In order to vote, people must also register. • Registration is not the same in every state, some states allow people to register on election day. • Throughout history, states have tried to alter the registration process to deter some voters from voting. The Right to Vote

42. For example, up until the 1960s literacy tests were common in the south. Method used to prevent African-Americans from voting. Forced to read a complex passage from the Constitution in order to vote. The Right to Vote

43. However, idea backfired, some whites were not literate so Grandfather Clause was added. As of today, no state has a literacy tests to register to vote. Tax payment was also part of the registration process – including poll tax. The Right to Vote

44. Again, mostly in the south to prevent African-Americans from voting. • The 24th Amendment passed in 1964 eliminated poll tax. • Restrictions on voting today include mental hospitals, major felons, and dishonorably discharged veterans. The Right to Vote

45. summary The Right to Vote

46. The nominating process is the process of candidate selection. • “Nomination” comes from a Latin word meaning “name”. • The process is important because it prevents unqualified people from appearing on the ballot. The Nominating Process

47. It is also important because it pares down the number of candidates on the ballot to a reasonable number. With a two-party system in the United States it is important that voters are given high quality choices on election day. The Nominating Process

48. Nominations are made in five different ways. 1. Self-Announcement. 2. Caucus. 3. Convention. 4. Direct primary. 5. Petition. The Nominating Process

49. Self-Announcement: This type of nomination is the oldest form. • It is simple – a person who is interested in running for a position makes an announcement that he or she is running. • Sometimes occurs when a party does not nominate that person. The Nominating Process

50. The Caucus: A group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an election. • Originally was a private meeting of the important people in a community. • Later it grew into a party function open to all members – they debate the merits of candidates. The Nominating Process