 starter activity

1. starter activity How would you describe the political differences between these two presidents?

2. How do Democrats and Republicans differ?  Aims To identify the similarities and differences between the two major US political parties

3.  Your task • Read Bennett p.117-122 on the political differences between the two main parties and complete a table noting the response of Democrats and Republicans to the 6 big issues that have traditionally divided the parties.

4.  Your task • Study the cards your teacher provides and sort them into two groups: Democrat or Republican Democrats Republicans

5.  Your task • Read Bennett p.126—130 and define the term ‘Solid South’. Explain when and how the Solid South was broken up.

6. Solid South • Describes idea that whether black, white, liberal or conservative you voted Democrat if you lived in the South • ‘Yellow dog Democrats’ – even a yellow dog as a Democratic candidate could win • Break down of ‘solid South’ 1964-2000 due to perceptions as party of ‘tax and spend’ and overly liberal attitudes • Emergence of ‘solid North East’

7.  Your task • Create a scales chart gathering evidence to support the so-called ’50-50 nation’ principle and evidence that this idea is over simplistic. How true is his term today?

8. 50-50 nation • 2000 presidential election, both sides gained 49% of popular vote, electoral college divided 271-267, House of Representatives divided 221-212; Senate split 50-50 • 2004 presidential election, 51%-48, electoral college divided 286-252, House divided 232-202, Senate split 55-45

9. Problems with 50-50 • Overly simplistic, e.g. 2008, 9 states which previously voted for Bush voted for Obama • Congressional & state elections sometimes differ from presidential results, e.g. West Virginia voted McCain, but its Senator and Representatives are Democrats • New York voted Democrat in presidentials but has had Republican governor recently • Decline in party voting

10. 2000

11. 2004

12.  Your task • List reasons for the ‘red-blue’ divide using the evidence on p.133-4.

13. Red-Blue divide • New right – Reagan’s more ideological approach moved politics away from centre ground, you were either ‘with us or against us’ • Collapse of Cold War consensus politics • Clinton opened divisive issues of 1960s – sex, feminism, authority & morality • Bush – foreign policy, esp. Iraq, divided country • Media – polarised opinion, esp. growth of media syndicates, e.g. News International

14. Big tent coalitions • Both parties remain ‘big tent’ coalitions • Wide spectrum of political ideologies • Republican and Democrat over-simplifies • Need for prefixes, e.g. ‘conservative’, liberal’ or ‘moderate’ • Also ‘hawks’ & ‘doves’, ‘isolationists’ & ‘internationalists’

15.  Extension task • You have been asked by Time magazine to create a survey to assess the Democrat or Republican leanings of students at FSG. Write a survey and test it out on your peers. Include the following areas: • Education • Immigration • Foreign policy, e.g. Iraq & Afghanistan • Family values • Health care • Socio-economic profile

16.  Homework • Visit the Democrat and Republican Party websites (links on www.studyhistory.co.uk ) and note down the current policies of both parties • Complete Section 2 of the study guide.

17.  Plenary • List as many ideological or policy differences between Democrats & Republicans as possible • What is meant by the term ‘solid South’ • What evidence is there to suggest the USA has become a 50-50 nation • What evidence is there to suggest it is a ‘purple’ nation?