3. Learning Targets
I CAN:
Identify what a political party is
Identify existing party affiliations
Describe characteristics of each party
Explain the influence of political parties in campaigns
leading to elections
Explain how parties can experience
advantages/disadvantages in elections
Define general and primary elections
Describe the difference between primary and general
elections
Explain how some candidates can experience
advantages/disadvantages in elections
Evaluate the activities of a political party in an election
4. Learning Targets cont’d
I CAN:
Identify the opportunities that people have in order
to impact the jobs of public officials
Define appointments, Electoral College, recall, and
impeachment
Describe the process for appointments, Electoral
College, recall, and impeachment
Analyze scenarios in which these processes would be
applied.
5. Terms to Know
Appointments
Electoral College
Democrat
Republican
Independent
Third Party
Candidates
Primaries
Campaigns
Nomination
Incumbents
6. America’s Two Party System
Democrats (The Left)
Follow a “Liberal” philosophy
Believe it is proper for the
government to regulate and
oversee the economy
Ex: insure minimum wage,
require that people
contribute to retirement
savings
Do not believe the government
should have a say in morality or
social issues
Ex: no regulations on drug
use, abortion practices, or
marriages
7. America’s Two Party System
Republicans (the Right)
Follow a “Conservative”
philosophy
Believe that the government
should remain “small” in
terms of the economy—not
get involved
Ex: privatized Social
Security, no minimum
wage
Believe the government
should regulate morality or
social issues
Ex: punishment for drug
use, laws over marriage
practices
8. Critical Thinking
Based on what you have learned about
America’s two dominant political parties,
do you fit neatly into one group or the
other? If you had to align yourself with
one party or the other, which would you
choose? Which types of issues would you
disagree with that party about?
9. Other Political Ideologies
Libertarian
Generally agree with Republicans on economic issues
Generally agree with Democrats on social/morality issues
Bottom Line: Prefer a “small” government--one that does
not get involved
Populist
Generally agree with Democrats on economic issues
Generally agree with Republicans on social/morality issues
Bottom Line: Prefer a “big” government—one that gets
involved
10. Activity
Step 1: With a partner, make a list of 5-10 issues that
affect the United States today.
Write down the viewpoint that you believe each of the
four different political ideologies would have regarding
each issue.
Example: Privatized Social Security
Liberals: Against
Conservatives: For
Libertarians: For
Populists: Against
11. What is a Political Party?
Political Party: a group
of individuals outside of
government who
organize to win
elections, to operate the
government, and to
determine public policy
Form an important
link between the
citizens and their
government
12. The Three Dimensions of
American Political Parties
The Party in the Electorate
Consists of all eligible voters who identify as
Democrats or Republicans
No dues, membership cards, meeting attendance or
registration necessary
The Party Organization
Group that make rules, raise money and organize
conventions, and seek candidates for their party
The Party in Government
All party members that hold public office
Ex: President, Congressmen, Governors
13. What do Political Parties do?
Select Candidates
Nomination: a party’s endorsement for a candidate
Primary: a preliminary election to choose a party’s final candidate
(nomination)
Inform the Public
Educate the public about important political issues by presenting
its views through pamphlets, television, speeches, rallies etc.
14. Cont’d
Coordinate Policymaking
Party acts as the major institution by which the
executive and legislative branches cooperate with each
other
The President works with fellow party members in
Congress to promote the party agenda
Run Campaigns
Party members work at getting other party members
registered, conducting drives for new voters, staff the
polling places etc.
Raise Money for Candidates
Major parties raise millions of dollars during each
election cycle
16. Third Parties
Third Parties: believe that certain needs and values
are not being met by the major parties
Most are short-lived
There have been several third parties throughout
history but most fit into one of three categories
Issue-Oriented Parties
Ideological Parties
Splinter, or Personality Parties
17. Issue-Oriented Parties
Formed to promote a particularly timely issue
Examples
Free Soil Party: formed before the Civil War to
prevent slavery from expanding into Western
territories
Prohibition Party: formed in 1869 to try to
convince the government to ban the sale and
manufacture of alcohol
18. Ideological Parties
Parties that support a
particular set of
beliefs or a particular
political doctrine
Example:
Socialist Workers
Party
19. Splinter, or Personality Parties
Develops due to a split
with a major political party
Usually formed around a
leader with a strong
personality
Examples:
Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull
Moose Party
Henry Wallace’s
Progressive Party
20. 2008 Third Party Presidential
Candidates
Which of the three types of
third parties would these
political parties fall under?
Chuck Baldwin of the
Constitution Party
Cynthia McKinney of
the Green Party
Bob Barr of the
Libertarian Party
21. Primary Elections
Direct Primary: an election held within each party
(and controlled by each state) to nominate
candidates for the general election
Used by about 3/5 of U.S. states
Closed primary: only registered party members
can vote to choose their party’s candidates
Open Primary: voters can vote for a party’s
candidates regardless of whether they belong to
that party
*United Streaming
23. General Election
General Election: a regularly scheduled election in
which voters choose who will hold public office
Held in even-numbered years on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November
In Presidential Elections, the Electoral College is
used
*See electoral college ppt
24. Campaign-Financing Laws
Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act
(FECA) in 1971-Further amendments were made in 1974
Attempted to solve problems in the ways political
campaigns were financed
Restricted the amount that could be spent on advertising
Requires contributions over $100 to be revealed to the
public
Allowed government funding for primary and general
elections
Prohibits
Donations directly from Corporations, Labor Unions, National
Banks etc.
Cash Contributions over $100
25. PACs
PACs: Political Action Committees
Established by and represent the interests of
Corporations
Labor unions
Special interest groups
Raise money and give donations to campaigns
on behalf of the group they represent
To be legitimate: must come from at least 50
volunteer donors and must be given to at least
5 candidates in the national elections
OpenSecrets.org:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.php?
party=R&cycle=2010
26. Why People Vote as They Do
Party Identification
Acts as a general guide to voter’s choices
Influenced by:
Family
Age
Peer groups
Becoming less and less prominent in predicting
voter choices
27. Critical Thinking
Do you think you’re current party
identification is most influenced by your
family, peers or age? What do you think
the average voter is most influenced by?
28. Candidates Image
Voters often base decisions
on their impression of a
candidate rather than his/her
actual qualifications
Positive images in history:
Nixon: positive
Negative images in history:
Adlai Stevenson: too
intellectual, out of touch
Barry Goldwater: too
aggressive/warmongering
29. Policy Choices
Policy voting occurs when people vote for
candidates who share their stand on issues
Usually economic issues have the greatest
influence on voters decisions
If the economy is doing well, the incumbent
is more difficult to defeat
Other important policy decisions include
foreign-policy issues (War) and
environmental issues
30. Socioeconomic Factors
Age
Younger=generally more liberal
Gender
Women=more likely than men to vote Democrat
Education
The more education received=more likely to vote
Occupation and Income
White collar workers=more likely to vote Republican
Blue collar workers=more likely to vote Democrat
Religion and Ethnic Background
African-Americans=more likely to vote Democrat
Geographic Region
Changes throughout history
Currently: South=more likely to vote Republican
New England=more likely to vote Democrat
