The document provides an overview of the political spectrum and different ideologies within it. It defines liberals as favoring an active government role in social reform, and conservatives as preferring a limited government that stays out of people's lives. It also discusses moderates in the middle, as well as radicals on the far left who favor rapid social/political change including potential violence, and reactionaries on the far right who want to return to a previous system and may use violence. The spectrum ranges from left to right based on views of government and change.

1. Political Spectrum

2. LG: Compare and contrast the
party platforms of the two major
parties over time including
conservative & liberal positions
on common issues [12.12a.2]

3. Left of Moderate
 Liberal– [Left] – Believe that the
government should actively promote
social reform to increase individuals’
well being. Favor change but work
peacefully within existing political
system. [Democrats, Green Party]

4. Right Side of Moderate
 Conservative – [Right] – Government
should stay out of the lives of people
and businesses, except on moral
issues. Favors the state quo, [the way
things are]. Hesitant to change. Will
work peacefully within the existing
political system. [Republicans, Reform]

5. Middle of the Spectrum
 Moderate – [Middle] – Moderates are
people who have opinions between
liberal and conservative and may
include some of both. They are
generally tolerant of many view points.
They generally don’t hold any extreme
view points.

6. Far Left Side of the Spectrum
 Radical – [Far Left] – Favor a rapid
fundamental change in the existing
social, economic or political order. Will
use extreme measures including
violence to achieve their goals.
[Communist]

7. Far Right of the Spectrum
 Reactionary – [Far Right] – Advocate a
return to a previous state of affairs,
often a social, political or economic
order that existed earlier in history. Will
use extreme measures to achieve their
goals including violence. [Dictatorships,
Monarchies, Oligarchies (Taliban)]

8. Moderate
Liberal Conservative
Radical Reactionary
Left Right

9. Liberal Conservative
Change
Tradition
Problems are circumstantial
Problems are individual
Gov’t is responsible for social reform
Gov’t needs to be less involved
Freedom – personal choices
Equality–fairness–level the playing field
Human rights
Property rights
Moral Absolutes
Relative Values

10. Democrat vs. Republican
Liberal vs. Conservative

11. Ideology applied to issues
Change Tradition
Pro-choice Pro-life
Gay marriage Heterosexual
marriage
Flag burning
Flag burning amendment

12. Problems in society
circumstantial Individual
Welfare limits
Welfare programs
Private health care
Health care for all
Tough on crime
Drug rehabilitation
programs

13. The role of government in society
Gov’t is responsible Gov’t should be
For social reform less involved
Education funding School vouchers
Assistance programs Charity tax deductions
Environmental protection De-regulation

14. Equality - Freedom
Social equality Individual freedom
Anti-discrimination The right to hire
Gender equity
Merit pay
Affirmative action
programs
competition

15. The people’s rights
Human rights Property rights
Environment Pro-business
Assistance programs
Tax cuts
Crime
Prevention – rehabilitation Tough on crime
Death penalty

16. Morality
Relative Values Moral absolutes
Pro-choice Pro-life
Gay rights Traditional Family
Criminalize drugs
Legalize drugs

17. Rex Tugwell, an advisor to president FDR, said that different attitudes toward
change characterize adherents to different political philosophies. He wrote that if a
community needed a new train station [or education reform, crime control, etc.]
the spectrum would do so in what ways?:
 ________ would like to rebuild the train
station while the train is running;
 ________ prefer to blow up the train
station and forgo service until the new
structure is built
 ________ would prefer to keep the
train station, being satisfied with it,
 While, ________ would abandon the
train station entirely since they do not
approve of train stations in the first
place.

18. The History of Political Parties
 LG:Analyze the origin, development,
and role of political parties. [12.12a.1]

19. Political Parties:
What do they do?
 Promote a political agenda to influence
government policy and action
 Select candidates for election
 Educate voters
 Finance election campaigns
 Fill government positions

20. 2 “Big Tent” Parties
Both Republicans and Democrats are
considered “Big Tent” parties because there
are many different groups that support
unrelated issues who associate with the same
party. For example, African Americans,
environmentalists, pro-choice Americans and
gay Americans all are special interest groups
whose members typically vote for the
Democrat party.
Often in American politics third parties
limit their interests to a single issue. For
example, the Green Party is a political party
that puts environmentalism at the center of its
agenda.

21. Role of Political Parties
Role Description
Select candidates Parties select candidates,
present them to voters and
work to win elections
Educate voters Parties inform people by
presenting information about
issues or beliefs through
pamphlets, newspapers,
rado, tv, speeches,
conventions

22. Roles, continued…
Govern Those who govern are chosen on
the basis of party; appointments
are made with an eye to the party
of the potential officeholder
Finance Parties raise funds to ensure that
campaigns candidates have financial support
to run their campaigns

23. Roles, continued…
Watchdog The party that is not in power
criticizes the policies of the
party in power. This party plays
the role of the “loyal opposition.”

24. Question:
Which role of a political party do you think
most influences the political process?

25. Political Parties:
Who are they?
What do they want?
Democrats and
Republicans

26. The History of Democrats
The first two presidents of the US, George
Washington and John Adams were Federalists. They
believed in a strong central government. Both were
wealthy men who owned property and were very
concerned with improving commerce and ensuring
property rights.
The Anti-Federalists evolved into the Democrat-
Republican party. Thomas Jefferson, the third
President of the United States was the first
Democrat-Republican to be elected President. They
were mostly supported by working class small
farmers from the South who valued their liberties,
resented big business and possessed a general
suspicion of government.

27. George Washington and John
Adams were both Federalists who
believed in a strong central
government.

28. Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, the 3rd and 5th Presidents
of the United States signed the Constitution in support of a
strong federal government, but came to distrust an all powerful
central government. They called themselves Democratic-
Republicans and openly sympathized with the Anti-
Federalists.
Thomas Jefferson
James Monroe

29. Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat
elected President!
Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the US
was an war hero who as a general defeated the
British at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of
1812. He was the first presidential candidate to run
as a Democrat. History knows him as the first
President to frequently veto laws passed in
Congress. Jackson was responsible for
enfranchising all white males (giving them the right to
vote), large Indian removal projects and the
distribution of land to white southern farmers.
Jackson’s Democrats were also considered the party
in favor of slavery and as a result typically won
elections in southern states.
 For more information click on
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/aj7.htm
l

30. Andrew Jackson used a donkey to symbolize
his working class roots and ever since the
Democrats have been known as the part of the
donkey.

31. Democrat History Continued
Democrats evolved into the party that
represented mainly the working classes of
cities in the North and predominantly white
agricultural workers in the South until 1932.
Famous Democrats of this time period
included James Polk, Andrew Johnson, and
Woodrow Wilson.

32. Franklin Delanor Roosevelt
transformed the Democrat party into
what it is today.
FDR captured the White House in 1932
and led the United States out the Great
Depression by expanding government
services like welfare, social security, jobs
programs and to a lesser extent supporting
civil rights laws. John F. Kennedy and
Lyndon Baines Johnson continued the
tradition set by FDR in pushing forward civil
rights laws such as the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and expanding the welfare state (a type
of government designed to take care of its
citizens, rather than ask them to take care of
themselves) government’s role in society with
the creation of Medicare, Medicaid and the
expansion of welfare.

33. Democrats Today
Today the Democrats are commonly
perceived as the party of big government,
civil rights, women’s rights, environmentalism,
the poor and pacifism (slow to go to war).
Currently one major candidate is running in
the Democrat primary in search of their
party’s nomination for the 2012 election:
 Barak Obama

35. History of the Republicans
The Republicans were born in 1854 with
support of abolitionists (people against
slavery) and those who supported a strong
federal government. Abraham Lincoln was
the first Republican to be elected President.
The Radical Republicans were responsible for
pushing for Reconstruction efforts after the
Civil War in the South. Later, in the late
1880s Republicans became known as the
party of big business.

36. The Republican Party was born amidst
tensions between slave and free states in
1850s. They tended to find more support
in northern states.

37. History of Republicans
In the 1920s Republicans such as
Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover
were known for laissez faire economics
(free market) and isolationism (the US
should mind its own business and stay
out of world affairs). They favored small
government, were against taxes and
thought that the economy could take
care of itself if left to its own devises.

38. Republicans came to be associated with
elephants due to the political cartoons of
Thomas Nast in 1874.

39. The Republican Party transformed itself
from a political party of the North to one
of the South and West in 1968.
The modern Republican Party was born
out of Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy in
which Nixon appealed to southern white
voters by proclaiming his support of states
rights and promised to make the US safer.
Today the Republican party stands for many
of the issue Richard Nixon supported such as
lower taxes, small government, the rights to
carry arms, pro-life policies, a strong military
and a smaller welfare state.

40. Republicans Today!
The Republican party today tends to
support public policies that limit the size of
government and cut taxes. Typically, they
also support the War on Terror, are generally
opposed to the legalization of abortion (pro-
life) and vote against programs to increase
the size of the welfare state.
 Rudy Guiliani
 Mitt Romney
 Fred Thompson
 John McCain

42. The map below shows the states that were
won by the Democrat Presidential nominee
Al Gore and the Republican Presidential
nominee George Bush in 2000.

43. What are the differences between
Republicans and Democrats
today?

44. The Economy and Taxes
Democrats Republicans
 Are generally in favor of large 
Are generally in favor of a
government and a progressive smaller government
tax system in which the
wealthy pay a larger share  Generally for free market
than the poor agreements with other
 Tend to be against countries, like NAFTA-
international free trade North American Free Trade
agreements because they Agreement.
claim that such trade  Vehemently against raising
agreements hurt American taxes even if it means a
workers and in particular budget deficit
unions
 Tend to believe in a balanced  Tend to believe in global
budget and are willing to raise trade and don’t tend to
taxes if needed protect US businesses
 Tend to make laws to protect from international
American businesses from competition
international competition

45. National Defense and Security
Democrats Republicans
 Tend to cut the  Believe in a strong
military budget military and are willing
to pay for it with
 Generally want to government money
avoid American  Believe in confronting
military intervention American enemies with
unless supported by or without UN support
the United Nations  Believe in using military
 Tend to believe in intervention when
American interests or
diplomacy and are security is threatened
slow to go to war more quickly than
Democrats

46. Entitlements- Welfare, Medicaid,
Social Security, Health Care
Democrats Republicans
 Generally think that the  Generally think the
government should government should
provide a broad safety limit or reduce the
net (health care, safety net for the
education, welfare, food
stamps) for the poor
poor.
and others.  They believe that
 They generally think private businesses
these policies help the and non-profit
common good and are charities can provide
compassionate the same services

47. Crime and Punishment
Democrats Republicans
 Tend to focus on  Tend to focus on
rehabilitation prison sentences as
programs over long a deterrent to crime
prison sentences for  Usually for the death
convicted criminals penalty
 Usually against the  Usually for stiffer
death penalty penalties for
 Focus on rights of convicted criminals
the accused

48. Environmental Protection
Democrats Republicans
 Favor fewer
 Favor stricter
restrictions on
regulations on businesses in the
businesses to hopes that wealthier
protect the companies will be
environment able to be more
 Believe global environmental
warming is a real  Many do not believe
threat global warming is a
real threat

49. Abortion and Stem Cell Research
Democrats Republicans
 Tend to be pro-  Tend to be pro-life-
choice- believe that do not believe that
a woman should women have a right
always have the to have an abortion
right to choose to and instead call
have an abortion abortion a form of
 Tend to favor stem- murder
cell research  Tend to be against
stem-cell research

50. Energy Policy
Democrats Republicans
 Focus on  Focus on securing
researching existing energy
alternative energy sources for the
sources for the present and future
future

51. Values- Same Sex Marriage and
Civil Rights Laws
 Democrats  Republicans
 Tend to support the  Tend to oppose the
right for same-sex right for same-sex
couples to marry couples to marry

52. Education
 Democrats  Republicans
 Oppose using tax  Favorusing tax
money for school money for school
choice (vouchers choice (vouchers
and charters) and charters)

53. Immigration
Democrats Republicans
 Favor looser  Favor stricter
immigration laws immigration laws
 Some favor  Some favor
“Amnesty” for punishment or
illegals already in deportation for
the country illegals already in
the country

54. Check Out How Each Party Feels About
Issues That Are Important to You?
Which Candidate Do You Agree With?
Democrats Republicans