Political Parties

Chapter 5

Bell Ringer

1. How does an unhappy passenger in a car Compare to a political party out of power ?

Learning Target

Students will learn the functions of political parties.

What is a Political Party?

1. Political Parties

group of people who seek to control gov't thru winning elections & holding

public office.

2. Major parties - Republicans & Democrats

Functions of Political Parties

1. Nominate candidates for public office & present these candidates to the voters to gather support for them.

2. Inform the people & inspire them to participate in public affairs.

3. Ensure that their candidates & office holders are qualified

Functions of Political Parties

4. Governing responsibility.

US & State legislatures are organized along party lines. Why?

partisanship - firm allegiance to a PP

5. Watchdogs over the conduct of gov't. Why? PP out of pwr keeps a close eye on the policies & behavior of the PP in power.

Two Party System

1. Two major political parties dominate the minor parties.

2. 1st political parties

Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

3. Tradition to have a two party system.

4. Electoral system favors a 2-party system.

Pluralistic Society

1. US is made up of various ethnic, racial, religious, & other social groups compete for political power in this co.

2. Americans still generally agree on basic political issues.

3. Both parties seek same prize

majority votes

4. Each party takes policy positions that do not differ a great deal…dif. How to go about it.

Political Types

Radical Favors extreme change to create an altered or entirely new social system.

Liberal Believes that government must take action to change economic, political, and ideological policies thought to be unfair.

Moderate Holds beliefs that fall between liberal and conservative views, usually including some of each.

Conservative Seeks to keep in place the economic, political, and social structures of society.

Reactionary Favors extreme change to restore society to an earlier, more conservative state.

Bell Work

1. How does the saying “2 is company & 3 is a crowd” apply to a 2 political party system ?

Only Use Yesterdays Notes

• Daily Grade:

• 1-Define a political party

• 2-List 5 functions of a political party

• 3-List first 2 “original” political parties

• 4-List 5 party types discussed

Alternative Political Systems

1. One Party System

- dictatorships

- only one political party is allowed

2. Multi Party System

-several major & lesser PP exist and compete for public office.

(European Democracies)

Template for graphic only

Answer:

The election of 1796 was the first time that two parties each fielded candidates for the presidency, and so was the first real struggle between parties for power. It also marked the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another.

One-Party SystemsTypes of One-Party Systems

Example:

Republican North and Democratic South until the 1950s.

Modified One-Party Systems where one party regularly wins most elections

One Party Systems where only one party is allowed.

Example:

Dictatorships such as Stalinist Russia

Multiparty Systems

Advantages• Provides broader

representation of the people.

• More responsive to the will of the people.

• Give voters more choices at the polls.

Disadvantages • Cause parties to form

coalitions, which can dissolve easily.

• Failure of coalitions can cause instability in government.

Democrat or Republican?

1. Party allegiance of their parents.

2. Major events influence party affiliation

3. Economic status influences party choice:

Higher income - Republicans

Lower income groups are Democrats.

4. Place of residence

5. Work environment

How did the Dem Party begin ?

1827

- Andrew Jackson left the Dem-Rep Party because he wanted the common

people to be more active in making government decisions.

- AJ started the Democratic Party

Party Identity: Past and Present

• Cartoonist Thomas Nast has been credited with creating the party symbols in is 1874 cartoon for the magazine Harper’s Weekly.

– Originally, neither party adopted his ideas. Over time, each party assumed and revised the symbols, which havebecome synonymous with party identity.

Era's of Party Dominated Politics

1. 1800-1860: Dem (a.k.a.- Federalists) 2. 1860-1932: Rep mostly because of the

Civil War3. 1932-1968: Dem due to the Rep actions

during the Great Depression.4. 1968 election of Rep President Richard

Nixon. Since then, neither party has dominated politics. If one held the White House, then the other party controlled Congress.

Assignment 1

1. Name the 8 Republican US Presidents.

Assignment 2

1. Name the 8 Democratic US Presidents.

Hamilton & Jefferson Video

• A. Hamilton• http://youtu.be/2stq8ouDSr0• A. Hamilton 9• http://youtu.be/_UR4_8pISIA• A. Hamilton 12• http://youtu.be/FNWENpVd7M8• T. Jefferson• http://youtu.be/53n3iNtqP30• A. Hamilton vs T. Jefferson• http://youtu.be/Vy7FJJ_ud84

Joseph Stalin Video

• Joseph Stalin

• http://youtu.be/QF_fOHjWJMo

Assignment 3

1. Create a timeline starting with the Original political parties to the major political parties we have today

Assignment 4

1. Each student will create an illustrated timeline of the presidential elections

since 1900 (Who/PP vs Who/PP)

2. Use logos to show which party has been in power.

3. List the names of the Presidents who were elected at each point on their timelines.

Assignment 5

Democrats / Republicans

Write 3 words or ideas that you associate with each of these labels.

End of Day 1 !!

Bell Ringer

1. Can a political party who wants to win an election be true to ideals & philosophy ?

Bell Ringer

List three current issues or causes

that interest you.

Rank them in order of importance to American society.

Learning Target

Students will learn the types of minor political parties.

Types of Minor Parties

1. Ideological Parties- Focus on certain political ideas

social, economic, or political ideas. (Libertarian)

2. Single-Issue Parties - Focus on one public policy matter.

Fade away after the issue has been resolved or people lose interest. (Free Soil Party)

Types of Minor Parties

3. Economic Protest Parties - Appear during tough financial times criticizing the economic actions & plans of the major parties

(Populist Party) 4. Splinter Parties

- Most important of the minor parties - Broken away from major parties.

(T R Bull Moose Progressive Party)

Elements of Party Structure

1. Nat’l convention that nominates the candidates

2. Nat’l committee that runs the party's affairs between conventions

3. National chairperson heads the nat’l committee

4. Congressional campaign committees that work to elect party members to Congress

State & Local Level Party Structure

1. State/local levels the party structure is largely set by State Law.

2. State level the central committee is headed by a chairperson.

3. Local level party structure varies widely with a party unit for each district in which elections are held.

Components of the Party

1. Party Organization

consists of the party machinery's leaders.

2. Party in the Electorate

followers who vote for the party's candid.

3. Party in Gov't

describes the party's officeholders.

The Party in the Electorate

Those who always or almost always vote for party candidates.

The Party Organization:

Those who run and control the party machinery.

Party Components

The Party in Government

Those who hold office in the government.

Future of Parties

1. Political parties have been in decline since the 1960's.

2. More and more voters regard themselves as independents.

3. Split-ticket voting

voting for candidates of different parties in the same

Assignment 6

1. Create a timeline charting the minor political parties to the minor political parties we have today

Assignment 7

1. Students will work in pairs to create

advertising jingles or slogans for one of the minor parties listed in the text.

2. Remember people who join and support minor parties usually feel passionately about the predominant party issues and this passion should be reflected in their slogans or jingles.

**Prezi or Power Point

Assignment 8

Create your own minor political party

Name

Reason for creation

PP symbol

Ideas / Beliefs

Philosophy

End of Day 2 !!

Bell Ringer

1. How does the saying “2 is company & 3 is a crowd” apply to a 2 political party system ?

Bell Ringer

Learning Target

Students will learn how candidates are nominated for public office.

The Electoral Process

Chapter 7

The Nominating Process

1. Nomination Step

- 1st step in the Electoral Process

- Candidates are named for office.

2. General Election

Voters select the officeholders.

Ways in which nominations are made in the US

1. Self-announcement- oldest form of nominating candidates. colonial times, small town & rural levels- person who wants to run for office simply

announces2. Caucus

- a group of like-minded people meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election.

Ways in which nominations are made in the US

3. Conventions

- Usually start at a party's local levels and end at the party's national level.

4. Direct Primary

- Election held within a party to pick its

party candidates for the general election

- Most used form of nomination.

U.S. Senate and House of Reps, the governorship, and all other state offices.

Ways in which nominations are made in the US

4. Direct Primary

- Closed Primary

only registered party members can vote for candidates.

- Open Primary

any qualified voter can cast a ballot

- Blanket Primary

voters could choose among all contenders, regardless of party ballot

Ways in which nominations are made in the US

4. Direct Primary

- Runoff Primary

- candidate must get more than half (majority) the votes to win a primary.

- If no candidate wins majority the two top vote-getters hold a runoff primary

- Nonpartisan Primary

elected school & municipal offices are filled by candidates who are not identified by PP

Forms of Primaries in State Elections

The Direct Primary

Nonpartisan Primary

Candidates are not identified by party labels

Runoff Primary

If a required majority is not met, the two people with the most votes run again

Closed Primary

Only declared party members can vote.

Types of Direct Primaries

Open Primary

Any qualified voter can take part.

Blanket Primary

Qualified voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party

Primaries Across the US

Ways in which nominations are made in the US

5. Petition

- Candidates for public office are nominated by means of petitions

- Petitions signed by a certain required number of qualified voters in the election district.

Assignment 9

1. Divide the class into groups of five

2. Each group member will write in their own words the assigned method of nomination presented in the figure titled, “5 Methods of Nomination.”

3. Each group member will share with another devise a sentence.

End of Day 3 !!

Bell Ringer

1. Compare a team that is dominate in a sport for a period of time to a political party that dominates elections for a period of time.

Elections

1. Free, honest, & accurate.

2. Governed by State law but Const gives the Federal Gov't the power to fix the times, places & manner of holding elections.

3. Most states hold elections on the same day Congress has set for national elections.

- Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

Elections

4. Absentee Voting

- voting done by those unable to get to their regular polling places.

5. Precincts

- voting districts which are the smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections.

Elections

6. Polling Place

- place where voters actually vote

located in or near a precinct.

7. Ballot

- device by which voters register their choices in an election. (Secret)

Vote-by-Mail Elections

• A number of States conduct some of their voting on local city or county measures by mail.

• Oregon holds all its elections by mail.

• Critics fear that vote-by-mail is subject to fraud and may lack privacy.

• Supporters say the method increases voter participation, costs less than operating polls, and is as reliable as other voting methods.

Online Voting

• Online voting may be the wave of the future, having been used on a small scale in presidential primaries.

• Supporters say online voting will be more convenient, less expensive, and likely to increase voter participation.

• Critics fear technical problems, computer viruses, and hackers. They also point out that not all Americans can afford a home computer.

Elections

8. Types of Ballots- Australian Ballot

printed lists of the names of all candidates in an election

given out only at the polls one to each voter & marked in secret. - Office/Group Ballot

candidates are grouped together under the title of that office.

Elections

8. Types of Ballots

- Party Column Ballot

lists each party's candidates in a column under the party's name.

- Sample Ballots

ballots that are either mailed to all voters or appear in newspapers Help prepare voters for an election.

What Happens to a Ballot?• Paper ballots are collected

and taken to a counting facility.

• Absentee ballots are mailed to the counting facility or brought to the polling place.

• Electronic ballots are sent electronically or stored and sent manually.

Sources of Funding

1. Private funds have always been the major source of campaign funds - Small Contributors- Wealthy Individuals- Other candidates who want to keep their offices- Political Action Committees (PACs)

political arms of special-interest groups- Temporary Organizations

groups formed for the purposes of the campaign

Sources of Funding

2. Federal Election Commission (FEC)

- Administer Federal campaign laws presidential & congressional elections

- Require timely disclosure of campaign finance data, limit contributions

- Primary election - $2000 limit/person

- $25, 000 limit/PAC

Campaign Spending

• In 2008, presidential candidates spent some $2.5 billion.

• In September alone, Obama and McCain each spent an average of:– $25.2 million on TV and

radio ads – $4.1 million on travel – $2 million on campaign

worker salaries– $800,000 on polls

Sources of Funding

Small contributors

Wealthy supporters

Nonparty groups such as PACs

Temporary fund-raising organizations

Candidates Government subsidies

Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money

End of Notes !!

Assignment 10

1. Create a Graphic Organizer for the following:

Sources of Campaign Funding (5)

Types of Voting (4)

Types of Ballots (4)

Funding Election Video

• Funding Election 2012

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljtY4wGrVE0&feature=share&list=PL6405A9C316A6207A

Ch 8.1 Group Assignment

1. Select one historical issue mentioned:

Great Depression, World War II, JFK,

MLK, Civil Rights Movement,

Vietnam War, Watergate Scandal

2. Conduct research on how each changed the direction of public policy.

3. Complete a 1 page report

8.2 Group Assignment

1. Go here: www.opensecrets.org.

2. Choose 3 interest groups

3. List 5 facts about each group

8.3 Group Assignment

1. Create a timeline of Mass Media that reach from 1700 and extend through the present.

Class Election

Democrats – 2 rowsRepublicans – 2 rows3rd Party – 1 rowISSUES – Lunch, Dress Code, Cell Phone

3rd Party – Come up with an issue

PP meeting – decide the parties stand on issues, policies to change, new ideas,choose a Pres & campaign mgr

Class Election

Nomination – Row chooses a Pres

Direct Primary

Closed – each party will choose a Pres

General Election

Bell Ringer

How does an attitude concerning politics

become a public opinion?

It must be held by a large number of people

and expressed, demonstrated, or displayed for public viewing

Bell Ringer

Why do people join interest groups, rather

than attempting to influence the making of

pubic policy alone?

Because a group of people

working together is more powerful than a single person acting alone

9.3 Group Assignment

1. Name 5 examples of well-known people appearing in ads or interviews endorsing a viewpoint or idea.

2. Did or did not each celebrity sway your opinion.

3. Name 5 people whose opinions you can trust.