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Chapter Intro 2

Section 1: Development of Political Parties

Political and economic institutions evolve to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals. The United States has had a two-party system since its early days as a nation.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 2: Role of Political Parties Today

Political and economic institutions evolve to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals. Political parties play a large role in the decisions made by government.

Chapter Preview-End

Section 1-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

Political and economic institutions evolve to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals.

Section 1

Political Parties

Political parties play a vital role in our democratic system.

Section 1

Political Parties (cont.)

• Political parties form to win elections and influence government.

• Historically, the United States has been dominated by a two-party system.

• Washington’s warning against forming political parties

Section 1

Political Parties (cont.)

• Jefferson and Hamilton’s differing viewpoints:

– Jefferson supported limited federal government

– Hamilton believed individual rights called for a strong national government

Section 1

• Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican Party opposing Hamilton and the Federalist Party, early 1800's

• Democratic-Republican Party split by 1828

• Democratic Party then competing with the Whig Party

Political Parties (cont.)

Evolution of American Political Parties

Section 1

• Formation of the Republican Party, 1854

• Abraham Lincoln is first Republican president

Political Parties (cont.)

Evolution of American Political Parties

Section 1

Third Parties

Throughout American history, additional parties have arisen to influence politics.

Section 1

Third Parties (cont.)

• Third parties have competed in the nation’s two-party system.

• Populist Party called for direct election of senators and eight-hour working day

Leading Third-Party PresidentialCandidates, 1948–2004

Section 1

• Progressive Party ideas:

– The direct primary

– The initiative

– The referendum

Third Parties (cont.)

Leading Third-Party PresidentialCandidates, 1948–2004

Section 1

• Single-Issue parties:

– Promote a social, economic, or moral issue

– Prohibitionist Party formed to ban alcohol

– Usually do not last long

Third Parties (cont.)

Leading Third-Party PresidentialCandidates, 1948–2004

Section 1

Third Parties (cont.)

• Ideological parties:

– Support a set of beliefs or political doctrine

– Socialist Labor Party, Communist Party USA, and the Libertarian Party as examples

Leading Third-Party PresidentialCandidates, 1948–2004

Section 1

• Third parties forming around independent candidates

• Two-party tradition and raising money as obstacles to third parties

Third Parties (cont.)

Leading Third-Party PresidentialCandidates, 1948–2004

Section 1

• Political parties in other countries

• Multiparty system:

Third Parties (cont.)

– Three or more parties compete for control of government

– Parties often must work together

– Politically unstable because of competing interests

Section 1

• One-party system

– Party and government nearly the same thing

– Elections as empty exercise

Third Parties (cont.)

Section 1

How the Parties Differ

Political parties play a large role in the decisions made by government.

Section 1

How the Parties Differ (cont.)

• Republicans and Democrats largely differ on the way that government should be involved in the lives of Americans.

• Adoption of moderate and mainstream positions

• Party platform made up of planks

Section 1-End

Section 2-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

Political and economic institutions evolve to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals.

Section 2

Organization of Political Parties

Democrats and Republicans are organized into 50 state parties and thousands of local parties that operate independently of the national organization.

Section 2

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

• The two major parties are organized at the local, state, and national levels.

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

• The national committee of each party:

– Made of representatives from every state

– Raises funds for presidential elections

– Organizes the party’s national convention

– Run by a national party chairperson

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• National Convention:

– Held once every four years

– Party delegates nominate candidates for president and vice president

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• Party delegates:

– Chosen through presidential primary elections and caucuses

– Write the party platform

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• Campaign committees:

– Made of members of Congress

– Help elect party members and raise money

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• State organizations of a party:

– Focus on electing party candidates to state offices

– Work to elect party candidates for national offices

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

• Local organizations of a party consisting of city, town, and county committees

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• Precinct:

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

– Geographic area containing a specific number of voters

– Voters cast ballots at the same place

– Run by precinct captains

– Several geographically-connected precincts make up a ward

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

• County committees:

– Counties are the largest political units within a state

– County chairperson has political power

– Precinct and ward leaders building the party at the “grassroots” level

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

• Political machines:

– Strong local party organizations

– New York City’s Tammany Hall and “Boss” Tweed

– Political machines serving useful purpose in the past

– Political machines considered harmful today

Organization of Political Parties (cont.)

Organization of Political Parties

Section 2

Nominating Candidates

Political parties nominate candidates to run for public office.

Section 2

Nominating Candidates (cont.)

• Political parties hold primaries to nominate candidates for office

• Direct primary:

– Voters chose candidates to represent each party in a general election

– Two main forms are closed and open primaries

Section 2

• Only declared members of a party allowed to vote for party’s nominee in a closed primary

• Voters need not declare their party preference to vote for party’s nominee in an open primary

• Arguments for and against the closed primary

Nominating Candidates (cont.)

Section 2

Nominating Candidates (cont.)

• Winning a primary:

– Plurality of votes

– Majority of votes

– Winner becomes party candidate in the general election

• Unaffiliated candidates added to ballots by petition

Section 2

Other Party Roles

In addition to nominating candidates for office, political parties have many other responsibilities.

Section 2

Other Party Roles (cont.)

• Political parties perform many functions that allow citizens to communicate with the government.

Section 2

• Functions of political parties:

Other Party Roles (cont.)

– Campaigning for candidates

– Informing citizens

– Carrying the people’s message

– Operating the government

– Acting as a watchdog

– Linking the different levels of government

Section 2-End

VS 1

What Is a Political Party?

• A political party is a group of individuals outside of government that organizes to win elections, to operate the government, and to determine policy.

VS 2

Political Parties Form

• Shortly after our nation began, two political parties formed.

• The basic difference between the two parties today is their beliefs in how much the government should be involved in Americans’ lives.

• In the United States, we have a two-party system, which means that two major parties—the Democrats and the Republicans—dominate national politics.

VS 3

Organization

• Each party has a national committee and congressional campaign committees. Each party also has 50 state committees and many local party organizations.

• In the past, some local party organizations became so powerful that their candidates won almost every election. These were known as political machines.

VS 4

What Political Parties Do

• Select candidates

• Inform the public

• Coordinate policy making

• Balance competing interests

• Run campaigns

VS 5

Comparing Parties

• One way to compare political parties is to study their party platforms, which are declarations of each party’s beliefs and positions on major issues.

• The platform is made of planks, which are the party’s official positions on specific issues such as education, crime, and foreign policy.

VS-End

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

TIME Trans

DFS Trans 1

a democrat

DFS Trans 2

Vocab1

political party

an association of voters with broad common interests who want to influence or control decision making in government by electing the party’s candidates to public office

Vocab2

two-party system

a system of government in which two parties compete for power

Vocab3

third party

a party that challenges the two major parties

Vocab4

platform

a series of statements expressing the party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

Vocab5

plank

each individual part of a political party’s platform

Vocab6

stress

to place special importance or emphasis on something

Vocab7

promote

to encourage the acceptance or recognition of

Vocab8

national committee

representatives from the 50 state party organizations who run a political party

Vocab9

caucus

a meeting of political party members to conduct party business

Vocab10

precinct

a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters

Vocab11

ward

several adjoining precincts making up a larger election unit

Vocab12

political machine

a strong party organization that can control political appointments and deliver votes

Vocab13

direct primary

an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election

Vocab14

closed primary

an election in which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party’s nominees

Vocab15

open primary

an election in which voters need not declare their party preference to vote for the party’s nominees

Vocab16

plurality

the most votes among all those running for a political office

Vocab17

majority

a number that is more than 50 percent of the total

Vocab18

petition

a formal request for governmental action; a process by which candidates who are not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states

Vocab19

range

a variation between limits

Vocab20

adjacent

neighboring or near

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