1. AGENDA Thurs 11/3 & Fri 11/4 RAP #21: Blue v. Red
History of Political Parties
Midterm Essay
Midterm Exam Review Sheet
HW: Political Ideologies: Part 2
Pg 118 #1-6, pg 124 #1-5, pg 135 #1-4
Midterm Exam Mon 11/7& Tues 11/8

2. RAP #21: Blue v. Red Blue Issue / Platform Red Increase
Strong Federal Government
Decrease
Decrease
Increase
States Rights
Increase
Lower
Taxes
Raise
Lower
Government Regulation of Business No
Prayer in School
Yes
Pro-choice
Abortion Rights
Pro-Life
Yes No
Gun Control
Increase
Minimum Wage Laws
Same/Decrease

3. Political Party Match: What are you?3

4. Party membership patterns
2/3 of Americans vote like their parents.
In recent decades Jews, African Americans, Union members, and Catholics have more often voted Democrat.
White males, the business community, and Protestants have more often voted Republican. 4

5. History of Politics
Democrats’ and Republicans’ main goal is to gain power by winning elections.

6. Parties
Political parties are organizations seeking to achieve power by electing its members to public office.
Our main parties are Republicans and Democrats
Parties have many roles

7. Roles of Parties Recruit candidates and support campaigns
Parties want to control government by getting their candidates into office, they pick who they think will be the best person/most likely to be elected
Parties often also provide funding for campaigns
Organize elections and inform voters
Promote voter interest and participation
Organize government
Congress and most state legislatures party aligned
more members in government, more powerful party

8. Roles of Parties (cont.)
Unite diverse interests
Build coalitions based on shared beliefs and common goals
Create platforms = position on important issues
Loyal opposition to party in power
Critics of majority party’s proposals
Watchdogs for corruption and/or abuses of power

9. Two Party System In America we have a 2 party system
That does not mean that only 2 parties exist but that only 2 parties dominate politics in America
No legal (constitutional) reason for our 2 party system
traditional, money, and the current state of the electoral system lock it into place

10. Alternatives to a 2 party system
Multiparty system- would function largely like ours but “third parties” would have a better chance of holding office
Usually smaller parties band together in a coalition to compete with larger parties or to run the government together
Can be a more effective representation of the people but it can also lead to instability and deadlocks

11. Alternatives cont. One Party system Basically a dictatorship
One party = No party

12. America’s 2-party system is born
History
Started with Alexander Hamilton
Federalists
Favored strong national government
Northern commercial and industrial interests
Adams loses to Jefferson…party disappears
Thomas Jefferson
Democrat-Republicans (Anti-federalists)
Favored strong state governments
Southern farmers & rural interests

13. Twisted Timeline Pre-Constitution Constitution Ratified
Federalists (Hamilton) & Anti-Federalists (Jefferson)
Constitution Ratified
Washington = President appoints both to cabinet to reduce rivalries (to no avail)
Federalists: strong central govt & liberal (broad) interpretation
Jefferson resigns to form Jeffersonian Republicans, aka Democrat-Republicans, aka Anti-Federalists: state rights, strict interpretation

14. Twisted Timeline 1800: A shift in perspectives
Jefferson’s Republicans want stronger govt to keep their policies
Federalists move to more state rights
LA purchase: implied power to make treaties
Loose interpretation for Republicans
Federalists wanted strict interpretation

15. Twisted Timeline 1812 1824 Democrat-Republicans become nationalists
Federalists call for Northeastern states to secede
Not a popular position and lose favor
Era of Good Feelings
1824
Corrupt bargain w/ Adams, Clay against Jackson

16. Twisted Timeline 1828 Jackson’s revenge = Democrat party
Whig party = Jackson’s enemies

17. Twisted Timeline 1850s Splitting Hairs (Whig)
Slavery divides Whigs and falls apart
Antislavery activists (abolitionists) and formerly-known-as-Whigs form Republican party in 1854
Abraham Lincoln and Republicans established as 2nd major party

18. The Democratic Donkey
The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. (P.126)
His opponents called him a jackass (a donkey), and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters.
Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.

20. The Republican Elephant
Nast invented another famous symbol—the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled “The Republican Vote.” That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.
Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave, while Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.

22. Party Eras Since 1800, one or the other major parties dominated
President & usually both houses of Congress (pg. 754)
1st Era: Democrats [Dem, Dem-Reps] ( )
13 of 15 Presidential elections (1st 3 elections=No party/Federalist)
2nd Era: Republicans ( )
13 of 18 Presidential Elections
3rd Era: Democrats ( )
7 of 9 Presidential Elections
4th Era: Modern (1969-Present)
Republicans = 7 of 11 elections, yet Dems rule Congress

23. The Era of Democrats
Jackson’s party: coalition of farmers, pioneers, slave holders
South and West
Three fundamental changes to politics
Voting for all white males
Increases in elected offices
Spoils system (vote for us, we’ll award you)
Public office, contracts, other govt favor
Jackson’s opponents: Whigs (led by Clay)
Slavery splits parties (Whig leaders dead) 23

24. The Era of Republicans 1854-1932
The election of Abraham Lincoln
AND
the Civil War marked the beginning of the reign of the Republican party.
Business people, farmers, newly freed African Americans backed the party. 24

25. The Return of the Democrats 1932-1968
The Great Depression changed the way people thought about the government.
Democrats built a strong new base of southerners, small farmers, labor union members, and city people.
The only Republican elected during this time was war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower. 25

26. The Start of a New Era
During much of this era we have had a divided government –
Especially when no party controls both legislative and executive branches.
Divided government can cause gridlock. 26

27. 4 Types of Minor Parties
Ideological parties -based on certain social, economic, or political ideas. They tend to stay around for a long time.
Socialist Party ( )
Communist Party ( s)
Libertarian Party (1971-present)
Single-issue parties -tend to fade away
Know Nothing Party (1850s)
Prohibition Party (1869–present)
National Women’s Party( )
Right to Life Party (1970-present), 27

28. 4 Types of Minor Parties
Economic protest parties - appear during tough financial times.
Greenback party ( )
Populist Party ( )
Reform party (1995-present)
Splinter parties - parties that have broken away from one of the major parties. Usually has a strong leader who did not get a major party’s nomination.
Progressive “Bull Moose” party ( ) split votes in 1912—T. Roosevelt/Taft
States’ Rights “Dixiecrat” Party (1948)
American Independent - segregationist Governor George Wallace (1967- present) (**In CA = Constitution Party)
Green Party (1996-present) 28

29. Minor Parties What does it mean to call a minor party a spoiler?
A spoiler takes votes away from a major candidate, possibly causing the candidates defeat. Examples? 29

30. Future of the Major Parties
More voters have strong ties to single-issues. They are for or against that candidate based on his/her stand on that particular issue.
(i.e. Iraq, health care, abortion, etc.)
More independents
More split-ticket voting
Candidates rely more on technology- TV, internet 30

31. HW: Party Platform: Part 1 Due: Thurs 11/3 & Fri 11/4
Write an overview of the specific political party from your “Political Party Matchmaker” (8-10 sentences)
Write a response to your placement on the “Political Issues Survey” and the match the “Political Party Matchmaker” made for you (4-6 sentences)
Research parties/ideologies of two other political parties (one that is VERY different and another that is SIMILAR to your match/placement on the spectrum)
Write an overview of the parties, specifically focusing on 2 areas of most interest to you (8-10 sentences for each party)

32. HW: Party Platform: Part 2 DUE: Mon 11/7 & Tues 11/8
Create your own political platform
Must have minimum of 5 issues from the following list:
Abortion, Capital Punishment, Economy, Energy, Environment, Foreign Policy, Gun Control, Health Care, Iraq, Marriage Laws, Minimum Wage, Taxes
Clearly explain your perspective and plan for how you would want your party to deal w/ each issue (2-3 sentences per issue) 32

33. Midterm Reflection Essay In Class: Thurs 11/3 & Fri 11/4
“Based on your viewing of “The Candidate” and excerpts from “Bobby,” along with your own understanding of the role of political parties, write an essay which addresses one component from each of the following options:
Option A
Compare and contrast the role of political parties in promoting candidates for the presidency from the late 1960s to today.
Compare and contrast the campaign issues, party platforms, and personal character of each candidate from “The Candidate” and “Bobby”.
AND
Option B
At the end of “The Candidate” the question is posed, “What do we do now?” Predict the influence on government McKay will have after he won the Senate race.
Predict the impact on our country had Bobby Kennedy not been shot and won the Presidency. 33

34. References
McClenaghan, W. (2006). Magruder’s American Government. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.
Hart, Diane. (2009). Government Alive! Power, Politics and You. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute.