1. POLITICAL PARTIES AND POLITICS

2. Political Party
A group of voters with common interests who want to influence government by campaigning and electing their party’s candidates to office.

3. Two-Party System The traditional format of U.S.’s electoral process.
Democrats/Republicans….their views differ
Two parties are competing for power.

4. Third Party Minor parties resulting from ideas on specific issues
May include ethnicity, economic, regional topics
It challenges the two major parties.

5. Platform
A series of statements expressing the party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

6. Plank
Each individual part of the party’s platform.

7. Democrat vs. Republican
Similarities between parties:
Differences between parties:
Organize to win elections
Influence public policies
Reflect both liberal and conservative views
Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center.
Stated in a party’s platform and reflected in campaigning.

8. Third Party Differences
Progressive “Bull Moose” Party
Introduce new ideas or press for a particular issue
Often revolve around political personality… for example Teddy Roosevelt.
They can change the outcome of an election of drawing votes away from one of the main parties.
Example: Progressive “Bull Moose” Party split the Republican Vote allowing Woodrow Wilson the Democrat to win

9. National Party Impact National Committee Responsibilities
Representatives from the 50 state party organizations who run a political party,
Raises funds for presidential elections
Organizes the party’s national convention
Create informational websites about candidates
Fun-raising for campaigning
Create advertisements for radio and TV
National Party Chairperson
Individual elected by the national committee who manages the daily operations of the national party.

10. What happens at the National Convention?
Delegates write the party’s platform.
Delegates nominate the party’s presidential candidate.
Speeches and demonstrations to support the candidate.

11. Roles and Functions of Political Parties
Roles of Political Parties
Function of Political Party
Nominate candidates
Campaign
Inform citizens
Linking levels of government
Acting as a watchdog
Recruit and nominate candidates
Educate the electorate about campaign issues
Help candidates win elections
Monitoring actions of officeholders.

12. State and Local Committees
State Committees
Local Committees
Electing party candidates to state offices
Elect their party’s candidates for national offices
These are town, city and county committees
Committees include people elected by their fellow party members

13. Political Machine
Strong party organization that can control political appointments and deliver votes

14. Media’s Role
Strategies for evaluating campaign speeches, literature, and advertisements for accuracy.
Strategies are: separating fact from opinion, detecting bias, evaluating sources, identifying propaganda

15. Separating Fact From Opinion Detecting Bias
Facts can be proven by checking them against other resources
Opinions usually cannot be proven
Opinions are more reliable when the writer gives facts to support them
Detecting Bias
Bias is often attached to issues that have an impact on people’s emotions
Decide whether the piece of info presents only one side of an issue, while suggesting it covers all sides.
Determine if the info is supported by opinions or facts
Look for hidden assumptions generalizations not supported by facts.

16. Identifying propaganda
Evaluating sources
Ask yourself a few questions
Who’s the author? Credentials?
Is it current information?
What kind of media is it found?
What’s the purpose of the article/info?
Is the info facts or opinions? What evidence is there to support it?
Are there pictures, graphs, tables to support info?
Identifying propaganda
Endorsement
Glittering generality
Bandwagon
Name calling
Just plain folks
Stacked cards
Symbols

17. Mass Media’s role in Elections
Identifying candidates
Emphasizing selected issues
Writing editorials, creating political cartoons, publishing opinionated pieces.
Broadcasting different points of view

18. Political Cartoons Who are the main characters in the cartoon?
What do they represent?
Describe the action in the cartoon.
What’s the purpose of the cartoon?