Chapter 5: Notes American Government

Political Parties Political parties are essential to democratic government The major function of a political party is to nominate, or name, candidates for public office Parties then help their candidate win Parties inform the people and activate their interest and participation in public affairs Primarily, they campaign for their candidates, take stands on issues, and criticize the opponents

Political Parties Congress and the state legislatures are organized on party lines Parties act as ‘watchdogs’ over the conduct of the public’s business – this is particularly true of the party out of power In American politics, the party in power is the party that controls the executive branch of government (Presidency)

Two-Party System Throughout most of history, the U.S. has been a two-party nation The American party system began as a two-party system with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists The Constitution makes no provision for political parties Most Americans accept a two-party system because it has always been that way

Single-Member Districts Nearly all of the elections held in the U.S. are single- member district elections These are also called winner take all elections The single-member district pattern works to discourage minor parties Democrats are more likely to support things such as social welfare programs, government regulation of business practices, and efforts to improve the status of minorities

Multi-Party Systems Republicans are more likely to favor private market forces in the economy with less government regulation, less involvement by federal government in social welfare programs, and more spending on defense. Multi-party systems are typically found in European democracies Multi-party systems do tend to produce a broader, more diverse representation in the electorate This can often lead to instability in the government

Republicans v. Democrats Membership in a party is purely voluntary In recent history, some segments of the population have tended to be either a Republican or Democrat. Jews, Catholics, minorities, and union members have voted more with Democrats, while business owners, white males, and Protestants have voted more along Republican lines. Republican party is also referred to as the GOP – this stands for Grand Ole Party

Federalists The Federalist party was formed around Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists were the party for the rich and the well- born, and most of the Federalists supported the ratification of the Constitution The Federalists worked to create a stronger national government, and they urged a liberal interpretation of the Constitution The Federalists wanted the executive branch to be the strongest branch

Anti-Federalists Thomas Jefferson led the Anti-Federalists They were more sympathetic to the common man They favored a limited role for the national government Anti-Federalists wanted Congress to be the strongest branch The policies of the Anti-Federalists appealed to the nation’s small shopkeepers, laborers, farmers, and planters

Minor Parties There are many minor parties- here are a few: Libertarian, Socialist, Prohibition, Independent, Green, Socialist Labor, Tea Party…. Some minor parties are popular in just a single state, while others gain popularity nation-wide Minor parties do have an impact on American politics and on the 2 major parties They often play the ‘spoiler role’ – even if it does not win an election, it can pull votes from one of the 2 major parties and cause an upset in the election

National Convention The national convention meets every 4 years in the summer in the year of a presidential election The presidential and vice-presidential candidates are named at the national convention The Democrats and Republicans have separate national conventions The national convention is also where the party platform is presented (the ideas, goals that the party plans to stand for in the election and next 4 years)

National Committee Between conventions, the party’s affairs are handled by the national committee and national chairperson The committee works to strengthen the party, raise money, and gain membership Each state also has a committee – one for Republicans and one for Democrats