A Look at Political Parties in the United States Party Time! SS.7.C.2.8 Identify America’s current political parties, and illustrate their ideas about government. SS.7.C.2.13 Examine multiple perspectives on public and current issues. A Look at Political Parties in the United States

What comes to mind when you see: DEMOCRAT Write down the first three words that come to mind.

What comes to mind when you see: REPUBLICAN Write down the first three words that come to mind.

Questions for Discussion In your group: Share your list of words for each political party Combine your lists into one master list for all of the terms your group members came up with (do not include duplicates) Questions for Discussion Where have you heard these terms before? What made you think of a particular word in reference to a political party? Discuss responses and keep a running list of words on display. Use questions for discuss to debrief.

Political parties are never mentioned in the Constitution. Two Party System The United States has what is known as a two-party system. What does that mean? This is a form of party system where two major political parties, more or less equal in strength and influence, dominate in elections at all levels. Did you know: Political parties are never mentioned in the Constitution.

Throughout History Throughout the history of the United States, there have been two main political parties. Remember the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?? Today we have the Republican Party and the Democratic Party Freedom to create new parties exists, but the majority of voters believe their votes will only count when used to select a candidate from one of the two major parties.

Does that mean there are only two political parties? Two Party System Does that mean there are only two political parties? No, there are many political parties in the United States “Big 3” Third parties: Libertarian Party http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/political-parties/There are 11 political parties identified in Florida on the Division of Elections web site. (2 Major Political Parties, 9 Minor Political Parties). Green Party Constitution Party Click each logo to view the respective party’s platform on their website.

Role of Political Parties Political parties are composed of individuals who share similar ideas about government. Those within a party share similar views on: The role of government Foreign policy Taxes Military and defense The economy Healthcare And many other topics… Note: sometimes people may share views of both parties on different issues

Party Animals? Democrats use a donkey as the symbol for their party. The donkey was first used as a symbol of the Democratic Party by Andrew Jackson. He had often been called a donkey, as they are known for being strong willed. Republicans use an elephant as the symbol for their party. The elephant first came into use in the 1800’s when it was used in a political cartoon to represent the Republican Vote. To see the cartoon, click HERE.

Political Parties Today What function do political parties serve today? Provide a forum to discuss public policies and issues with like-minded individuals and try to influence government Establish a networking system where people can nominate candidates for office, raise money for candidates, and set up campaigns Serve as an entry point for people to become involved in government Give people a choice of candidates and programs Serve as a connection between state and national government Counter-point activity: what is the other perspective on political parties?

How does Your County Register VOTERS? When people register to vote, they are asked to include their political party affiliation. Which party has more members in your county? What do you think? Click HERE to find out!

Registering to Vote IN FLORIDA: Be a citizen of the United States of America; Be a Florida resident; Be 18 years old (you may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old, but you cannot vote until you are 18 years old). Not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored; Not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored; and Provide your current and valid Florida driver’s license number or Florida identification card number

Where do you stand? Using issues identified in the link below, see which candidate you align with as you explore the major 2016 campaign discussions. USATODAY: Candidate Match Game http://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/candidate-match-game/

What do you think? What do you think about our two party system? Is it working? If you could create your own political party how would it be different from the choices we currently have?