1. U.S. Political Parties

2. U.S. Political Parties: Beginnings
What is a political party?
Organization of people who share similar ideas about the way the country should be governed

3. Political Party Systems
3. Two-Party System: Two parties compete with each other to run the government.
Party system of U.S.: Democrats and Republicans
Advantages: Continuity
Disadvantages: Minority parties (third parties) receive little attention – focus is on two main parties

4. U.S. Political Parties: Characteristics
Democratic Party
Tends to Attract
Working people (blue collar)
Liberals
Catholics
Minorities
Union Members
People in favor of govt. involvement in social policies

5. Democrat Donkey
During Democrat Andrew Jackson’s 1828 presidential campaign, 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.

6. Democrats: The Issues Abortion: Pro Choice
Favors contraceptive education to prevent necessity of abortion

7. Democrats: The Issues Environment:
Support stronger environmental laws and protection of nature
Push for cleaner air and water
Support funding for preservation (Everglades in FL; Redwoods in CA, etc…)

8. Democrats: The Issues Gay Rights:
Should be protected from workplace discrimination and hate crimes
Should be given equal work benefits like more traditional families

9. Democrats: The Issues Gun Control: Strong advocates for gun control
Supported both the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban

10. Democrats: The Issues Health Care:
Push for more Heath Care funding (Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program)
In favor of program to ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. (100% government funded)

11. Democrats: The Issues Foreign Policy:
Generally much more supportive of international agencies than are Republicans – support NATO and the UN
More skeptical of the Bush Administration’s rush to war than were the Republicans
Very skeptical of the handling of the reconstruction of Iraq

12. Democrats: The Issues Education:
More funding for struggling schools is necessary
Tax money should not be used on religious schools
No prayer in school.

13. Democrats: The Issues Social Security: Fundamental right of Americans
Best way to protect is to maintain federal government control
Largely oppose privatizing

14. Democrats: The Issues Welfare:
Support increased child care for welfare recipients so they are more able to work steady jobs
Support funding for job training so recipients will be more competitive in the job market

15. Democrats: The Issues Women’s Rights:
For over 20 years, have been pushing to ratify the Treaty of the Rights of Women that arose from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (would be a statement on America’s part saying that we support equal rights for all women)

16. Democrats: The Issues Worker’s Rights:
Favor labor unions and workers rights
Includes right to organize free from harassment and the right to challenge employers for disability and discrimination cases.
Support worker movements to increase the minimum wage and worker benefits

17. U.S Political Parties: Beginnings
Republican Party
1860: Abe Lincoln becomes 1st Republican President
Emerges as stronger of 2 parties after Civil War
:Only 2 Democratic Presidents elected
Grover Cleveland
Woodrow Wilson

18. U.S. Political Parties: Characteristics
Republican Party
Tends to attract
Businesspeople (white collar)
Protestants
Conservatives
Non-minorities
Non-union supporters
People against govt. involvement in social policies

19. 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.”

20. Republicans: The Issues
Abortion: Pro-life; Anti-Choice
Prefers funding go towards marriage education and abstinence only campaigns
Have tried several times to pass statutes that would allow prosecution of acts that harm fetuses

21. Republicans: The Issues
Environment:
Favor the exploration of all resources in the U.S. for energy production and have generally opposed looking for more environment-friendly power alternatives
Pushed for oil drilling in ANWR, the building of more nuclear power plants, a shift towards the use of coal, and have submitted proposals that would weaken the Clean Air Act

22. Republicans: The Issues
Gay Rights:
Against giving gays equal rights in the eyes of the law
“We do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal protection or standing in law”
Oppose idea of gay marriage; seek to define marriage as union between man and woman
Supports amendment to the Constitution defining marriage

23. Republicans: The Issues
Gun Control:
Favors allowing the sale of firearms to proceed more easily, and with fewer safety precautions
Opposes any new gun-control laws
Fought the regulation and banning of assault weapons

24. Republicans: The Issues
Health Care:
Believes health care should work within the free market system where competition will lower the costs of healthcare (no federal govt. involvement)

25. Republicans: The Issues
Foreign Policy:
Have brushed aside international organizations in favor of unilateral policy of preemption
Supports military invasion when necessary to protect the security of the U.S.
Argue that the use of American military force is essential for keeping the world safe for Democracy

26. Republicans: The Issues
Education:
Favor school vouchers or government money going to private schools because they think that by giving students more educational options, including religious schooling, a competitive market will be created
Argue public schools will be forced to improve in order to retain students

27. Republicans: The Issues
Social Security: Favor privatization of social security
Citizens will be able to opt to place portions of money that would have gone into Social Security into other types of accounts. Accounts will give the opportunity to play the stock market in an attempt to increase returns. (takes away Federal responsibility)

28. Republicans: The Issues
Welfare:
Favors increasing the mandatory work week for those receiving government assistance
Support cuts in child care and training funding while pushing $200 million for marriage education
Pushing for more funding for religious organizations and charities, which then will be responsible to caring for our nation’s poor

29. Republicans: The Issues
Workers’ Rights:
Favor the rights of businesses to maximize profits
Favors workers and management working together to do what is in the best of all involved; no outside influences (against Labor Unions)
Believes Labor Unions restrict production of businesses; sees it as a regulation of business

30. Income and Party Identification
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning

31. Third Parties What are Third Parties?
Parties representing minority opinions that challenge the Democrats and Republicans
Some successful Third Parties:
Populist Party – 1890’s
Progressive Party – split off from Rep. Part in 1912
Libertarian Party – third most popular party in U.S. today

32. Third Parties 3 Kinds of Third Parties
1. Parties Tied to a Single Issue:
Examples:
Prohibition Party: formed in 1872 to support banning of alcohol in the U.S.
U.S. Marijuana Party: formed to support the legalization of marijuana in the U.S.
Green Party: formed to protect the environment

33. Third Parties 3 Kinds of Third Parties
2. Parties Tied to a Political Belief
Examples:
Libertarian Party
The Third Party
Socialist Parties

34. Third Parties 3 Kinds of Third Parties
3. Parties Tied to a Single Candidate
Examples:
Reform Party – formed around Presidential candidate Ross Perot in 1996
American Independent Party – formed around Presidential candidate George Wallace in 1968

35. Third Parties America First Party American Heritage Party
American Independent Party
American Nazi Party
Communist Party USA
Constitution Party
Family Values Party
Grassroots Party
Green Party
Independence Party
Labor Party
Libertarian Party
Light Party
Natural Law Party
The Third Party
Worker’s World Party
Peace and Freedom Party
Prohibition Party
Reform party
The Revolution
Socialist Party, USA
Southern Independence Party
U.S. Pacifist Party
Veterans Party of America
We the People Party
Knights Party
Libertarian National Socialist Green Party
Pansexual Peace Party
Pot Party
Constitutional Action Party
American Falangist Party
U.S. Marijuana Party

36. Assignment Create an artifact with the following topics: Education
Health Care
Terrorism
Gun Control
*****Include a page describing Republican and Democrat characteristics. Include a picture of animal and color that represents both.
Gay Rights
Foreign Policy
Immigration
Environment
** Present the Republican side and Democratic side.
***Keep each side consistent.
***Include a picture