1. Political Parties

2. What is a Political Party?
Political Party: organization of citizens who share similar views on issues and work together to put their ideas into effect through government action.

3. Role of Political Parties
Selecting and Supporting candidates
Serve as a link
Acts as a watchdog
Informing the public and activating supporters through pamphlets, bumper stickers, ads, signs, buttons
Act as bonding agent
To ensure qualified representatives are carrying the people’s message to government
Enables the branches and levels of government to communicateThe party not in power is watching the party in power

4. Party Organization What do party members do? Nominate Candidates
Campaign for Candidates
Raise money, stuff envelopes, poll voters, and drive people to the polls
Make telephone calls

5. Party Organization National State
Raise money for Presidential campaigns
Organize the national convention
Create the party’s platform
Senatorial Committee – elect Senators
House Committee – elect Representatives
State
Work on electing state officials
Work within the state to elect candidates to national office

6. Party Organization Local
Cities are divided into districts or precincts
Organizes local election efforts
Responsible for all elections

7. Political Parties Platforms and Planks
Platform – a political party’s statement of its goals and positions on all issues
Plank – a single issue on a political party’s platform

8. Two Main Political Parties:
Democratic Party: more liberal, favors a greater role in government in providing social programs.
Republican Party: more conservative, supports reducing the power of the Federal government in operating social programs.

9. 2008 Political Candidates Joe Biden Sam Brownback Hillary Clinton
Chris Dodd 
John Edwards 
Rudy Giuliani 
Mike Gravel 
Duncan Hunter 
Mike Huckabee  
Dennis Kucinich 
John McCain 
Barack Obama 
Ron Paul 
Bill Richardson 
Mitt Romney 
Tom Tancredo 
Fred Thompson 

10. Other systems…
One Party System: A single political party controls the government.
Multi-Party System: more than two strong political parties.
Coalition: agreement between two or more political parties to work together to run the government.

11. American Parties: Four Major Eras
: Era of the Democrats
: Era of the Republicans
: Democrats
1968- Present: Divided Government—Congress often controlled by the party opposite the President

12. Minor Parties in the US
Ideological: Based on a particular set of beliefs Ex.: Communist Party
Single-Issue: Major parties often take on their issue as their own
Economic Protest Parties: Blames the business world and the major parties…
Ex: Populist party, Occupy Wall Street
Splinter Party: Usually form around a certain personality that failed to win the nomination in a major party (Teddy Roosevelt, George Wallace)
Influence of Minor Parties
Bring issues to light
Play a spoiler role in an election
Criticizing the major parties

13. Political Parties in the United States

14. This is a range of differences in political views between parties.
Political Spectrum
This is a range of differences in political views between parties.

16. Political Parties The Political Spectrum in the United States
Far left: Radical
Left Wing: Liberal and Democrat
Left Moderate: Democratic mainstream
Centrist: Moderate. Democrat and Republican
Right Moderate: Republican
Right Wing: Conservative mainstream
Far Right: Reactionary
This should be considered a spectrum in which a candidate can fall in between two categories from left (democrats) to right (republicans)
Majority of Candidates elected to office are considered “Moderate”

18. Writing Prompt Questions
What are some reasons that American citizens might reject a one-party system?
Do you think U.S. citizens value their “right” to vote?
What purposes do political parties serve in the U.S. and elsewhere?