2. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
UNIT 7
Write down notes in yellow

3. Political Parties
a political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about the role of government
They promote their beliefs and work to get their members elected into positions in the government

4. Role of political parties
Make citizens aware of public issues
Finance political campaigns
Write a platform expressing their political ideas and future plans
Help legislators to organize and pass their legislative programs.
Every 4 years, hold a National Convention to nominate their candidates for President & Vice-President
Platform: a public statement of the principles, objectives, and policies of a political party

5.
1st video 2012 Democratic Convention introduction of President Obama…play as much as you want
2nd video 2012 Republican Convention – Mitt Romney accepting nomination…play as much as you want
3rd video 2012 green Party Convention - Jill Stein accepting nomination…play

6. Impact of Political Parties on Government and Society
Positive Effects of Political Parties (ROLES)
Negative Effects of Political Parties
Representation: Political parties represent the views of the voters
Division: Political parties divide Americans.
Participation: Political parties offer opportunities for citizens to participate in government and politics.
Bias: Political Parties present biased (unfair partiality or favoritism) views of the issues.
Candidates: Political parties find and select candidates for elected offices.
Pressure: Political parties pressure legislators and other elected officials to follow their party’s program against their own beliefs.
Campaigns: Political parties manage and finance election campaigns.
Distraction: Elected officials can spend more time supporting their party, raising money and trying to get re-elected than they do on the work of government.
Voting: Political parties encourage people to vote.
Self-Interest: Political parties act to win votes, rather than doing what is really best.
Have students cut out table on page 280 of Blue Book and put in their ICN’s. Then have them highlight most important effects.

7. Impact of Political Parties on Government and Society
Positive Effects of Political Parties (ROLES)
Negative Effects of Political Parties
Education: Political parties educate the voters by informing them about the issues.
Stalemate: Divisions between competing political parties often prevent government from getting things done.
Debate: Political parties offer alternatives and encourage debate.
Monopolistic: Political parties raise large sums of money for campaigns, making it hard for independent candidates to compete.
Legislation: Political parties help members of local, state and federal lawmaking bodies organize themselves into groups on behalf of a legislative program.
Watchdogs: Political parties serve as “watchdogs” by criticizing what opposing parties are doing.
Bridges: Political parties serve as bridges uniting members of the executive and legislative branches of government.
Compromise: Political parties sometimes encourage members to compromise their views.

8. Two party System In the United States, we have a two party system:
The two major parties in the U. S. are the
Democrats
Republicans
There are more then two political parties in the U.S. but almost all elected government officeholders have come from these two political parties. They are also the two largest political parties in the U.S.

10. Democrats Founded in 1824 Color: Blue Animal: Donkey
The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a 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.

11. Democrats
Liberal, or on the left. They are concerned with equality, cooperation and social progress.
President Obama

12. Famous Presidents who were Democrats
Franklin D. Roosevelt

13. Democrats
John F. Kennedy

14. Democrats
Bill Clinton

15. Democrats Political Platform
Favor government intervention to promote greater social justice and to achieve equality of opportunity.
Will tolerate tax increases, especially on the wealthy to support domestic programs and investment in the U.S. infrastructure:
Schools & Universities
Roads & Public Works Projects like bridges, dams, etc.
Support Obamacare – making health care more affordable thru government subsidy
Support strict gun control
Support increased regulations to help protect natural resources
Support Decrease military spending

16. Republicans Founded in 1854 Animal: Elephant Color: Red
Nast invented another famous symbol—the 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.” That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.

17. Republicans Conservative, on the right. Mitt Romney was the
Republican candidate for
the 2012 Presidential
election.

18. Famous Presidents who were Republicans
Teddy Roosevelt

19. Republicans
Ronald Regan

20. Republicans
George H. W. Bush

21. Republicans Political Platform
Support Increase spending on the military
Support Less government interference in citizens lives
Support fewer government regulations on businesses
Support private businesses.
Support cutting federal support (money) on social programs, give more responsibility to states for these programs.
Support lower taxes for everyone
Support a strong foreign policy
Support Private healthcare
Strong supporters of the 2nd Amendment, Less gun control

22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lt- f3QQ7-A

23. What is a third party?
a political party formed by citizens with strong feelings about particular issues
Green Party – the environment…. The Tea Party – excessive taxes

24. third PARTIES The Socialist Party The Communist Party
The Libertarian Party
The Green Party

25. The Socialist party
Developed in reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the horrible working conditions it produced.
Favor more public services, public ownership of utilities and some industries.

26. The communist party
A movement that started in Europe in the 1840’s by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Believe capitalists exploit workers; revolution is needed to achieve change.
Capitalism: an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, characterized by the freedom of capitalists to operate or manage their property for profit in competitive condictions

27. The libertarian party
Wishes to maximize human freedom and to reduce government and taxation.
Support smaller government, states’ rights and lower taxes.
Support personal privacy and the right to carry guns.

28. The Green party The Environmental Party.
Wants to reduce exploitation of the natural environment
exploitation: the use of something, especially for profit.

29. The TEA party Began in 2009 – Grassroots political activity
No central leadership. It is a loose affiliation of national and local groups that determine their own platforms.
Extreme right wing (conservatives) of the Republican Party
Primary Goal: Limit the size of government and reduce U.S. debt and federal budget deficit by reducing government spending.
Opposes Obamacare, abortion, gun control and illegal immigration.
Strong supporters of 2nd Amendment, prayer in school
Avoid foreign military involvement and being drawn into unnecessary conflicts

31. Assignment Democrat Republican
Create a double bubble Map comparing and contrasting the two major political parties.
Democrat
Republican