1. Unit 4 Chapter 9 Notes “Elections”-Answers
Complete the Guided Reading / Structured Notes as you view the Power Point.

2. Standards: Essential Standards:
CE.C&G.2.8: Distinguish between one, two and multi-party governments
CE.C&G.3.6: Analyze the role media, interest groups, political parties, and propaganda play in influencing elections and public policy
CE.C&G.5.1: Explain the election process

3. Unit 4 Elections: Chapter 9 Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Political Parties and Politics
Section 1: Development of American Political Parties
Political Parties
Political Party- an association of voters with broad, common interests who want to influence or control decision making in the government by electing a party’s candidates to public office
Party members share beliefs about politics and the proper role of government
Two major political parties in U.S.
Two-party system

4. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Growth of American Parties
The Constitution does not say anything about political parties
In the late 1790’s, two rival parties formed in the U.S.- they disagreed about how the U.S. government should operate
Thomas Jefferson led one group- Democratic- Republican Party
Alexander Hamilton led the other group- Federalist Party
Both supported protection for individual rights- but differed in their beliefs of how to accomplish their goals

6. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Hamilton favored a strong national government
Wanted the president to have more power
Federalists
Jefferson wanted to limit the power of the national government
He wanted more power for state governments because they were closer to the citizens
Anti-Federalists

9. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
The Democratic Party-
Jefferson’s party called Democratic-Republican Party
1828 under leadership of Andrew Jackson party split
Those who supported Jackson called themselves the Democratic Party
1800 – 1816 Democratic Party grew stronger
Hamilton’s party called the Federalists
1800 – 1816 Federalists faded away
1816 – 1828 Democrats faced no challenges
1830 Whig Party formed (aka National Republicans)- competed with Democrats
Whigs and Democrats were the two major political parties until the 1850’s

10. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
The Republican Party-
1854 a group of breakaway Democrats and Whigs (many of whom opposed slavery) formed the Republican Party
Republican Party replaced the Whig Party
Republicans did not all agree on what to do about slavery in the South, but all agreed it had to be kept out of the Northern territories
1860 Abraham Lincoln won election as first Republican president

11. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Since 1854 Republicans and Democrats have been the 2 major political parties in the U.S.

13. Growth of Political Parties

14. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Third Parties
Called third parties because they challenge the 2 major parties
No third party candidate has ever been elected president
Ideological Parties
An ideology is a set of beliefs about how people should interact and how governments should operate

15. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Other Party Systems
Most democracies have multi-party systems where 3 or more parties compete for control of the government- one party rarely wins enough support to control the government so several parties must work together- very unstable system
Canada
Germany
Israel
One party systems are not democratic because the one party controls all politics
China- Communist

17. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
How the parties Differ
Major difference among parties is how much government involvement they believe should be in lives of Americans

18. How the Political Parties Differ
Democrat:
Democrats tend to believe the government should be more directly involved in regulating the economy and providing housing, income, education and jobs for the poor
Republican:
Republicans tend to believe that if they help the nation’s economy grow, poor people will have a better chance of finding jobs and meeting their needs on their own- they favor less government regulation of the economy as a way to promote the growth of production
Liberal on Left
Conservative on Right

21. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Read party platform to know their views and beliefs on issues
Platform- series of statements expressing the party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues
Each individual part of the platform is called a plank

22. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Section 2: Organization of American Political Parties
Organization of Political Parties
Democratic and Republican Parties are organized at the local, state, and national levels
State and Local Organizations
Each city or county is divided into election districts or precincts
Precinct- a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters
All voters in a precinct cast their ballots at the same voting place
The precinct captain organizes party members and encourages voters on Election Day
Ward- geographically connected precincts

24. Unit 4 Elections Standards: 2.8, 3.6, 5.1
Primary Elections
Today major parties in all states nominate candidates at all levels of government through direct primaries
The direct primary is an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election
Closed Primary- election in which only declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party’s nominees
Open Primary- election in which voters do not need to declare their party preference in order to vote for the party’s nominees
Majority- when one candidate wins more than half of the votes
If no candidate receives a majority vote, the party holds a runoff primary between the top two vote getters
The winner then becomes the party’s candidate in the general election