1. Writing Prompt Questions
What purposes do political parties serve in the U.S.?
Can you have Democracy without Political Parties? Why or Why not?
Do you think U.S. citizens value their “right” to vote?
Is Public Opinion important? Please explain why.

2. Voter Requirements

3. Universal Requirements
Citizenship: legal resident
Voting age: 18
Registration
49 states require voters to be registered
Any state could allow them to do so if it chose to

4. Outlawed Requirements
Literacy Test
Grandfather Clause
Poll Tax

5. Unit 5: Ante Up
Political Parties

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

7. Role of Political Parties
Selecting & Supporting candidates
Serve as a link
Acts as a watchdog
Set platform & planks for party
Informing the public & 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 & levels of government to communicateThe party not in power is watching the party in power

8. Platform
A political party’s statement of its goals & positions on all issues

9. Plank
A single issue on a political party’s platform

10. Party Organization

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

12. Role of Political Parties
Selecting & Supporting candidates
Informing the public
Make sure qualified representatives are carrying the people’s message to government

13. Role of Political Parties (cont)
Serve as a link
Enables the branches & levels of government to communicate
Acts as a watchdog
The party not in power is watching the party in power

14. National Level Raise money for Presidential campaigns
Organize the national convention
Create the party’s platform
Senatorial Committee – elect Senators to committees
House Committee – elect Representatives to committees

15. State Level Work on electing state officials
Work within the state to elect candidates to national office

16. Local Level Cities are divided into districts or precincts
Organizes local election efforts
Responsible for all elections

17. Republicans vs. Democrats…
Unit 5: Ante Up
Republicans vs. Democrats…
What’s the difference anyway?

18. Republicans more socially conservative economically libertarian
closer ties to both large corporation & locally owned businesses than do the Democrats
less affiliation with labor unions
strong belief in personal responsibility, limited government, & corporate entrepreneurship
generally oppose gay marriage, oppose abortion, & oppose embryonic stem cell research

19. Democrats
favors farmers, laborers, labor unions, & religious & ethnic minorities
opposed unregulated business & finance, & favored progressive income taxes
advocates for welfare spending programs targeted at the poor.
Environmentalism
advocates civil liberties, social freedoms, equal rights, equal opportunity, & a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention (what economists call a mixed-economy)
believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty & social injustice, even if that means a larger role for government & progressive taxation to pay for social services
support gay marriage, abortion, & stem cell research.

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

21. Political Spectrum in the U.S.
Far left: Radical
Left Wing: Liberal & Democrat
Left Moderate: Democratic mainstream
Centrist: Moderate. Democrat & 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”

23. Why do you think people choose not to vote?
Many Americans regularly choose not to vote in elections.
Why do you think people choose not to vote?

24. The main reason people choose not to vote is Voter Apathy – lack of interest in politics.

25. Gun Control
R: Oppose-Gun control is unconstitutional
D: Favor – Gun control is needed
Natural Environment
R: Strong environmental laws harm the economy
D: Strong regulations are needed to protect the environment
Race Relations
R: People & Business can be trusted not to discriminate
D: Strong anti-discrimination laws are needed

26. Minimum Wage
R: Oppose- raising hurts business
D: Favor – help workers
Healthcare
R: Private insurers are preferable to government mandates
D: Universal access to Healthcare
Family Values
R: “Traditional” family values
D: Support Homosexual causes

27. Unit 5: Ante Up
Types of Elections

28. Primary Election Elections held to Nominate candidates
for political office
Used to see which candidate is going to represent a political party.

29. 2 Types of Primary Elections
Closed Primary – only declared party members may vote
Open Primary – voters do not have to register, just have to choose which party to vote for before entering booth

30. General Elections Voters cast ballots to PUT A CANDIDATE IN OFFICE
Candidates of different parties run against each other for election to political office
Held first Tuesday after first Monday in November
Popular vote – votes cast by the people
Electoral vote – votes cast for President as part of the Electoral College

31. Non Partisan Elections
Political parties are prohibited from participating
Candidates organize & run without party help

32. Special Elections
Run-off Elections – when there is a “tie” a run off must be held to determine a winner
Recall – voter can remove a public official from office

33. Types of Voting

34. Absentee voting – voting earlier than the election day
Those too ill or disabled
Those who will be away from their county
Those serving in the military

35. Straight Ticket/Party Voting – voting only for one political party
Split Ticket Voting – voting for different parties for different offices in the same election