1. Development of Parties
Ch. 16, Sect. 1 (pg. 453)

2. Name: Date: Ch. 16, Sec. 1 “Development of (Political) Parties”
Define 3 Key Terms (p. 453) 1. 2. 3.

3. Warm up
Local State California Issues 1. 2. 3.
Federal USA Issues 2

4. What Is a Political Party?
A political party is a group of citizens who agree on major issues facing the nation and work to create public policies that reflect their views.
Parties choose, or nominate, people they want to elect to public office. These candidates campaign to get elected.

5. Parties Before the Civil War (historical review)
Parties first emerged when followers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagreed over major issues on how the U.S. government should function.
Hamilton—a “federalist”—championed a strong national government with a powerful chief executive and fully supported the Constitution.
Jefferson’s group—the “anti-federalists”—called themselves the Democratic-Republicans. They feared a powerful central government and wanted more power and rights for the states.

6. Jackson’s Democrats
In the 1820s, the Democratic-Republicans split into two factions.
Farmers and small business owners—the “common men”—nominated Andrew Jackson in 1828 and called themselves the Democratic Party.
Those who opposed Jackson formed their own party called the Whigs.
The Whigs and Democrats would dominate American politics until the Civil War.

7. Lincoln’s Republicans
In 1854, several Whigs, some Democrats and others who opposed the spread of slavery formed the Republican Party.
The Republicans came to national power with the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln as president.

8. A Two Party System
Since the Civil War, the U.S. has basically had a two-party system:
The Democratic Party that formed
under Andrew Jackson in the 1820s
(donkey = strong-willed, smart & brave)
The Republican Party that emerged
in the 1850s and 1860s with
Abraham Lincoln
(elephant = strong & dignified)

9. The Role of Third Parties
Any minor political party can be called a “third party.”
Third parties rarely win major elections, but occasionally win seats in Congress or lower offices.
Third parties influence policy on one or more issues because they believe that neither major party meets their needs.
Third parties can have a significant impact on the outcome of elections.
Ralph Nader, Green Party Candidate, 2000

10. The Impact of Third Parties
In the late 1800s, many
ideas about worker’s rights
that became laws in the 20th
Century came from the
People’s Party, also known as the “Populists.”
In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt split the Republicans when he formed the Progressive or “Bull Moose” Party. This split the Republican votes, helping Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson win the election.

11. The Impact of Third Parties (Con’t)
Many believe George Wallace, of the American Independent Party swayed the 1968 election in Republican Richard Nixon’s favor.
The Reform Party of Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot was a force in 1992 and 1996, which may have helped elect Bill Clinton.
Running as a Green Party candidate, many attribute former VP Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 to Ralph Nader.

12. Obstacles to Third Parties
Third parties find it difficult to compete financially against the major parties.
In our single-member district system, only one member is selected for each district. Most voters support a major party, so winners are usually Democrats or Republicans.
Third-party candidates must show they have support by getting a large number of voter signatures for their names to be placed on the ballot for national office.

13. U.S. Political Parties Today
Democrats are generally seen as liberal and typically feel that the federal government has a responsibility to help the poor through government intervention.
Republicans are generally viewed as conservative and usually believe that leaving the economy alone will allow for growth, giving people greater ability to help themselves with less regulation.
Many view both major parties today as increasingly centrist, with similar political platforms.

14. Congressional Quarterly’s pg 455
Answer the Critical Thinking Question!
Congressional Quarterly’s page 456
Answer the Critical Thinking Question

15. Questions to Answer
Section 1 Assessment, Pg. 457: #1 #4 #5