1. Where did these Political
Symbols come from???

2. Political Symbols - Donkey
Presidential candidate
Andrew Jackson was 1st
Democrat to be associated
with the donkey symbol.
His opponents during the 1828 election
tried to label him a “jackass” for his
Populist beliefs “Let the people rule”

3. Andrew Jackson found it amusing and used
the donkey on his campaign posters!
Political Cartoonist Thomas
Nast is credited with making
the donkey the recognized
symbol of the
Democratic Party

4. Political Symbols - Elephant
Thomas Nast is also
responsible for the
Republican Party symbol
Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion’s skin,
scaring away all of the animals in a zoo
One of the animals was labeled
“The Republican Vote” and it stuck.

6. Political Symbols - Ballot Box
Practice of secret voting
Dates back to Ancient
Greeks
used black and white balls
white - yes, black - no
placed into a bag so no
one would know your vote

7. US political parties during the early 19th
Century would print and distributed ballots
to voters
Not secret, politicians knew how you voted
Reformed: government printed all ballots
and supervised elections
so politicians could not
watch people vote.

8. Political Symbols - Uncle Sam
Cartoon representing the
government of the US
Character began to appear in
newspapers and magazines
around the 19th century
Over the years, he has evolved
into a tall, white-haired man
with a beard, dressed in
red, white and blue

9. Uncle Sam was modeled after Samuel Wilson,
a meat supplier
The US government bought their meat
from Sam during the War of 1812
Stamped his meat US and
became known as
“Uncle Sam”

10. Political Parties
and
What They Do

11. What Is A Political Party?
A group seeking to control government by winning elections and holding public office
Can be principle, issue, or election oriented

12. The Two Main Parties in the U.S. Are . . .
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS

13. 1. What do Political Parties Do. List 5 functions 2
1. What do Political Parties Do? List 5 functions 2. Which role of a political party do you think most influences the political process? Why? 3. Why does the United States have a two-party system?

15. 1st President – Thomas Jefferson
Democrats - History
1st President – Thomas Jefferson
Democrat-Republican
Supported by working class, small farmers
Resented big business
Did not trust government

16. Thomas Jefferson – 3rd James Monroe – 5th
Democratic-Republicans, sympathized with the Anti-Federalists

17. Andrew Jackson – 7th
Popular with the working class
Donkey symbol
First candidate to run as a Democrat

18. FDR transformed the party into what it is today JFK, LBJ
Democrats Today
FDR transformed the party into what it is today
JFK, LBJ
Civil rights expanded
Welfare state: government designed to take care of its citizens
Clintons, Obama

19. Democrats perceived as party of big government
civil rights
women’s rights
environmentalism
the poor
pacifism (slow to go to war)

21. First two presidents – Federalists
Republicans - History
First two presidents – Federalists
George Washington
John Adams

22. Whig presidents-Harrison, Tyler
Born 1854
Strong central government
Property owners rights
Improve commerce
Abolitionists
1st president: Abraham Lincoln

23. 1880’s – became party of big business
1920’s: Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover
Known for laissez faire economics
Isolationism
Small government
Political party of the north

24. Republican Party transformed itself 1968 Richard Nixon expanded party
Appealed to states rights
Make US safer – military growth
Lower taxes, small government
Decrease size of welfare state

25. Republican’s Today
Support public policies that limit size of government, Cut taxes
War on Terrorism
Mitt Romney
John McCain
George Bush
Ted Cruz

27. Who will be our next president?

28. Who will be our next Governor?

29. How Do We Choose A Party?
Membership - voluntary and generally composed of a mixture of the population
Segments of the population tend to support one party or the other (for a period of time)
Example: Unions favored Democrats
Business favored by Republicans

30. Reasons For Choosing a Party
Family - 2 out of 3 Americans follow party allegiance of parents
Major Events – war, depression
Economic Status
Place of Residence
Level of Education
Work Environment

31. Questions to Ponder
Should American citizens be required to vote? Why?
Do you think that voter turnout would be greater if we had more political parties?
What does a political party need to look like for you to support it?

32. http://thedailyshow. cc

33. The Two-Party System in American History

34. The Era of One-Party Domination
The Era of the Democrats, 1800–1860
Conflict over public lands
2nd bank of the United States
High tariffs, slavery
The Era of the Republicans, 1860–1932
Civil War
Reconstruction
Great Depression

35. The Return of the Democrats, 1932–1968
Great Depression
New Deal
WWII
Kennedy Assassination
The Start of a New Era - why 1968?
Great social unrest, law and order

36. Richard Nixon elected
Since 1968 the Republicans dominated the White House, while Democrats controlled Congress

38. Minority Parties in the US Ideological Parties
Based on a specific set of beliefs, including a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
Example: Libertarian Party
Receive little votes, but are long-lived

39. Single-Issue Parties Concentrate on a single public policy matter
Examples: Know Nothings,
Right-to-Life
Faded into history as issues disappear

40. Economic Protest Parties
Focus on economic discontent
Example: Greenback and Populist Parties
TEA: Taxed Enough
Already

41. Splinter Parties
Groups that break off from one of the two major parties
Examples: “Bull Moose” Party and “Dixiecrats” “Green Party”

42. The Key Role of Minority Parties
Introduced useful ideas in American Politics
Can play a “spoiler role” in an election when the two major candidates are evenly matched.
Most important is their roles as critics and reformers

43. Barriers to Minor Parties
Constitution: no mention of Political Parties
Winner-takes-all elections
Petition in all 50 states plus DC to get on ballots
PA need 67,000 signatures
Rules regarding campaign fund raising - advantages to incumbent

44. The Organization of Political Parties

45. Reality of Political Parties
Two major parties are highly decentralized (internal fighting)
No real chain of command
States parties loosely tied to national
Local parties independent of states

46. The Role of the President
The President’s party is usually more solidly united than the opposing
The President is the party leader
The other party has no comparable leader - party out of power

48. National Party Machinery Four Elements
1. National Convention
Meet to nominate the presidential and vice presidential candidate every 4 years, create party platform
2. National Committee
Handles the party’s affairs between conventions

49. National Party Machinery Four Elements
3. National Chairperson
Heads up the national committee
4. Congressional Campaign Committees
Job to increase party’s congressional seats

50. State and Local Party Machinery
State – job is to further the party’s interests in that state
Local –follow the State’s electoral map, most active a few months before an election

51. Three Elements of the Party
Party Organization
leaders, activists, and hangers-on who control party machinery
Party in the electorate
loyalists who vote their candidates
Party in government
officeholders at all levels of government

52. The Future of the Majority Parties
Political Parties have been in a state of decline since the late 1960s
Parties are unlikely to disappear as long as they continue to perform necessary functions

53. Reasons for Decline
Larger number of voters registering as independent
SPLIT-TICKET VOTING – voting for candidates of both parties for offices at the same election.

54. Reasons (cont)
Greater internal conflict
Changes in technology of campaigning.
Growth of single-issue organizations who side with a candidate on a specific issue.

55. Questions
1. What type of political party formed as the result of separating from one of the major parties?
2. What type of party grows during periods of economic discontent?
3. Name a key role minor parties play.
4. The “know nothings” are an example of what type of minor party.
5. What type of minor party usually forms around a strong personality?

56. 6. In general, how are the the organization of the two major parties in the United States characterized?
7. When Mitt Romney lost the presidential election, why didn’t he become the leader of the Republican Party?
8. What is meant by the party platform?
9. What is split-ticket voting?
10. Why do some political analysts believe that the party system may collapse?

57. 11. Tom Corbet is currently the Republican Governor of PA
11. Tom Corbet is currently the Republican Governor of PA. John Boehner is one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress. Which of the three components of the political party is this an example?