Political Parties The Role of Political Parties

11/16 ● Log onto Canvas, you will have minutes to work on the assignment from Friday (I know you couldn’t access it). ● Go to the Political Parties Module and click on ‘Political Parties Quiz’—it is a two part assignment.

Organization of Political Parties ● The two major parties are organized at the local, state, and national levels ● All levels have the same political beliefs and want to help the party win as many elections as possible

Party Organization at the National Level ● Both parties have a National Committee o helps raise funds for presidential elections o organizes the party’s National Convention ● National chairperson o manages the office, directs the committee staff,and leads fundraising efforts  Pictured: Reince Priebus (Republican national chair)

National Conventions ● Held once every four years ● Where party members officially nominate the candidates for President and Vice President

● Obama at 2004 National Convention linklink ● Republican Nation Convention 2012 linklink

National Convention cont. ● Authorizes the selection of delegates: o a person authorized to represent others ● Delegates vs. Superdelegates: o a delegate who is seated automatically based on their current status as a party leader or elected official--such as a state Governor ● Party Platform o A list of values/actions that are supported by the party and candidate

Campaign Committees ● Both major parties have have Campaign Committees to help elect members to Congress ● Recruit candidates, raise funds, and help campaign for Congress

State Organization ● Both parties have 50 state committees ● State committees focus on electing party candidates to state offices o governor o attorney general o state legislatures

County Committees ● Both major parties have county committees o County Chairperson o Size and power varies from county to county

Local Organization ● Precinct: o A geographic area that contains a specific number of voters o Precinct camptain: organizes other party members during campaigns to encourage voting on election day ● Responsible for building the party at the “grassroots” or neighborhood level

Political Machines ● A political machine: o a powerful local party organization whose candidates win year after year ● Most infamous political machine was New York City’s Tammany Hall o William “Boss” Tweed got rich by demanding bribes from businesses in exchange for city contracts o Late 1800s o Depended mostly on immigrants

Political Machines cont. ● Most people view political machines as harmful ● Political leaders are less accountable to citizens when they don’t have to worry about getting re- elected

How Do You Join a Political Party? ● It is not a requirement to join a political party ● Offers a way to become involved in politics ● Involves no duties or obligations

Nominating Candidates ● Main goal of Political Party is to get members elected to office ● Political Parties are the only organizations that select and present candidates for nomination

Primary Elections ●Direct Primary o An election in which voters choose candidates to represent them in the general election o Does not determine the winner is, but helps determine who will represent the party in a general election

Two Types of Direct Primaries ● Closed primary o Only members of the political party can vote for party nominees ● Open primary o Voters do not need to declare their party in order to vote for party’s nominees

Other Roles Of Political Parties ● Inform citizens o Help infom citizens about public and political issues by running campaigns

Carrying the People’s Message ● Grassroots movement: o A political movement that begins with the people ● If a grassroots movement becomes strong enough, its ideas will be taken over by a Political Party o Examples: Jim Crow Laws, protecting the environment

Operating within the Government ● Run and staff the government ● Influence legislation

Act as a Watchdog ● Political Party out of power points out mistakes, wrongdoings, and misuses/abuses of power of majority Party ● Criticizes and offers solutions

The Future of Major Political Parties ● Two major political parties have been in decline since the 1960s o Growing number of “independent” voters o Big increase in split- ticket voting

Formative Assessment In the following slide you will be required to take a formative assessment focused on the information you just learned. Please select the best answer for these questions. If you miss any of these questions, please go back and review the material before you move forward.

Formative Assessment Question 1 Who runs the National Committee, directs committee staff, and leads fundraising efforts for Political Parties? National Chairperson The Presidential nominee The National Campaign Manager The Precinct Captain

Formative Assessment Question 2 What is it called when only declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party’s nominees? Closed Primary Open Primary General Election Direct Primary

Formative Assessment Question 3 What does one call a geographic unit that contains a specific number of voters? Precinct Ward County Poll

Formative Assessment Question 4 What is a powerful local party organization whose candidates win year after year? Political machine Precinct Captain Political Ward Superdelegate

Formative Assessment Question 5 Which is an election in which voters choose candidates to represent them in the general election? Direct Primary General Election Political Machine Plurality

Citations (Images and references) Slide 1:. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 5 Jun Slide 2: Jakeschov, Jana Graphic. n.p. Web. 14 Apr Slide 3: Cyberscooty,. Book Stack Graphic. n.p. Web. 14 Apr Slide 4: Levy, David Photograph. n.p. Web. 28 Apr Use: Code=12&more=yes&nameCnt=1 Code=12&more=yes&nameCnt=1 To make your citations. Take a look at this to see how it is done.