Political Party Organization
-who can be a member of a party? Anyone Membership -who can be a member of a party? Anyone -requirements? Declare yourself a member -What Party Members Do? - Promote party ideas - Get party candidates elected (raise money) - Register voters Anyone who wants to can be a member of a political party, all you have to do is declare yourself a member. Party members assist the political party on all levels (national, state, and local) by spreading the party’s ideas, helping to raise money and get candidates elected, and registering people to vote.
Political Philosophy -Conservatives-- person who favors less government or a government that is less involved in people’s lives and is less open to reforming ideas Republican, “Right Wing” -Liberals-- people who are in favor of more government involvement and may be more open to reform Democrat, “Left Wing” -Moderates-- person who is somewhere in-between the major political parties and may have some beliefs which favor one side and other beliefs that favor the other party “On the fence”
Political Beliefs Liberals - the classical political ideology that seeks to maximize individual liberties. Moderate - an individual who holds an intermediate position between two viewpoints. Conservative - favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. Radical - commonly thought of as someone in favor of drastic reforms, which are sometimes significantly different from traditional views.
Republicans -beliefs? Conservative = LESS government involvement Status quo (keep things the same) -demographics? Rural/suburbs, older, college educated, racial majority
Democrats -tend to believe in? Liberal = MORE government involvement in people’s lives Want to reform (change) things they see are wrong (poverty) -demographic features Urban, young, religious minority, racial minority
-precincts-- Term for a district or area Organization National Level and Committee develops party goals and nominates candidates for President States have their own committees to try to get people elected to carry out those goals in that state Local levels (counties, cities, wards, precincts) volunteer and work to educate voters and get them to the polls -local -precincts-- Term for a district or area Cast ballots in the same place (major focus of political parties) -state -national -political machine– when a party so strongly controls an area that the opposing party offers little resistance Not in practice today
Political parties really focus here -all voting takes place here Projects Volunteers Needed Contact 2nd V. Chair Katie Kinnard Volunteer Coordinator 910-893-5894 Democratic County Voter Registration Drive Early March Call to Volunteer to Register Voters Telephone Calling Project Volunteers are planning a Telephone Calling Project from Headquarters Please call and volunteer to help on this important project Local Level -most important level Political parties really focus here -all voting takes place here In precincts -most volunteers work at this level -elections here affect people the most Voters care more about local politicians Also called the “grassroots” level
Grassroots Many people feel politics should be a very local concept. In other words, people of a community can govern themselves better.
State, National Level -Focuses on several elections All members have the same goals, no matter what level they work on -Lots of funds spent at this level National level -party goals developed at this level Developed by national committee, led by national chairperson -National Conventions-- Meeting held every four years when Presidential candidates are chosen and the party develops official policy beliefs
-statement of a party’s beliefs and goals Party Platform -statement of a party’s beliefs and goals Outlines what the party wants to get accomplished -planks-- what the party’s policy is on a single issue -developed at National Party Conventions Delegates from each state write the platform and nominate the national candidates -not representative of all party members Just delegates Every political party develops a party platform, a statement of beliefs of goals that the party wants to accomplish. Every different idea (or issue) placed on the platform is called a plank. Not all party ideas (or planks) make it onto the party’s national platform.
Political Platform A list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party's candidates voted into office. This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics. Individual topics are often called planks of the platform.