Mini Assessment Crash Course! What to know about your Topic 2 Mini Assessment!

Political Parties Definition: a group of people who share the same political belief and work towards electing a like-minded candidate to public office. The U.S. has a two-party system. Two major political parties which have the move influence. Democrats and Republicans Other smaller parties exist: Libertarian Party, Green Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party

Requirements for Office House of Representatives Senate President Age: 25 30 35 Resident: State they will represent Anywhere in the US Citizenship Status: 7 Years 9 Years Natural Born (Lived in the U.S. for 14 years)

Democrats Taxes Foreign Policy Would favor a larger government. More social programs (welfare and health care) and higher taxes to support them. Foreign Policy More reserved; less interfering. Would favor a larger government. Considered to be more liberal in it’s views.

Republicans Taxes Foreign Policy Would favor a smaller government. Less government sponsored programs leading to lesser taxes Foreign Policy Stronger foreign policy including the military Would favor a smaller government. Would be considered more conservative in their views.

Libertarian Taxes Freedoms Shared views Less taxes and less government spending Freedoms Focus is on freedom of speech, religion, bearing arms (guns) privacy, states’ rights, etc. Shared views Many views of the libertarian party are shared with Republicans.

Green Party General focus The environment Belief that the competition of modern society has lead to exploitation of people and the environment

Socialist Party General views Believe in public ownership of energy, resources, transportation, housing, etc. Advocate for free schooling (college & university) and universal healthcare. Currently inactive in the state of Florida as of 2011.

Communist Party General views Opposes cuts to social services and education, as well as tax breaks for corporations. Favors universal healthcare, Medicaid, immigrant rights, etc. Believe capitalism will ultimately fail. It is considered a more extreme socialist view. The government would be in charge of the economy.

Candidates and Experience An informed voter will know where a particular candidate stands on specific issues. Knowing the experiences that they have lived through. What would qualify them? (e.g.: kind of jobs have they held? What did they study?) What policy or platform do they support? Are they an incumbent? (Someone who already holds the public office.)

How Do Voters Influence the Government? Constituents ( a voting member of a community having the power to appoint or elect.) can influence elections in many ways: Petitioning for change in their communities or country. Reaching out to candidates or current office holders by phone, email, or formal written letter. Voting for candidates who share their particular view.

How can Media Influence Voters? Political Ads: These may appear in newspapers, social media, T.V. and radio commercials. May speak positively of one candidate while making another look bad. Public debates: Debating the various topics for an audience can also inform voters of how a candidate would tackle specific issues. Phone calls and mail: Sending information to voters through these mediums has also proven effective. Examples include flyers and pre-recorded phone messages.