Connection to the Claim: Students investigate how political parties act as a mediating institution between citizens and government.   Claim: To what extent are individual citizens able to influence public policy? Sub-claim Question: How do political parties play a role within government?

Academic Vocabulary: Political Parties - A group of people with similar political goals and opinions Electorate - All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election. Party -A formally constituted political group, typically operating on a national basis, that contests elections and attempts to form or take part in a government. Two-Party System - Political system in which the electorate gives its votes largely to only two major parties Independent - A voter who votes for candidates on issues rather than on the basis of a political ideology or partisanship

“Next we will explore how political parties act as the middleman between voters and elected leaders.”

“Sounds innocent enough, right? But how does is it really work?” political party: Groups of people with similar interests who work together to create and implement policies “Sounds innocent enough, right? But how does is it really work?” https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-government-and- politics/political-participation/how-and-why-political-parties-change- and-adapt/v/evolution-of-political-parties-in-picking-candidates-and- voter-mobilization

“If the purpose of political parties is to work together to create and implement policies by winning elections, how do they accomplish this task, and who actually participates in the process? The answer was fairly straightforward in the early days of the republic when parties were little more than electoral coalitions of like-minded, elite politicians. But improvements in strategy and changes in the electorate forced the parties to become far more complex organizations that operate on several levels in the US political arena. Modern political parties consist of three components: the party in the electorate (the voters); the party organization (which helps to coordinate everything the party does in its quest for office); and the party in office (the office holders). To understand how these various elements work together, we begin by thinking about a key first step in influencing policy in any democracy: winning elections.”

Exploring the Political Party from Local to National Party in the electorate Party organization Party in office (government) 2 Party System

Part 1: Close Reading: Party in the Electorate Annotate the text and summaries in your notes

Part 2: Close Reading: Party Organization Annotate the text and summaries in your notes

Part 3: Close Reading: Party in Government Annotate the text and summaries in your notes

Part 4: Close Reading: 2 Party System Annotate the text and summaries in your notes

Formative Assessment: Quiz