 A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and holding of public office  REPUBLICAN  DEMOCRAT  Who was the first democrat?  Who was the first republican?  Who is the current Dem. Candidate for pres.?  Who is the current Rep. Candidate for pres.?

 To run for office you need money!  Two ways:  Donations  Personal account  Anyone can donate to a presidential or political figure’s election  SUPER PAC  The creation of a group of very rich people that use their money and their businesses money to get a politician elected

 OBAMA COMMERCIAL OBAMA COMMERCIAL

 Believe in America - YouTube Believe in America - YouTube

 Elections are shaped to preserve, protect and defend the two major parties in America  This promotes compromise  Too many parties = too many radical ideas  Bipartisan is when compromise is made between 2 parties. So if you were to act Partisan, you would refuse to work with someone from another party

 Our government was created without political parties.  The first were the Federalists and the Anti-federalists. Alexander Hamilton led the Fed.  Then Thomas Jefferson started the Democratic-Republican party

 Era of the democrats:  Led by Jefferson ( ) – The era of Good Feeling  Then, Andrew Jackson ( )  The Dem. Party started to split up, and eventually the WHIG party formed (2 presidents William henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor)  The Civil War finally split the Dem. Party up for good.

 Era of the Republicans: ( )  Led by Abraham Lincoln ( )  Began as a Whig, turned to a Republican to oppose slavery  Then Theodore Roosevelt ( )  Resurged the Republicans and led an era of progress  The Great depression of 1929 took the wind out of the Rep.

 The Return of the democrats:  Led by Franklin Roosevelt ( )  Took America from the Great Depression to WWII  Then, John F. Kennedy ( )  Brought hope back to America  Lyndon Johnson ended the Era by getting America involved in Vietnam

 Era of Divided Government: 1968-present  Rep.  Dem.  Rep.  Dem.  Rep.  Dem.  A different party nearly every 4 – 8 years.  The use of main stream media: 24 hour news networks, Internet  Americans are picky, blame everything on the president.

 There are 4 distinct types of minor parties: 1) Ideological parties: based on a particular set of beliefs  A comprehensive view of social, economic and political matters.  Most patterned after MARX  Socialist, Communist

2. Single-Issue parties – focus on only one public-policy matter.  Names usually indicate concern  EX: Free Soil  opposed the spread of slavery Know Nothings  opposed Irish Catholic immigration

3. Economic protest party – have been rooted in periods of economic discontent  They are disgusted by Major parties (Dem, Rep)  Focus their anger on enemies such as “Wall Street Bankers”  EX:  The Greenback Party – appealed to struggling farmers  The Populist Party – want public ownership of many big businesses

4. Splinter Parties – Those that have split away from other parties.  The MOST IMPORTANT of all minor parties!  They usually form around a strong personality (leader)  Examples:  “Bull Moose” (progressive) party – TEDDY ROOSEVELT  Roosevelt was a Rep. president, but switched to the BULL MOOSE  The party gained the most votes ever for a minor party candidate in  Green Party – Ralph Nader

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