1. PRE-ACTIVITY Questions… 1) Why is it sometimes difficult to make a decision when you have a choice or choices? 2) Is the decision any easier when you have more choices or fewer choices? 3) Do the choices sometimes make the decision for you?

2. Chapter 5: Political Parties

3. Joseph Stalin Leon Trotsky Karl Marx Fidel Castro Mao Zedong

4. Vince Lombardi “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” EXACTLY!! “Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.” -George Washington

5. Political Parties A group of people joined together on the basis of common principles who seek to control government in order to affect certain public policies and programs –USUALLY! In the USA, they are election-oriented

6. What do PPs do?! In the USA… –Nominate Candidates –Inform and Activate Voters (Supporters) –The Bonding Agent Function –Governing –Watchdog Contradictory to what voters are voting for!

7. Two-Party System 2 political parties dominate the political arena –Major & Minor parties Can you name the 2 major parties? Can you name any minor party? Single-member districts – winner-take-all elections –Need a plurality to win (sometimes a majority!)

8. A Diverse Society US voters give a consensus –a general agreement- on fundamental matters –Even though we are a pluralistic society Because of the diversity in US –Be aware of: partisanship Parties then work in a bipartisan manner

9. Other Party Systems Multiparty system- several major and minor parties seriously compete for public offices –RESULT: coalition of parties working together One-party system- usually in authoritarian states

10. Know Nothings (Bull Moose) Progressives Socialist Prohibition Socialist Labor Greenback Natural Law States’ Rights (Dixiecrats) Green Popularist Objectivist Communist Reform American Independent Tea Party Patriots Libertarians Constitution American Nazi California Secessionist Free Federalist Jeffersonian People’s Labor etc.

11. Minor Parties In the USA, 4 major minor parties: –Ideological parties –Single-issue parties –Economic protest parties –Splinter parties Important: role of critic and innovator