1. Political Parties

2. Political Parties How do people develop their political beliefs?
Most political acts are not the work of one person; groups typically work together to reach common goals.
Political parties play formal roles in elections and legislation.
Political parties have played huge roles in elections since about 1800.
-The purpose was to unite people with similar beliefs and goals.

3. -parties help candidates in the election process but expect the candidate to stay true to goals of the party
-U.S. has a two party system or bipartisan system (always has had two dominant parties).
-Election rules are agreed upon by the parties. It makes it very difficult for candidates of other parties as well as independents to get elected or even get on a ballot.
-Most of the framers of the Constitution didn't like political parties? Why?

4. -Parties create a connection between citizens and the government; they have grass roots members, political activitists and are organized with certain leaders.
-Parties must have platforms, get money and get organized, and get their candidates elected.
-What does the Constitution say about parties?
-Why are parties able to form?
-Historically, party leaders picked most of the candidates, but in more modern times, states (who have their own individual about how to conduct elections) have passed laws about how candidates must be chosen. How do states pick candidates now?

5. -Primaries are held from state to state
-Primaries are held from state to state. This diminishes some of the power of the party because the party does not fund the candidate before the primary.
-How was did you see this occur in the 2016 Presidential Election?
-How can this divide a party?
-Voters must register with one political party. They will vote only for candidates within that party in the primary. They usually choose to vote in the primary that they most closely identify with.
-Government officials belong to parties. They work to further their goals and to pursue the goals of the party. Sometimes differences get in the way.
-The party organization is made up of hired workers who organize the party, recruit candidates, campaign, hold events, and raise money for the party and to fund candidates in general elections.
-Parties identify potential candidates and create rules for their parties about how a candidate will receive a nomination; Typically, one candidate has to get a certain number of delegates to get the party's nomination.
-Parties must convince people to vote for their candidate and get them out to the polls.
-They hold fundraisers and try to get as much money as possible to support the party's candidate.

6. Many politicians depend on their own personal campaigns to get funding.
-Parties keep each other honest. They try to prevent corruption and misinformation and they call each other on it. How could this be particularly important during the Trump Presidency? Why would Republicans care?
-To get things done, there must be compromise and coalitions.
-Parties do not have hierarchies; many are almost autonomous at the national, state, and local levels.
-Parties, at the local level, is very grass roots; mostly comprised of volunteers; go door to door campaigning etc.; they largely operate voting at the local level.
-State committees raise money and staff campaign events.

7. -The national committee staffs and works on elections using professionals and mostly handle elections involving Senator and Representative elections. They become more involved when there is the possibility of the close election and will designate more funds to specific elections, particulary when the party is in danger of losing the majority or gaining the majority in one of the houses of Congress.
-The national party also conducts national conventions for its presidential nominee.
-The national party conducts polls, tracks public opinion, and conducts many advertising events.
THE STATE OF THE PARTIES
-Before the 1960s, parties typically controlled the legislative and executive branches. Many people voted on a straight ticket. Most Americans vote a split ticket. People consider people and issues and NOT just a party. For the most part, parties MUST work together to get things done. How is this election different?

8. -Candidates in modern years have taken control of their own campaigns and rely less on the party. How has modern media made that possible? Internet? The media is more important than ever.
about 36% - Democrat % Democrat
about 32% - Republican % Republican
about33% - Independent % Independent

9. Party Coalitions
Combination of groups of people who have a common purpose such as getting a candidate elected.
-What people have Republican and Democratic coalitions consisted of in recent
elections?
Republicans
-Veterans, military supporters
-evangelical Christians
-Libertarians
-against same sex marriage
-against affirmative action
-against more environmental standards
-people in rural areas

10. Democrats -pro-choice -African Americans and Hispanic Americans -union supporters -equal rights for LGBT community -lower income -people in urban areas -women (particularly feminists) -environmentalists

11. Which Party? Less on national defense Fewer regulations on guns
Less money on social welfare
More money for public schools
More school vouchers for private use
More tax relief for the middle and lower classes
Against private ownership of assault weapons
Supports more regulation of firearms
Less money for social welfare
More money for national defense
Tax relief for everyone, including big business

12. Party realignment happens when groups who support certain issues (coalitions) fall apart and many members switch to the alternate party. This happened during the Depression, when due to the economic situation and Republican response, many people defected to the Democratic party and they became the majority party. Democrats were elected at every level.
Critical election – when a new party starts to dominate politics.
More recently, we have dealignment, people care less about what the party says and more about the individual candidate.
-Since the 1960s, membership in the Republican party as declined somewhat;
membership in the Democratic party has sharply declined. Numbers of
independents increased.

13. Third Parties
New parties develop in the U.S.; these nondominant parties are third parties
Made up of people who feel disenfranchised by the dominant parties.
They are called splinter or bolter parties; usually feel the dominant parties are not responding to their needs.
Examples: Libertarian Party, Tea Party
Single-issue parties also exist;
Example: American Independent Party – George Wallace in 1968; issue was segregation
Third parties can influence the elections.
Example: Green Party Ralph Nader 2000 Election
Independents are NOT third party candidate.

14. America’s system is designed to have only two major parties; requires huge amounts of money and organization to get into the high levels of politics.
Most states have winner take all systems, which favors larger parties. (Exceptions: Maine and Nebraska)
2000 – Al Gore won popular vote but lost presidency.
2016 – Hillary Clinton won popular vote but lost presidency.