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Published bySharon Stevenson Modified over 6 years ago
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Political Parties An organized group of people with common beliefs that try to get their candidate elected and try to influence the government policy Partisanship
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What Political Parties Do
Use power of parties to influence government policies Organize government and determine which officials are elected/selected – 100’s jobs to be filled – link with government officials to get support for party policies Recruit candidates to run for office Organize campaigns to get candidates to win Inform voters on issues supporting their beliefs Coordinate between local, state, & federal governments
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What Do Political Party Members Do??
Election campaign Gather support for its candidates Inform voters of the party’s stand on issues Requires many party workers and volunteers to perform dozens of job that include: Raising funds Polling voters/making phone calls Drive voters to the polls Register voters John Kerry Campaigning
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Party Organization Organize elections and campaigns
Leaders of party chosen Drafts party positions/beliefs Three different organizations: National State Local
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Political Party Organization: Local
Mayor, City Councilmen, School Board
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Political Party Organization: State
Governor, Attorney General, State Legislator
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State Party Level Control state politics/campaigns - State Central Committee Unit rule: electoral college – winner of state gets all votes
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National Party Organization
National Committee to run party during the 4 years between presidential elections Democrats: 1 man and 1 woman from each state/territory At-large members: Elected officials Republicans: includes state chairpeople from the winning states in previous elections (pres., governor, or congress) National Chairperson – party spokesperson Rep: Reince Priebus; Dem: Debbie Wasserman Schultz – NOT! Fund-raise for campaigns and Organize events
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Reince and Debbie
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Political Party Organization: National
President, Senate, House Representative: Leonard Lance President of the U.S.: Donald Trump Senator Cory Booker
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National Party during Presidential Elections
Set party platform: document summarizing the party’s beliefs, policies, and positions on issues Organize National Convention every four years – meeting Choose presidential and vice presidential candidates Write and adopt platform Choose the national committee Conduct party business Attended by 1000s of delegates
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Party in Government Elected and appointed officials in government that belong to a certain party Determines Congressional leadership and committees Ticket splitting: Voters vote different parties for President and Congress – (can lead to divided government) Up since 1952 – Why: Less trust in government Less connection to party
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Influence of Parties in Elections
Dealignment: People less loyal to 2 major parties Party identification: Which party you “join” – more independents: swing voters: go back and forth to both parties Less straight-ticket voting and more ticket splitting: vote one party for Congress and the other for President (12% 1990s’ % today) Plurality (majority of votes wins) for most elections – winner-take-all (vs. proportional representation) Single-member districts = two parties Tipping: one group is large enough to change political balance – ex/California used to vote Republican – since 1992 – Democrat (40% non-white voters)
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Crossing Party Lines Sometimes Congressmen and Senators vote for a bill the opposing party wants – we have a two-party system Polarization: Congress sticks to party loyalty and won’t work across the aisle to compromise with opposing party Legislation stalls Safe seats: Congressman will be easily re-elected Swing districts – seat could be won by either party – goes back and forth Only 32 competitive seats today (7%) – ¼ were competitive in 1992
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Party Membership 1896-1932 - mostly Republican control
Progressivism: political reform Original Democrats: Personal liberties Help common white man States rights Slavery Catholics Original Republicans: Government has a large role in society Promote businesses Evangelical Protestants
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Party Membership 1932-1968 - mostly Democrats
New Deal - poor, women, blacks Southern whites until 1960s (anti-black) Combined economically liberal with socially conservative Republicans Southern whites join – already more conservative Democrats Due to civil rights New England Midwest
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Party Membership Today
Democratic Party – blue Had Senate Tends to Attract Working people (blue collar) Young Catholics Minorities Union Members People in favor of govt. involvement in social policies
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Party Membership Today
Republican Party (GOP) – red Won Congress big in 1994 Conservative Democrats (especially from south) joined 1994 Tends to attract Businesspeople (white collar) Protestants Conservatives Non-minorities Non-union supporters People against govt.involvement in social policies
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How To Tell Em Apart Republicans usually wear hats. Ronald Reagan
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How To Tell Em Apart Democrats usually don’t. Jimmy Carter
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How To Tell Em Apart Democrats eat the fish they catch.
FDR Fishing in Warms Springs, GA
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How To Tell Em Apart Republicans hang them on their wall.
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How To Tell Em Apart Republicans study the financial pages of the newspaper.
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How To Tell Em Apart Democrats put them on the bottom of their bird cage.
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How To Tell Em Apart On Saturday, Republicans head for the golf course, the yacht club, or the hunting lodge. President George W. Bush yachting and golfing. President Dwight D. Eisenhower hunting
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How To Tell Em Apart Democrats get a haircut, wash the car, or go bowling. A younger Bill Clinton bowling
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How To Tell Em Apart Republicans hire exterminators
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How To Tell Em Apart Democrats step on the bugs
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How To Tell Em Apart Republicans sleep in twin beds – some even in separate rooms.
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How To Tell Em Apart That is why there are more Democrats.
The Kennedy Family
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People Running a Campaign
Political consultant: Paid professional hired to run the campaign strategy Finance chairperson: Fundraising Pollster: Track polls and focus groups Communications Director: Publicity and respond to attacks Press Secretary: Deal with press Get Out the Vote: recruit volunteers and get people to vote
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Party-of-the-Electorate
People who identify with the political party (members)
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Realignment Group of votes switch parties
1932: Blacks moved from Republican to Democrat Party 1968: Democrat: Hubert Humphrey; Republican: Richard Nixon; American Party: George Wallace Nixon brought Southern Democrats into Republican Party – where they are today Current Trends – people moving towards independents (still only about 10%)
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Linkage Institutions Political Parties Interest Groups Media Elections
Things that connect people to the government Political Parties Interest Groups Media Elections
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Third Parties What are Third Parties?
Parties representing minority opinions that challenge the Democrats and Republicans Try to get voice heard for issues Some successful Third Parties: Populist Party – 1890’s Progressive Party – split off from Rep. Party in 1912 Libertarian Party – third most popular party in U.S. today
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Why Can it Hurt to be a 3rd Party
Committee assignments in Congress divided by party FEC (Federal Election Commission) – minor/third parties do not get matching funds for campaigns Only participate in presidential debates if received 5% of popular vote in previous election
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Third Parties Parties Tied to a Single Issue: Examples:
Prohibition Party: formed in 1872 to support banning of alcohol in the U.S. U.S. Marijuana Party: formed to support the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. Green Party: formed to protect the environment Ralph Nader 2000
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Third Parties Parties Tied to a Political Belief Examples:
Libertarian Party – laissez faire Government should not regulate economy or moral conduct The Third Party Socialist Parties
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Third Parties Parties Tied to a Single Candidate Examples:
Reform Party – formed around Presidential candidate Ross Perot in 1996 American Independent Party – formed around Presidential candidate George Wallace in 1968
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Third Parties Splinter Parties –
Split from a major party and usually take votes away from that party (spoiler effect) Bull Moose – Teddy Roosevelt
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Third Parties America First Party American Heritage Party
American Independent Party American Nazi Party Communist Party USA Constitution Party Family Values Party Grassroots Party Green Party Independence Party Labor Party Libertarian Party Light Party Natural Law Party The Third Party Worker’s World Party Peace and Freedom Party Prohibition Party Reform party The Revolution Socialist Party, USA Southern Independence Party U.S. Pacifist Party Veterans Party of America We the People Party Knights Party Libertarian National Socialist Green Party Pansexual Peace Party Pot Party Constitutional Action Party American Falangist Party U.S. Marijuana Party
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