1. Political Parties

2. Drill 9/26
What political party do you identify with?
Why?

3. Objective: SWBAT
Identify and analyze the origins and purpose of political parties in America

4. What IS a Political Party?
A group of persons who seek control of government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office

5. Political Parties Major Parties Each party is a coalition of people
The most common/ powerful parties
Republicans, Democrats
Each party is a coalition of people
A union of diverse views who come together to get candidates in office

6. What do parties do? The Nominating Function
Naming candidates for public office
The Informer-Stimulator Function
Educate people on issues and get people involved in public affairs

7. “Seal of Approval Function”
If a party selects you, then you have been approved by the party to have that position
Governmental Function
Lower level government officeholders are regularly appointed on the basis of party

8. Origins of Political Parties
Where do they come from?
People have ideas, people share ideas with other people
In time, people with like ideas become a group and it grows and grows

9. CW: BCR
In the Federalist #10, James Madison writes about the dangers of political “faction” in America. He goes as far to say that it could ruin the republic.
Is Madison right? Can political parties go to far? Can political factions ruin us, or are parties just a harmless necessity in our system?

10. Drill 9/29
Debate issues:
What were some of the key issues talked about in the Presidential Debate?
How do you feel the candidates did?

11. Objective: SWBAT
Analyze the evolution of the two party system in America
Analyze party interactions on key issues

12. Minor Political Parties
Minor parties have almost no chance of actually winning
Most of their candidates know this
Then why bother?

13. Minor parties Raise key questions and issues
Challenge major parties to address things they might otherwise overlook
They can be “spoilers” if they get big enough

14. Types of minor parties Ideological
Parties based on a particular set of beliefs
Communist, Socialist, Libertarian
Single-Issue
Parties that revolve around one particular idea or belief
Free Soil Party, American (“Know-Nothing”) party

15. Types of Minor Parties Economic Protest Splinter parties
Born out of difficult economic times. Focused distrust of whichever economic force is failing.
Populist party, The “Greenback” party
Splinter parties
Parties that split away from the major parties due to disagreements over key issues
Reform party (R), American Independent (D), Bull Moose Party (R)

16. Major Party Timeline
The USA has gone through many “eras” in its history. Each era was defined by single party domination
Beginning with the Federalists in create a timeline of these eras

17. Starting on page 110 With each era include the following:
Three Presidents associated with that era
Three major issues/ events or changes in party policy
A short explanation of the significance of this time period in political history
What did they do? Why were they important?

18. Drill 9/30
What purpose do minor parties serve in American political life?
What are the four types of minor party?

19. Drill 9/30
Ideological
Single-Issue
Economic Protest
Splinter

20. Objective: SWBAT
Analyze the evolution of the major political parties through US history

21. Starting on page 110 With each era include the following:
Three Presidents associated with that era
Three major issues/ events or changes in party policy
A short explanation of the significance of this time period in political history
What did they do? Why were they important?

22. Drill 10/1 Define the following: Plurality Multi-party system
Pluralism

23. Pluralism A culture consisting of many different and distinct groups
The United States is a pluralistic society
So why only two parties?

24. Objective: SWBAT
Investigate the structure of political parties in America
Compare the system of Federalism in America to the structure of Political Parties

25. “I don’t belong to an organized political party, I’m a democrat”
-Will Rogers

26. The Organization of Parties
In reality parties are not well organized
The national party communicates ideas and issues to lower levels
Lower levels SHOULD work with the national party, but this is not always the case
Honestly, there is a lot of bickering

27. Role of the Presidency
The President automatically acts as the leader of his party
GW Bush is the “leader” of the Republican party
Rarely does the party break with the President en-masse

28. The Role of Federalism Federalism acts as a DECENTRALIZING force
The movement of power away from the executive and dividing it among departments and people

29. Classwork: Guided Reading
Use Chapter 5 section 5 (pg 118) to complete the guided reading assignment
This will be collected at the end of class

30. Recap Are you happy with major parties as they stand today?
What would you change? What would you have them do differently?

31. Drill 10/2 What is the role of President in regards to his/ her party?
What acts as a “decentralizing” force on the party’s structure

32. Role of the Presidency
The President automatically acts as the leader of his party
GW Bush is the “leader” of the Republican party
Rarely does the party break with the President en-masse

33. The Role of Federalism Federalism acts as a DECENTRALIZING force
The movement of power away from the executive and dividing it among departments and people

34. Objective: SWBAT
Analyze the effectiveness of positive and negative political commercials

35. Today:
We are going to watch 10 political TV commercials from different eras
As we watch you are to record the following information:
The name of the AD
The candidate that created it
Is it a positive/ negative ad?
Do you feel that this ad was/ is effective?