1. Political Parties

2. Objectives The student will be able to…
Identify the major parties in America
Explain and apply the roles of political parties to particular situations
Analyze a political cartoon

3. “a nation of joiners” Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
1800’s Frenchman who travelled to a new America
"In no country in the world has the principle of association been more successfully used, or more unsparingly applied to a multitude on different objects, than in America." 
"Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions, constantly form associations not only commercial and manufacturing but. . . of a thousand other kinds-- religious, moral, serious, futile, extensive or restricted, enormous, or diminutive." 

4. Political Parties
an organized group of people who share similar political views and work to influence the government in support of those views.
What are some political parties?

5. Types of Parties Major parties Minor parties
Parties that win the majority of elections
Minor parties
Any party that isn’t one of the major parties
Single issue party
Focuses on one issue
Economic protest parties
Spring up in times of economic turmoil
Splinter parties
Parties that have broken away from a major party

6. Two-Party System
A political system where to parties are primarily in control
Democrats
Liberal party
Republican
Conservative party
Currently control the House of Representatives & the Senate

7. History of Political Parties in America
1787 – didn’t technically exist
Federalists and Anti-Federalists
1791 – GW elected President
Federalists and Anti-Federalists (Democratic-Republicans)
Alexander Hamilton/John Adams vs. James Madison/Thomas Jefferson
1796 – Washington’s Farewell address
GEORGE WASHINGTON warned against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party" as inciting American citizens "with ill-founded jealousies."

9. History of American Political Parties
1815 – After the War of 1812 (British burned down the WH); people wanted unity and the two-system dissolves in the Era of Good Feelings
BUT – feud btwn JQA and Andrew Jackson; elections of 1824
Pro-Jackson: Democratic Republicans become DEMOCRATS (small government)
Anti-Jackson: Whigs
Whig Presidents: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor
Both died in offce
Whig party falls apart

10. History of American Political Parties
1852 – ex-Whigs join up with northern anti-slavery activists to form the Republican Party
Liberty for everyone (slaves to big business)
Republicans elect Abraham Lincoln in 1860
Democrats in disarray and split into north/south over the issue of slavery

12. History of American Political Parties
Reconstruction – Democrats prominent in South and Republicans dominate in the North
Emergence of Third Parties
Populist Party
Democrats pretty unpopoular – didn’t win Presidential election between
Except Woodrow Wilson; Rep. vote split between Taft/Roosevelt
(more on that in a min)

13. History of American Political Parties
Great Depression proved Republican economic views of letting big business do whatever it wanted and traditional views (Prohibition), no longer worked for the country.
FDR (Dem) believed gov’t could help people, and regulate big business (something the growing Socialist Party stood for)
Success of FDR’s New Deal shifts the lower class, blacks, immigrants, and Catholic voters to the Democratic ideology

14. History of American Political Parties
1960s – LBJ (Dem) sided with Civil Rights Movement and Richard Nixon (Rep) was more regressive towards race
The Democrats lose all southern “dixiecrats” and Republicans firmly grab hold of the South and Midwest; Democrats firmly grab coasts/metropolitan areas

15. Why don’t third parties get elected?
Traditional two-party system
Don’t have the money or appeal that Democratic/Republican Parties have
BUT….
They can shift the terms of political debate
Their ideas get incorporated into the platforms into one of the other parties.

17. Which role is the political party filling?1 4 3 2 5

18. Single Issue Parties Don’t tend to win elections Examples:
Right to Life Party
U.S. Marijuana Party

19. Economic Protest Party
Come up during recessions and depressions
Examples:
TEA Party

20. Splinter Party Has broken away from a major parties Example:
State’s Rights Democrats
The Bull Moose Party

21. Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party
Teddy Roosevelt left office in 1909
Had hand-picked Taft to follow him
Was disappointed by Taft and wanted to run again in 1912
The Republican Party didn’t re- nominate him so he made his own party
The Progressive Party aka the Bull Moose Party

22. “How Teddy has changed!”
Taft
The Latest Arrival at the Political Zoo

23. Analyzing Political Cartoons
Using the political cartoon analysis, figure out what is going on in the cartoon
What people are present?
What symbols are used?
How does the text help you understand the cartoon?
What is the event?

24. Make your own political cartoon
Reasons why third parties are not as successful as the Democratic and Republican Parties.
History of political parties in America
On the back of your political cartoon, write a few sentences with your opinion on political parties:
Do you agree with George Washington the parties are destructive to democracy, or do you think parties are necessary? Why?