1. Parties, Interest Groups,
Chapter 8:
Parties, Interest Groups,
And Public Policy

2. Political Parties

5. _________________________________
Platforms
Republican Democrat
_________________________________
Big Government
More Taxes
Gov. Regulation in business
Increases in min. wage
No prayer in school
Pro-Choice
Gun Control
Support Gay Marriage
Small Government
Tax Cuts
No business regulation
Oppose min. wage
Prayer in school
Pro-Life
Little Gun Control
Only heterosexual marriage
________________

7. What Do Political Parties Do in a Democracy?
The primary goal of parties is to get their candidates elected to office. However, they also have a number of other functions, some of which are listed below.
1. Parties recruit candidates and support campaigns. Each year, political parties seek out and enlist candidates to run for thousands of local, state, and national offices. They look for people with the skills to run a successful electoral campaign and to be effective in office. Political parties also provide some funding for candidates.
2. Parties help organize elections and inform voters. Although state and local governments run elections, political parties help by promoting voter interest and participation. They register voters and monitor the polls on Election Day. They also help inform voters on political issues.
3. Parties organize the government. Congress and most state legislatures are organized along party lines. After congressional elections, members of the majority party in Congress choose one of their members to be speaker of the house or Senate majority leader. Committee chairpersons in Congress also come from the majority party.
4. Parties unite diverse interests and make collective action possible. Parties bring diverse groups together by building coalitions based on shared beliefs and common goals. Delegates attending national party conventions create platforms that outline the party’s position on important issues. In that process, they seek to balance the interests and concerns of members from across the country. Their goal is to produce a document that all party members can unite behind to achieve their shared political objectives.
5. Parties serve as a loyal opposition to the political party in power. The goal of a political party is to win control of the government so that it can translate its objectives into laws and policies. The party not in power, or the minority, serves as a “loyal opposition” to the majority party.Minority party members act as critics of the majority party’s proposals. They also serve as government watchdogs, always on the lookout for corruption or abuses of power.

8. Two Party System PROS CONS Can cause “blind” allegiance Aligns voters
Creates concrete party lines
Third parties are not given much of a political voice
Aligns voters
Organizes government
Keeps checks over one another and a power balance
Protects against radicalism

9. Interest Groups

10. Interest Groups PROS CONS Selfish
Can be corrupt
Use money and power to influence government
“Factions” that can threaten democracy
Way to participate in political process
Keep one group from gaining too much power
Monitor government action
Inform public

11. Political Action
Committee (PAC)

12. Lobbyist

16. Think Tanks
Litigation
Grassroots
Third-Parties