1. Political Parties in America
AP Government: Mrs. Lacks

2. Two-party system The US is a two-party system
Democratic
Republican
Most democracies have multiple parties

3. Multi-Party Systems Country: # of parties represented in legislature
Australia: 7
Denmark:11
Germany: 5
Guatemala: 11
Iceland: 5
Israel: 12
Turkey: 4

4. Multi-Party Systems
Political Parties Represented in Danish Parliament:
Venstre (Denmark’s Liberal Party) - The largest party in Denmark with 47 seats in parliament. It is led by ex PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne) -The party has 44 of 179 seats in parliament. It is led by PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) - The party has 22 seats in parliament. It is led by Pia Kjærsgaard.
The Social Liberals (Det Radikale Venstre) - The party has 17 seats in parliament. It is led by Margrethe Vestager.  
Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti) - The party has 16 seats in parliament. It is led by Villy Søvndal.
Conservative People’s Party (Det Konservative Folkeparti) -The party has eight seats in parliament. It is led by Lars Barfoed.
Unity List (Enhedslisten) - The party has 12 seats in parliament and has a collective leadership
Liberal Alliance - The party has nine seats in parliament. It is led by Anders Samuelsen Greenland and the Faroes: two parties from each country have four seats in the Danish Parliament, three of which support the current Government. 

5. Two Party System
We have relied on the two party system since the inception of the Federalists (Alexander Hamilton) and the Democratic Republicans (Thomas Jefferson)

6. Political parties
Political parties are an essential component of republican government
What precisely is a political party?
An organization that sponsors candidates for public office under the organization’s name, label, title, or banner

7. Political parties
MOST potential voters do not know the differences between the two parties goals and philosophies, but assume they are quite dissimilar
Because of this, many stereotypes are formed about each party

8. Political party stereotypes
Democrats:
a bunch of “do-gooders” and “bleeding-hearts”
Have suspect “management skills”
have weaker credentials/less experience in dealing with the economy
Republicans:
less compassionate than Democrats
generally wealthier—are they the “country club” party?
Is a background in business useful in dealing with national economic problems?

9. What parties do
1. Nominate candidates for public office to represent the party’s message

10. What parties do 2. Influence Policy
Members of the Senate and House of Reps are also members of political parties
Senators and MCs from each party often work together to create and pass laws that support their party’s platform

11. What parties do 3. Unite Government an organization/membership
federalism

12. What parties do
4. Create balance – majority and minority

13. What parties do 5. Inform citizens Run ads Distribute pamphlets
Post blogs
Give speech advice
Bc all this info is biased, citizens must seek other sources of info

14. Political parties Major differences between Dems and Reps…
Size/scope of government
Military
Social services (welfare, unemployment)
Health Care
Immigration
Education
Privacy

15. In the beginning…
Our country has for most of its history been a two- party system, but not in the beginning
There is no mention of political parties in the Constitution
Political parties did not exist during George Washington’s two terms as president, and he warned against forming them in his farewell address

16. In the beginning… Federalist Paper #10
James Madison recognized the dangers inherent with factions (parties)
but understood them to be inevitable and more controllable if housed within the apparatus of existing government

17. In the beginning… Ratifying the Constitution Original parties
Federalists
strong central govt
Hamilton, Madison
Anti-Federalists
Stronger state govts
Jefferson, Lee
Original parties
Federalists
Strong central govt
National bank
Adams, Hamilton
Democratic- Republicans
Stronger state govts
Jefferson, Madison

18. Two-party system Neither lasted long
Oldest continuous political party: Democrats
Started in 1820s
1st POTUS: Andrew Jackson
Second oldest continuous political party: Republicans
Started in 1850s after split of Whig Party
Founded as the anti-slavery party
1st POTUS: Abraham Lincoln

19. Political Parties, Historically
Republicans ruled the White House from Lincoln to Wilson
North voted Republican for anti-slavery then switched to Democrat with New Deal
South voted Democrat until New Deal and then became Republican with the expansion of govt
Most Black Americans voted Republican until New Deal (Election of 1936), and have since remained Democrats (today, almost 90% are still dems)

22. Realignment Elections
critical elections that produce a sharp change in existing patterns of party loyalty which last a prolonged period of time
5 is US history

23. Realignment Elections
1. Democratic Republican Thomas Jefferson beats Federalist John Adams in 1800
2. Democratic Andrew Jackson beats Democratic Republican John Quincy Adams in 1828
3. Republican Abraham Lincoln wins in 1860
4. Republican McKinley beats Democrat Bryan in 1896
5. Election of 1932 – Democrat FDR breaks 72 years of Republican domination (holds for 20 years; until end of WWII)

25. Realignment Elections
Does not always refer to the executive
We see this with mid-term elections as well
Examples
1994: Republicans seized control of both chambers while Dem. Clinton was in office; Newt Gingrich & Dick Armey’s Contract with America created a coalition of voters supporting states’ rights, lower taxes, reduced federal gov’t intervention, an elimination of the welfare state, and support for Congressional term limits
2006: Democrats took both back due to a public disgruntled by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan