1. Political Parties in Our Democracy
The Role of Political Parties

2. How Parties Help
Political party – an organization of citizens who wish to influence and control government by getting their members elected to office
Selecting Candidates – nominate (name) candidates to run for public office
500,000 elected officials in the U.S.

3. How Parties Help Setting Goals
Platform – statement of a party’s official stand on major public issues
Plank – position statements on each specific issue in party platform
Providing Leadership (in executive/legislative branches)
“Watchdogs” – minority party watches majority

4. How Parties Help Citizens
Citizens’ Voice in Government
Elected representation
Interests, values, beliefs, goals
Informing Citizens
Arranging meetings with candidates
Canvass (door-to-door)
Involving Citizens
Campaigning (2008!!!)

5. Our two-party system

6. A Brief History The Role of Third Parties Importance of Third Parties
Gain publicity in Presidential election years
Support specific issue or area of public policy
Difficult to get on ballot
Difficult to win elections
Importance of Third Parties
Election of 2000
Nader
Ross Perot & the national debt (1992) won 19% of popular vote

7. Characteristics of Today’s Parties
Democratic = bigger government (more social programs)
Republicans = generally for less government involvement (free markets)
Taxes
Unions
Welfare
More differences

8. Party Similarities
Appeal to broad base of support (rich/poor, rural/urban)
Organization
Local/state/national organization
Grass roots (individual involvement and change from the ground up)
Precincts (voting districts)
Locally elected officials run elections
National conventions

9. Supporting a Party
Patronage – party leaders do favors for loyal supporters
Appointments
Parties in campaigns
Can work outside the definition of party platform
Voter Loyalty
Straight ticket – voting candidates of one party (party loyalty)
Split ticket – voting for candidates of more than one party (issue voting)
Independent voters – voters who do not support a particular party.

10. Choosing the Candidates

11. NOMINATIONS Three options of nominations:
Self-nomination – declaring that you are running for office
Write-In Candidates – one who asks voters to write his/her name in on the ballot
Caucus – a meeting of party leaders to discuss issues or choose candidates

12. PRIMARIES
The primary elections usually begin in February and ends in early June. Michigan’s is August 7, 2012
This gives the political party an idea of who would be their most successful candidate for president.
THREE TYPES:
DIRECT – members of a political party choose candidates to run for office
**Most candidates chosen this way**
CLOSED – voters must be registered with that particular party in order to vote in their primary
OPEN – voters do not need to declare a party before voting

13. HOW EXACTLY DO PRIMARIES WORK?

14. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS At the national conventions, delegates from
Democrats
National Convention was held from Charlotte, NC from September 3-7, 2012
Republicans
National Convention was held in August , 2012 in Tampa, Florida
At the national conventions, delegates from
each state vote on one candidate to become that
party’s official candidate for the presidency!

15. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS…

16. SO MANY CANDIDATES!
The reason primaries are so important is because they reduce the number of candidates running for each party.
Why is this important?

17. SO WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?

18. THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE

19. BARACK OBAMA Reelected in 2012 U.S. Senator from Illinois
Illinois State Senator
Graduated from Harvard Law School and was the first African American to serve as the president of the Harvard Law Review.

20. THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE

21. MITT ROMNEY From Michigan Governor of Massachusetts from 2002
Not as socially conservative
Known for business-like approach to politics

22. Libertarian Heritage & preservation of liberty Personal responsibility
Freedom from government
Self-ownership
Tolerance

23. The Libertarian
Gary Johnson
Former Governor of New Mexico

24. The Green Party Grassroots democracy
Social justice & equal opportunity
Ecological wisdom
Non-violence
Respect for diversity
Decentralization

25. The Green Party Jill Stein Physician, MA
Very active in politics regarding environmental issues
Received numerous environmental awards

26. The Constitution Party
Also known as the U.S. Taxpayers Party
Formed in 1992
Pro-life, pro-gun
Strong national defense
Restore literal interpretation of Constitution

27. The Constitution Party
Virgil Goode
Former Representative to U.S. Congress

28. Citizen’s United v. FEC
june10/scotus_01-22.html
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