1. Political Parties in Our Democracy

2. Section 1: The Role of Political Parties
Political Party: Is an organization of citizens who wish to influence and control government by getting their members elected to office

3. Nominate: Political parties name candidates to run for public office

4. Party Platform: a statement of the party’s official stand on major public issues
Republican Party Platform
Democratic Party Platform

5. Planks: Position statements on each specific issue in a party’s platform

6. Canvass: Party members and volunteers going door-to-door handing out information and asking people which candidates they support

7. Section 2: Our Two-Party System

8. Political Parties in General
Not in the Constitution
G. Washington thought they could tear the country apart
Through most of U.S. History there has been two major parties
Many “third” parties, but have had much success in taking power.

9. Patronage- System in which party leaders perform favors for loyal supporters of the party

10. Straight Ticket: A ballot cast for all the candidates of one party

11. Split Ticket: The practice of voting for candidates of more than one party on the same ballot

12. Independent Voters: People who do not support a particular political party

13. Section 3: Choosing Candidates

14. Self- Nomination: Declaring that you are running for office

15. Write-in Candidate: one who asks voter to write his or her name on the ballot

16. Caucus: is a meeting of party leaders to discuss issues or to choose candidates

17. Direct Primary: an election in which members of a political party choose candidates to run for office in the name of the party

18. Closed Primary: a primary in which a voter must be registered as a party member and may vote only in that party’s primary

19. Open Primary: A primary in which voters do not need to declare a party before voting, but they may vote in only one party’s primary

20. Chapter 23: Voting and Election

21. Section 1: Being a Voter

22. General Election: is an election in which voters make final decisions about the candidates and issues

23. Registration: Process of signing up to be a voter
Voter ID Laws
Some say we need them to prevent fraud
Some say we do not- Voter ID Laws

24. Section 2: Influencing Your Vote/Getting the Word Out

25. Direct Mail- Way of sending messages to large groups of people through the mail

26. Media: Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the internet

27. Propaganda: A message that is meant to influence people’s ideas, opinions, or actions in a certain way

28. Bias: Favoring of one point-of-view

29. Section 3: Campaigning for Office

30. Campaign Manager: Helps plan the broad outlines of the campaign; where to go, what issues to discuss, and what images of the candidate to put forth
David Axelrod
Karl Rove

31. Campaign Press Secretary: Makes certain that the media show the candidate in the best light

32. Incumbent: someone who already holds the office for which he or she is running, and usually has a very good chance of winning again

33. Voting Amendments
15th Amendment (1869)- cannot deny someone the right to vote based upon race
19th Amendment (1920)- women’s right to vote
26th Amendment (1971)- Voting age set at 18

34. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Enacted to end discriminatory practices against African Americans in the South in relation to voting
- Ended literacy tests and poll taxes