1. And the answer is: A Bell work day one
Which is a requirement for a person to become a naturalized U.S. citizen?
A. passing a U.S. history and government exam
B. working in the U.S. for at least five years
C. being born to American parents
D. serving in the U.S. military
And the answer is: A

2. Stambaugh middle civics
u.s. political parties
Stambaugh middle civics

3. Guiding question & standard
What are the American political parties and how do they shape our government? SS.7.C.2.8: Identify America’s current political parties, and illustrate their ideas about government.

4. vocabulary
Political party: an organized group of people with at least roughly similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office.
Political system: a system of politics and government.
Party platform: A list of the principles which a political party supports.
Bias: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another.

5. complete Complete the following: the brain pop worksheet.
political party survey.
Party platform worksheet.

6. Democratic platform
Healthcare: Expand coverage and cut healthcare costs (i.e., support Obamacare).
Gun control: ban all assault weapons.
Environment: healthy environment more important than healthy economy.
Taxes: Cut taxes for middle class, not the wealthy.
Business regulation: (A) Tax credits for small business. (B) stop bailing out large corporations in debt.

7. Brain Pop! Republican platform Healthcare: Anti-universal healthcare
Gun control: very little gun control laws
Environment: strong environmental laws harm the economy
Taxes: cutting taxes for everyone helps economy
Business regulation: corporate taxes do not help job creation.
Brain Pop!

8. Ticket out the door
What political party do you most identify with? Does this surprise you?

9. The correct answer is: B
Bell work day two
The correct answer is: B

10. Guiding question & standard
What are the American political parties and how do they shape our government?
SS.7.C.2.8: Identify America’s current political parties, and illustrate their ideas about government.

11. vocabulary
Candidate: a person who applies for a job or is nominated for election.
Government: the governing body of a nation, state, or community.
Society: people living together in a more or less ordered community.
Third party: a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation, especially a dispute.
Bipartisan:  the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies.

12. Brain Pop! Stop. Think. Write.
In what ways are political parties helpful?
In what ways might they be problematic?

13. What do these symbols represent?

14. Democrat – the donkey
Presidential candidate Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat ever to be associated with the donkey symbol.
His opponents during the election of 1828 tried to label him a "jackass" for his “stubborn” populist beliefs (which represented the common people – especially farmers) and slogan, "Let the people rule."
Jackson was entertained by the notion and ended up using it to his advantage on his campaign posters.
But cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with making the donkey the recognized symbol of the Democratic Party.
It first appeared in a cartoon in Harper's Weekly in 1870, and was supposed to represent an anti-Civil War faction (group). But the public was immediately taken by it and by 1880 it had already become the unofficial symbol of the party.

16. Republican – the elephant
Political cartoonist Thomas Nast was also responsible for the Republican Party elephant.
In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled "The Republican Vote." That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.

18. History of political parties
Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the first political parties
Federalists soon faded under opposition by the Democratic- Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson
The first issues they disagreed on was the power of the national government.
Democratic-Republicans would soon become the modern day Democratic party with opposition from the newly formed Whig party.

19. History cont.
Our current system emerged in when the Republican Party, or Grand Old Party was born.
Republicans were initially formed to fight slavery (Lincoln was a Republican), and they largely had the support of a majority of minorities.
Since roosevelt and the Great Depression, along with Johnson’s Great Society and civil rights, many minorities and advocates for minority rights are largely Democrats.

20. Two party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government.
As a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties.
Typically, one of the two parties holds a majority in the legislature -the majority party - while the other is the minority party.

21. Stop. Think. write
What do you think the benefits of having a two-party system are?
What are problems associated with a two party system?

22. Two party system
Supporters note that a two party system limits the choices of candidates, keeping the process from being a “free for all.”
Defined platforms and clearly defined opposition helps voters align themselves with a candidate.
Individuals have the chance to get involved with a cause that they agree with or believe in by identifying with one of the parties.

23. independents
An independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party.
Independents may agree with pieces of each major party, have more extreme ideals than either party, or focus on issues not being addressed by the other parties.
Other independent politicians are associated with a political party and may be former members of it, but choose not to stand under its label.
A third category of independents are those who may belong to or support a political party but believe they should not formally represent it and thus be subject to its policies.

24. Two’s company, & three’s a crowd?
The U.S. uses a winner-takes-all or plurality system in elections -- the candidate with the most votes is the sole winner. This system encourages candidates to gravitate towards the two major parties.
The Electoral College, campaign finance laws and ballot access laws also contribute to the dominance of the two party system.
No third party candidate has ever taken the White House -- and only one man, George Washington, ever held the position as an independent.

25. Third parties
Although politics in the US have long been dominated by a two-party system, various groups at state and federal levels have tried to break into the system -- each supporting issues and views unrepresented by the dominant parties.
Even barriers like the ballot access laws that make it difficult for third parties to get on a ticket haven't stopped these alternative parties from occasionally rising to the forefront.

26. Third parties
Third parties are most often formed in response to specific issues.
In 2000, the Green Party was just such a group, nominating political activist and former independent candidate Ralph Nader for president. The Libertarian Party is another popular third party.
Third parties contribute to the system by making the two major parties focus on certain issues. If the third party and their issue get enough attention, the other two parties are then forced to deal with that issue.
Third parties have a hard time getting on ballots in most states; many people think they are wasting their vote by voting for a third party.

27. Stop. Think. Write.
What problems might a third-party pose to the election process?

28. Third parties cont.
In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader ultimately took 2.7 percent of the popular vote in a race where a gap of only 0.5 percent separated Republican candidate George W. Bush from Democratic candidate Al Gore.
Because our system is so heavily weighted as a two-party system, opponents believe that third parties only complicate the process, stealing votes from viable candidates.

29. Political party functions
Selecting candidates - through open and closed primaries, caucuses, national conventions, or by write-in which is a popular method for third parties who can’t get on the ballot
Set goals for government - parties have platforms made up of planks, which are ideas for what government should do
Play watchdog - if Republicans are in power, Democrats act as a check on that power and vice versa
Give people a voice - like-minded people band together in political parties to improve their chances of getting their problems or issues heard by government
Jobs - It is customary for candidates to give jobs to campaign workers who helped him or her get elected. This is called patronage.

30. Presidential Election
Election process
Candidates for office must first go through primaries to narrow down the field to one nominee from both of the major political parties. Primaries can be open or closed.
Some states use a caucus instead of a primary to choose candidates.
Candidates for President are whittled down to one and are announced at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
A general election is then held to decide the winner between the Democrat, Republican and any third party candidates. Everyone votes in the general election.
Primaries & Caucuses
Presidential Election

31. Ticket out the door
On a sticky note, write one thing you learned today about political parties.

32. Group activity Will work in groups of 4-5 people.
As a group, you will read about a political party and summarize what you’ve read.
Next class, your group will then present your notes and summary to the class.

33. Directions day 1 Assign each other paragraphs to read.
As you read your paragraph(s) highlight or underline any terms/words you don’t know the meaning of.
After reading, fill out the vocabulary graphic organizer using the words you underlined.
Read the paragraphs again, and as you read find examples that explain that political parties views about government, summarize the example, & list the paragraph number where it was found to cite evidence.
Share as a group your evidence from your paragraph, and write each other’s examples down.
Then write a statement (3-5 Sentences reg; 5-8 sentences adv.) that summarizes your assigned political parties views about government.

34. Groups period Two Group a: Bercheley, Cameron, Emily W, Emily S
Group b: Robin, Renee, Michael, Anthony, Gabriel
Group c: Kalina, Johnny, Rebecca, Trent
Group d:Willie, Bryan, Jasmin, Shelbi
Group e: Ricky, Rhiannon, Efrain, Haleigh, Jacob

35. Groups period Four Group a: Robert, Hope, Chandler
Group b: Kiana, Marlon, Denisha, Tyler
Group c: Bianka, Keegan, Jacob
Group d:Lexis, Karli, Garrett, Caleb
Group e:Neelia, Alan, Kaliyah, William

36. Groups period Six Group a: Jacob, Alaysia, Daniel, Jeremy
Group b: Jarelyz, Garrett, Alex, Kailynn
Group c: Sapharia, Michael, Kristian, Shyheim
Group d: Zaria, Abel, Savanna,
Group e: Laqueshia, Christopher, Austin, Kyra

37. Groups period Eight Group a: Jonathan, Kellie, Austin
Group b: Alfredo, Josh B
Group c: Camryn, Avery, Jacob
Group d: Gavin, Destiny, Cole
Group e: Brey, Josh T

38. Groups period Two
Group a:
Group b:
Group c:
Group d:
Group e:

39. Groups period Two
Group a:
Group b:
Group c:
Group d:
Group e:

40. The correct answer is: C
Bell work day 3
The correct answer is: C

41. Directions day 2
Each group will present their summarized findings of their political party’s views on government.
As each group presents, other groups will take notes using the graphic organizer on the other side. Left column list the political party, and right column take notes.
After all groups have presented, all groups will fill out the bottom portion of the graphic organizer by answering the question asked on the worksheet.

42. The correct answer: D Bell work day 4
Why did Parliament eventually repeal the Stamp Act, which taxed goods such as newspapers and playing cards?
A. The colonists established a blockade against British goods.
B. The colonists were able to produce their own goods.
C. The colonists started destroying British goods.
D. The colonists began boycotting British goods.
The correct answer: D

43. If your first name begins with:
Please read the “political party function worksheet”, after you have finished reading we will head to the library for you to research a political party.
If your first name begins with:
A thru G: republican party
H thru N: Democratic party
O thru U: libertarian party
V thru z: socialist party