1. POLITICAL PARTIES

2.  Recruit Candidates  Organize campaigns and elections  Hold conventions  Unite factions  Protects minorities PARTY FUNCTIONS

3.  Candidates need only a plurality of votes to be elected, not a majority. In other words, the one with the most votes wins.  This is why America has only 2 equally matched parties. ELECTORAL SYSTEM

4.  Democrats  Republicans  Independents THE PARTIES

5. Democratic Party:  Generally supports the interests of labor and the poor.  Generally supports the interests of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.  Favors relatively high taxes and government spending.  Favors higher spending on social programs (like education, healthcare, and welfare) than on the military. Republican Party:  Generally supports commercial and business interests.  Generally supports the interests of the Christian community.  Favors relatively low taxes and government spending.  Favors higher spending on the military than on social programs (like education, healthcare, and welfare). PARTY PLATFORMS

6. Democratic Party:  Supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage.  Supports restrictions on campaign finance and gun ownership.  Supports liberal drug and immigration policies.  Supports investment in alternative energy sources to combat climate change. Republican Party:  Opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage.  Opposes restrictions on campaign finance and gun ownership.  Opposes liberal drug and immigration policies.  Rejects the existence of man-made climate change. PARTY PLATFORM

7. WHAT ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY?

8. WHICH PARTY WOULD YOU JOIN?

9. FORM YOUR OWN PARTIES.

10. NOW MERGE THEM.