1. Political Parties

2. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 2 Key Terms Political Party Campaign Candidate Nominate Platform Watchdog Public Opinion Web Log (blog)

3. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 3 What do you know about political parties? Which symbol represents the Republican Party in American politics?

4. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 4 “The Democrats think of the elephant as bungling, stupid, pompous, and conservative—but the Republicans think it is dignified, strong, and intelligent. On the other hand, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn, silly and ridiculous— but the Democrats claim it is humble, smart, and courageous and loveable.”

5. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 5 You should know the following at the end of this lesson: What is a political party and what do political parties do? Why do people join political parties? How do political parties impact government?

6. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 6 A political party is any group of people with common interests who organize and nominate candidates for public office, conduct government, and influence public office

7. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 7 Political party members share the same views on… Defending the nation Education; health care policies such as Medicare The health of the economy Protecting the environment Managing the use of energy

8. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 8 Political parties help candidates win elections and influence government decision making.

9. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 9 A political party has many functions: 1) selects candidates to run for office 2) raises money to support campaigns 3) educates voters about issues 4) helps to operate the government 5) acts as a “watchdog” over the party in power

10. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 10 Job #1: Each political party selects candidates to run for office: Which was the Democrat’s candidate and which was the Republican candidate?

11. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 11 Job #2: Raising Money to support campaigns George W. Bush (R) $345,259,155George W. Bush (R) John Kerry (D) $309,708,090 Ralph Nader (3) $4,549,032 Michael Badnarik (L) $1,073,940 Michael Peroutka (3) $708,221 David Cobb (3) $385,707

12. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 12 Job #3: Political parties educate the voters about the issues

13. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 13 Party Platform These are the beliefs of candidates running for office.

14. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 14 Campaign strategies to educate voters: Slogans: Created to reflect the candidate’s and party’s beliefs.

15. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 15 Polls Public opinion polls are taken to refine a candidate’s platform. A poll is a survey of a particular group.

16. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 16 Internet “The internet community is wondering what its place in the world of politics is…Along comes a campaign to take back the country for ordinary human beings, and the best way to do that is through the net. We listen. We pay attention. If I give a speech and the blog people don’t like it, the next time I change the speech.” -Howard Dean

17. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 17 Job #4: Operate the government The presidents and congress people work with political parties to make laws the nation needs.

18. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 18 Job #5: Political parties are “watchdogs”

19. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 19 Paticipating in a political party. The U.S has a two-party system where the Democrats and the Republicans are the major powers. Other political parties, known as third parties, periodically participate in elections and can upset the process

20. 12/20/2015Free Template from www.brainybetty.com 2006 20 Third parties introduce and bring public attention to issues not addressed by the major two parties. When most citizens register to vote, they choose a party affiliation that supports their views.