Title: Political Parties: What do they do?
1Political Parties What do they do?
- Promote a political agenda to influence
government policy and action - Select candidates for election
- Educate voters
- Finance election campaigns
- Fill government positions
22 Big Tent Parties
- Both Republicans and Democrats are considered
Big Tent parties because there are many
different groups that support unrelated issues
who associate with the same party. For example,
African Americans, environmentalists, pro-choice
Americans and gay Americans all are special
interest groups whose members typically vote for
the Democrat party. - Often in American politics third parties limit
their interests to a single issue. For example,
the Green Party is a political party that puts
environmentalism at the center of its agenda.
3Role of Political Parties
Role Description
Select candidates Parties select candidates, present them to voters and work to win elections
Educate voters Parties inform people by presenting information about issues or beliefs through pamphlets, newspapers, rado, tv, speeches, conventions
4Roles, continued
Govern Those who govern are chosen on the basis of party appointments are made with an eye to the party of the potential officeholder
Finance campaigns Parties raise funds to ensure that candidates have financial support to run their campaigns
5Roles, continued
Watchdog The party that is not in power criticizes the policies of the party in power. This party plays the role of the loyal opposition.
6Question
- Which role of a political party do you think most
influences the political process?
7Political Parties Who are they?What do they
want? Democrats and Republicans
8The History of Democrats
- The first two presidents of the US, George
Washington and John Adams were Federalists. They
believed in a strong central government. Both
were wealthy men who owned property and were very
concerned with improving commerce and ensuring
property rights. - The Anti-Federalists evolved into the
Democrat-Republican party. Thomas Jefferson, the
third President of the United States was the
first Democrat-Republican to be elected
President. They were mostly supported by working
class small farmers from the South who valued
their liberties, resented big business and
possessed a general suspicion of government.
9George Washington and John Adams were both
Federalists who believed in a strong central
government.
10Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, the 3rd and
5th Presidents of the United States signed the
Constitution in support of a strong federal
government, but came to distrust an all powerful
central government. They called themselves
Democratic-Republicans and openly sympathized
with the Anti-Federalists.To learn more about
each click onThomas JeffersonJames Monroe
11Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat elected
President!
- Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the US was
an war hero who as a general defeated the British
at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of
1812. He was the first presidential candidate to
run as a Democrat. History knows him as the
first President to frequently veto laws passed in
Congress. Jackson was responsible for
enfranchising all white males (giving them the
right to vote), large Indian removal projects and
the distribution of land to white southern
farmers. Jacksons Democrats were also considered
the party in favor of slavery and as a result
typically won elections in southern states. - For more information click on http//www.whitehous
e.gov/history/presidents/aj7.html
12Andrew Jackson used a donkey to symbolize his
working class roots and ever since the Democrats
have been known as the part of the donkey.
13Democrat History Continued
- Democrats evolved into the party that
represented mainly the working classes of cities
in the North and predominantly white agricultural
workers in the South until 1932. Famous
Democrats of this time period included James
Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Woodrow Wilson.
14Franklin Delanor Roosevelt transformed the
Democrat party into what it is today.
- FDR captured the White House in 1932 and led
the United States out the Great Depression by
expanding government services like welfare,
social security, jobs programs and to a lesser
extent supporting civil rights laws. John F.
Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson continued the
tradition set by FDR in pushing forward civil
rights laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and expanding the welfare state (a type of
government designed to take care of its citizens,
rather than ask them to take care of themselves)
governments role in society with the creation of
Medicare, Medicaid and the expansion of welfare.
15Democrats Today
- Today the Democrats are commonly perceived as
the party of big government, civil rights,
womens rights, environmentalism, the poor and
pacifism (slow to go to war). - Currently three major candidates are running in
the Democrat primary in search of their partys
nomination for the 2008 election - Hillary Clinton
- Barak Obama
- John Edwards
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17History of the Republicans
- The Republicans were born in 1854 with support
of abolitionists (people against slavery) and
those who supported a strong federal government.
Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican to be
elected President. The Radical Republicans were
responsible for pushing for Reconstruction
efforts after the Civil War in the South. Later,
in the late 1880s Republicans became known as the
party of big business.
18The Republican Party was born amidst tensions
between slave and free states in 1850s. They
tended to find more support in northern states.
19History of Republicans
- In the 1920s Republicans such as Calvin
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover were known for
laissez faire economics (free market) and
isolationism (the US should mind its own business
and stay out of world affairs). They favored
small government, were against taxes and thought
that the economy could take care of itself if
left to its own devises.
20Republicans came to be associated with elephants
due to the political cartoons of Thomas Nast in
1874.
21The Republican Party transformed itself from a
political party of the North to one of the South
and West in 1968.
- The modern Republican Party was born out of
Richard Nixons Southern Strategy in which Nixon
appealed to southern white voters by proclaiming
his support of states rights and promised to make
the US safer. Today the Republican party stands
for many of the issue Richard Nixon supported
such as lower taxes, small government, the rights
to carry arms, pro-life policies, a strong
military and a smaller welfare state.
22Republicans Today!
- The Republican party today tends to support
public policies that limit the size of government
and cut taxes. Typically, they also support the
War on Terror, are generally opposed to the
legalization of abortion (pro-life) and vote
against programs to increase the size of the
welfare state. - Rudy Guiliani
- Mitt Romney
- Fred Thompson
- John McCain
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24The map below shows the states that were won by
the Democrat Presidential nominee Al Gore and the
Republican Presidential nominee George Bush in
2000.
25What are the differences between Republicans and
Democrats today?
26The Economy and Taxes
- Democrats
- Are generally in favor of large government and a
progressive tax system in which the wealthy pay a
larger share than the poor - Tend to be against international free trade
agreements because they claim that such trade
agreements hurt American workers and in
particular unions - Tend to believe in a balanced budget and are
willing to raise taxes if needed - Tend to make laws to protect American businesses
from international competition
- Republicans
- Are generally in favor of a smaller government
- Generally for free market agreements with other
countries, like NAFTA- North American Free Trade
Agreement. - Vehemently against raising taxes even if it means
a budget deficit - Tend to believe in global trade and dont tend to
protect US businesses from international
competition
27National Defense and Security
- Democrats
- Tend to cut the military budget
- Generally want to avoid American military
intervention unless supported by the United
Nations - Tend to believe in diplomacy and are slow to go
to war
- Republicans
- Believe in a strong military and are willing to
pay for it with government money - Believe in confronting American enemies with or
without UN support - Believe in using military intervention when
American interests or security is threatened more
quickly than Democrats
28Entitlements- Welfare, Medicaid, Social Security,
Health Care
- Democrats
- Generally think that the government should
provide a broad safety net (health care,
education, welfare, food stamps) for the poor and
others. - They generally think these policies help the
common good and are compassionate
- Republicans
- Generally think the government should limit or
reduce the safety net for the poor. - They believe that private businesses and
non-profit charities can provide the same services
29Crime and Punishment
- Democrats
- Tend to focus on rehabilitation programs over
long prison sentences for convicted criminals - Usually against the death penalty
- Focus on rights of the accused
- Republicans
- Tend to focus on prison sentences as a deterrent
to crime - Usually for the death penalty
- Usually for stiffer penalties for convicted
criminals
30Environmental Protection
- Republicans
- Favor fewer restrictions on businesses in the
hopes that wealthier companies will be able to be
more environmental - Many do not believe global warming is a real
threat
- Democrats
- Favor stricter regulations on businesses to
protect the environment - Believe global warming is a real threat
31Abortion and Stem Cell Research
- Democrats
- Tend to be pro-choice- believe that a woman
should always have the right to choose to have an
abortion - Tend to favor stem-cell research
- Republicans
- Tend to be pro-life- do not believe that women
have a right to have an abortion and instead call
abortion a form of murder - Tend to be against stem-cell research
32Energy Policy
- Democrats
- Focus on researching alternative energy sources
for the future
- Republicans
- Focus on securing existing energy sources for the
present and future
33Values- Same Sex Marriage and Civil Rights Laws
- Democrats
- Tend to support the right for same-sex couples to
marry
- Republicans
- Tend to oppose the right for same-sex couples to
marry
34Education
- Democrats
- Oppose using tax money for school choice
(vouchers and charters)
- Republicans
- Favor using tax money for school choice (vouchers
and charters)
35Immigration
- Democrats
- Favor looser immigration laws
- Some favor Amnesty for illegals already in the
country
- Republicans
- Favor stricter immigration laws
- Some favor punishment or deportation for illegals
already in the country
36Check Out How Each Party Feels About Issues That
Are Important to You?Which Candidate Do You
Agree With?