Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Chapter 9: Political Parties

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Wednesday, October 18, 2006Chapter 9 Political
Parties Politics

• Section 1 Development of American Political
  Parties
• Section 2 Organization of American Political
  Parties

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Sec 1, BW1 Explaining

• Why did Washington not want political parties to
  form?
• George Washington warned that political parties
  would be a source of conflict that could tear the
  nation apart.

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Sec 1, BW2 Describing

• Why do single-issue parties form?
• Single-issue parties form to promote a social,
  economic, or moral issue.

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Sec 1, BW3 Explaining

• Why do the two major parties seem so similar?
• Both parties adopt moderate positions to attract
  large numbers of voters.

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Sec 2, BW1 Concluding

• Why is it important to build grassroots support
  for a party?
• Grassroots support includes people at the
  neighborhood level. This is where local party
  leaders can see what issues people are concerned
  about.

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Sec 1 Development of American Political Parties
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The Two-Party System

• Political party an association of voters with
  broad, common interests
• Two-party system two major political parties
• Republican Democratic parties since 1860

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Roots of the Two-Party System

• Nothing in the U.S. Constitution
• Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson limit
  national govt
• Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton
  strong national govt

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The Democratic Party

• Democratic-Republican Party split in 1828
• 1800-1816 Jeffersons party grew stronger
  Hamiltons Federalist Party faded away
• 1830-1850s Whigs (National Republicans)
  Democrats remained two major parties

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The Republican Party

• 1854 breakaway Democrats Whigs formed the
  Republican Party replaced Whig Party
• 1860 Abraham Lincoln won as first Republican
  president

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Third Parties

• Third parties almost always challenge the two
  major parties
• Populists Progressives did have impact on
  American politics
• 1890s direct election of senators an 8-hour
  work day

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Single-Issue Parties

• Arise to promote a social, economic, or moral
  issue dont last long
• 1872Prohibitionist Party ban sale of alcohol

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Ideological Parties

• Focus on changing society in major ways
• Socialist Labor Party Communist Party USA
• Libertarian Party
• Green Party

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Independent Candidates

• Form around well-known candidates
• 1980 John Anderson 1992 1996 H. Ross Perot
• Obtain large number of voter signatures have
  trouble raising enough money

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Other Party Systems

• Two-party systems are rare
• Most democracies have multiparty systems
• One-party system party government are nearly
  the same thing not democracies

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Todays Major Parties

• Basic difference belief in how much the
  government should be involved in the lives of
  Americans
• Platform series of statements
• Plank each individual part of the platform