U.S.%20Political%20Parties

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U.S. Political Parties

• CP Political Systems

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• What is a political party?
• Organization of people who share similar ideas
  about the way the country should be governed

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Political Party Systems

• 3 Political Party Systems in the World
• 1.) One Party System Political party and the
  government are the SAME
• Only 1 party, so no competing ideas
• Party membership based on lineage, wealth,
  military power, religious power
• Example China (Communist Party)

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Political Party Systems

• 2.) Multi-Party System Three or more parties
  compete for control of the government
• Common in Europe, Israel, Japan
• Advantage provides voters with many different
  choices and ideas
• Disadvantage difficult for one party to get
  majority of votes, which leads to a Coalition
• EXAMPLE Italy (50 different govts. since
  WWII)
• Daisy Alliance Sunflower Alliance
  Italian Communist
• 500,000 votes 450,000 votes
  200,000 votes

Coalition
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Political Party Systems

• 3. Two-Party System Two parties compete with
  each other to run the government.
• Party system of U.S. Democrats and Republicans
• Advantages Continuity
• Disadvantages Minority parties (third parties)
  receive little attention focus is on two main
  parties

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• George Washington against political parties
• parties serve their own interests
• parties not beneficial to American people
• Parties formed after his exit
• Democratic-Republicans
• 2. Federalists

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• Democratic-Republicans
• Supported states rights
• Supported economy based on agriculture
• Power in hands of all people
• Led by Thomas Jefferson

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• Federalists
• Supported strong national govt.
• Supported economy based on industry
• Power in hands of wealthy and educated
• Led by Alexander Hamilton

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• Federalists Breakup
• Federalists gradually disappear no political
  momentum
• John Adams only party member to be elected
  President
• Supporters formed new party Whig Party
  (1834-1856)

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• Mid 1820s Democratic-Republicans breaking up
• Democratic Party formed to continue representing
  small farmers and working people

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U.S. Political PartiesBeginnings

• 1850s Democratic Party and Whig Party split
  over slavery
• Pro-slavery voters form Democratic Party
• Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats formed
  Republican Party

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U.S Political Parties Beginnings

• Republican Party
• 1860 Abe Lincoln becomes 1st Republican
  President
• Emerges as stronger of 2 parties after Civil War
• 1865-1931Only 2 Democratic Presidents elected
• Grover Cleveland
• Woodrow Wilson

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U.S. Political PartiesCharacteristics

• Democratic Party
• Tends to Attract
• Working people (blue collar)
• Liberals
• Catholics
• Minorities
• Union Members
• People in favor of govt. involvement in social
  policies

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U.S. Political PartiesCharacteristics

• Republican Party
• Tends to attract
• Businesspeople (white collar)
• Protestants
• Conservatives
• Non-minorities
• Non-union supporters
• People against govt.involvement in social
  policies

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DemocratsThe Issues

• Abortion
• Pro Choice
• Favors contraceptive education to prevent
  necessity of abortion

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DemocratsThe Issues

• Gay Rights
• Should be protected from workplace discrimination
  and hate crimes
• Should be given equal work benefits like more
  traditional families
• Largely oppose President Bushs proposal to ban
  gay marriage through a Constitutional Amendment

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DemocratsThe Issues

• Gun Control
• Strong advocates for gun control
• Supported both the Brady Bill and the Assault
  Weapons Ban

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DemocratsThe Issues

• Education
• More funding for struggling schools is necessary
• Tax money should not be used on religious schools

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How about the other side?
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RepublicansThe Issues

• Abortion Pro-life Anti-Choice
• Prefers funding go towards marriage education and
  abstinence only campaigns
• Have tried several times to pass statutes that
  would allow prosecution of acts that harm fetuses

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RepublicansThe Issues

• Gay Rights
• Against giving gays equal rights in the eyes of
  the law
• We do not believe sexual preference should be
  given special legal protection or standing in
  law
• Oppose idea of gay marriage seek to define
  marriage as union between man and woman
• Supports amendment to the Constitution defining
  marriage

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RepublicansThe Issues

• Gun Control
• Favors allowing the sale of firearms to proceed
  more easily, and with fewer safety precautions
• Opposes any new gun-control laws
• Fought the regulation and banning of assault
  weapons

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RepublicansThe Issues

• Education
• Support both the No Child Left Behind program
  and the school vouchers
• Favor school vouchers because they think that by
  giving students more educational options,
  including religious schooling, a competitive
  market will be created
• Argue public schools will be forced to improve in
  order to retain students

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans usually wear hats.

Ronald Reagan
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats usually dont.

Jimmy Carter
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats buy banned books.

Bill Clinton
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans form censorship committees, and then
  read them.

Barbara Bush
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats eat the fish they catch.

FDR Fishing in Warms Springs, GA
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans hang them on their wall.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans study the financial pages of the
  newspaper.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats put them on the bottom of their bird
  cage.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• On Saturday, Republicans head for the golf
  course, the yacht club, or the hunting lodge.

President George W. Bush yachting and golfing.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower hunting
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats get a haircut, wash the car, or go
  bowling.

A younger Bill Clinton bowling
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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans have guest rooms.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats have spare rooms filled with old baby
  furniture.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans hire exterminators

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Democrats step on the bugs

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How To Tell Em Apart

• Republicans sleep in twin beds some even in
  separate rooms.

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How To Tell Em Apart

• That is why there are more Democrats.

The Kennedy Family
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What Do Political Party Members Do??

• Major function of each party is to get its
  candidate elected to office
• Steps include
• Party members nominate, or name the candidates
  they want to run for office

2004 Republican National Convention
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What Do Political Party Members Do??

• 2. Party starts an election campaign
• An effort to gather support for its candidates
  and inform voters of the partys stand on issues
• Requires many party workers and volunteers to
  perform dozens of job that include
• Raising funds
• Polling voters/making phone calls
• Drive voters to the polls
• Register voters

John Kerry Campaigning
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What Do Political Party Members Do?

• Presidential Election Campaigns

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What Do Political Party Members Do?

• 3. Once a partys candidate is elected, the party
  helps the candidate organize and manage the govt.
• Example When a President is elected, 100s of
  job vacancies in govt. must be filled. Jobs
  usually filled by party members who have
  contributed time, energy and money to the
  campaign.
• Patronage giving jobs or special favors to party
  workers

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Political Party Organization

• Political Parties are organized at every level
• Local Party Committee Goal is to get
  candidates from party elected to local political
  office, like mayor, city councilman, school
  superintendent, etc

Mayor of Atlanta Shirley Franklin
Alvin Wilbanks Superintendent of GCPS
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Political Party Organization

• Political parties are organized at every level
• State Party Committee Goal is to get candidates
  from party elected to state political office,
  like governor, attorney general, state
  legislator, etc

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue
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Political Party Organization

• Political parties are organized at every level
• National Party Committee Goal is to get
  candidates from party elected to national
  political office, like President, Senator, House
  Representative

Georgia Representative John Linder
Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss
President of the U.S. George W. Bush
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Third Parties

• What are Third Parties?
• Parties representing minority opinions that
  challenge the Democrats and Republicans
• Some successful Third Parties
• Populist Party 1890s
• Progressive Party split off from Rep. Part in
  1912
• Libertarian Party third most popular party in
  U.S. today

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Third Parties

• 3 Kinds of Third Parties
• 1. Parties Tied to a Single Issue
• Examples
• Prohibition Party formed in 1872 to support
  banning of alcohol in the U.S.
• U.S. Marijuana Party formed to support the
  legalization of marijuana in the U.S.
• Green Party formed to protect the environment

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Third Parties

• 3 Kinds of Third Parties
• 2. Parties Tied to a Political Belief
• Examples
• Libertarian Party
• The Third Party
• Socialist Parties

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Third Parties

• 3 Kinds of Third Parties
• 3. Parties Tied to a Single Candidate
• Examples
• Reform Party formed around Presidential
  candidate Ross Perot in 1996
• American Independent Party formed around
  Presidential candidate George Wallace in 1968

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Third Parties

• America First Party
• American Heritage Party
• American Independent Party
• American Nazi Party
• Communist Party USA
• Constitution Party
• Family Values Party
• Grassroots Party
• Green Party
• Independence Party
• Labor Party
• Libertarian Party
• Light Party
• Natural Law Party
• The Third Party
• Workers World Party

• Peace and Freedom Party
• Prohibition Party
• Reform party
• The Revolution
• Socialist Party, USA
• Southern Independence Party
• U.S. Pacifist Party
• Veterans Party of America
• We the People Party
• Knights Party
• Libertarian National Socialist Green Party
• Pansexual Peace Party
• Pot Party
• Constitutional Action Party
• American Falangist Party
• U.S. Marijuana Party