5 - Political Parties

Political Parties
What is a Political Party?

 Political Party – a group of people who seek to control
government through the winning of elections and the
holding of public office
 People who have joined together based on certain common
principles/beliefs
 The two Major Parties in the U.S. are:

Republican Democratic
Why Political Parties?
 Political parties are essential to democratic
government
 They are the medium through which options are
presented to the people
 Serve as a link between the people and their government
 Some argue they are the primary method by which the will
of the people is made known to government
5 Major Functions
1. Nominating Candidates for public office
 THE major function
 Select candidate and present them to the voters
 Work to help their candidate win elections
 Candidates represent the party members and help spread
the party’s message
 Nominating is exclusive to political parties- no other
group in the political process does this
Functions of Political Parties
2. Informing and Activating Supporters
 Activate interest and participation in public affairs
 Primarily by:
 Campaigning for their candidates
BEWARE- this information is
 Taking stands on issues
biased towards its own party’s
 Criticizing the candidates/positions of their opponents
 Inform voters the way THEY want them to be informed
 Advertising
platform
3. Unite Government
 Members of political parties are connected because they
are members of the same organization
 Can link members at different levels of government to
achieve its bigger goals for the party
 Prompts its successful candidates to perform well in
office
 If they fail to do so, both party and candidate may suffer the
consequences in future elections
4. Influence Policy/Governing
 Public officeholders are regularly chosen on the basis of
party
 Congress and State legislatures are organized on party
lines
 Partisanship – government action based on firm allegiance to a
political party
 Legislative and Executive branches must cooperate in
order to accomplish anything:
 Political Parties provide the channel for these branches to work
together
5. Watchdog
 The party NOT in power closely watches the actions of
the party in power*
* Party that controls the executive branch of government; i.e., the
Presidency at the national level, or the governorship at the State
level
 Party out of power tries to convince the voters that they
should be the ones making the decisions
 Often makes those in power more responsive to the
wishes and concerns of the people
The Two-Party System
 Two’s company, but three’s a crowd!
The Two Party System
 The two major political parties dominate American
politics are:
&
 Minor—or “third”— parties do not have nearly as
much power and influence as the major parties
 Examples of minor parties include: Libertarian Party,
Communist Party USA, Green Party of the United States
Historical Basis
 U.S. has historically always been a two-party system
 Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists after the ratification of the
Constitution
 Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans formed at the
beginning of John Adam’s presidency (Federalist)
 Set the model for the Democrats
vs. Republicans we know today
The Force of Tradition
 Human institutions often become self-perpetuating
 The fact that the nation began with a two-party system is a leading
factor for the retention of it
 Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system
simply because there has always been one.
 Can explain why challenges from minor parties have made very
little headway
 Discourages minor parties
 Voters often see votes for a minor party as a wasted vote because
of the influence of &
The Two Major Parties
 Both major parties are generally alike
 Both tend to be moderate
 Both are build on compromise
 Regularly seek to occupy the “middle of the road”
 Seek the same prize: the votes of a majority of the
electorate
 To do so, they both must win over essentially the
same people
 But they do have their differences…
Republican Party
 In favor of free market capitalism
 Believe taxes should not be raised for anyone-
flat tax rate
 In favor of increased military spending
 Conservative on social issues and take stances
that uphold “traditional values”
 Oppose gay marriage, abortion, gun control, illegal
immigration, and affirmative action
Democratic Party
 Support social welfare programs
 Social security, Medicaid/Medicare, food stamps, etc.
 Believe the government should regulate the
economy to protect consumers
 Minimum wage, progressive taxation
 In favor of decreased military spending
 Liberal on social issues- believe in equality
regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Party Membership Patterns
 Each of the major parties ( & ) have always been
composed of a cross-section of the population
 However, some segments generally tend to align
themselves with one or the other
 : white males, Protestants, and business community,
historically higher income
 : African Americans, Catholics and Jews, Union

Members, historically lower income
However, in recent years the Democratic Party has seen
increased support from various celebrities
Minor Parties in the U.S.
 Sometimes difficult to describe and classify because
of their number and variety
 Some limit their efforts to small geographic regions,
while others try to influence the nation
 Most are short-lived, but a few have existed for
decades
Green Party of the United States
 Major Beliefs- environmentalism, nonviolence, social
justice, gender equality, LGBT rights, and anti-racism
 Gained major attention in the 2000 election-
Democrats blamed Ralph Nader for Al Gore’s loss
 2016 presidential candidate is Jill Stein
 Currently fighting for equal media access and inclusion in
the presidential debates
Libertarian Party
 Platform is more “culturally liberal” than the
Democrats and more “fiscally conservative” than the
Republicans
 Liberal positions- end prohibition of illegal drugs, support
gay marriage, end capital punishment, strong civil liberties,
open immigration, separation of church and state
 Conservative positions- less government intervention,
lower taxes, eliminate welfare, allow people to opt out of
Social Security
 2016 Presidential Candidate- Gary Johnson
Community Party USA
 Established in 1919, it is one of the longest-standing
minority parties in the US
 Close ties to the US Labor Movement
 Primary concerns are problems of unemployment,
underemployment, and job insecurity
 Support $15/hr minimum wage, national universal
healthcare; oppose free trade

5 - Political Parties

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

5 - Political Parties

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

5 - Political Parties

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Political Parties

What is a Political Party?

 The two Major Parties in the U.S. are:

 Serve as a link between the people and their government

 : African Americans, Catholics and Jews, Union

You might also like