Political Parties and Voting

1. Political Parties and Voting

2. Political Party Vocabulary Definition of Political Party: Group of people who join together to elect a candidate to office in order to control the government. Role of Political Party: to bridge the gap between voters and the government. Purpose of Political Party: to win.

3. In order to understand parties, You must first identify the political spectrum

4. The continuum extends left & right. Liberal Conservative

5. Use information below to provide answers on your worksheet

6. Political Parties are NOT based upon: • Abortion • War in Iraq • Social Security • Gay Marriage • Welfare • Death Penalty • Gun Control • Education • Foreign Policy...

7. Major Party Platforms Democrats Republicans • Pro-choice • Anti-war • Social programs • (welfare, social security…) • Public Education • Pro-unions • Same Sex marriage • Stricter Gun Control Pro-life Tough National Defense Smaller gov’t…less taxes Vouchers Big business Traditional Family values 2nd Amendment Rights

8. Diversity in Each Party Members in the two major parties in the United States are diverse and do not necessarily share any common ideological basis. Translation: All Democrats don’t think alike All Republicans don’t think alike.

9. The Five Functions of Political Parties Nominate- name or recruit candidates, then present to voters Inform- inform and stimulate the voters about a candidate; pick and choose issues Approve- keep the party bonded by approving actions of candidate Government- (how gov’t works) many voters decide winner by party, Congress works on a partisan basis, and appointments are made according to party. Watchdog- (out of power party) parties watch the conduct of those in power, try to convince voters to oust the ones in charge

10. Why have two major Parties? • History: The nation has had two strong parties since America’s beginning. • Federalists vs. Anti-federalists • Tradition: It’s always been that way! • System: The electoral system has several features that enable only two parties to compete. • Winner take all • Single member district • Lawmakers: Minor parties often find it difficult to flourish because election laws have been written by officials who are members of the major parties.

11. Eras of Party Dominance • Between 1800 and today, there have been four eras in which one party or another has dominated national politics. • Democrats- 1800- 1860 • Republicans- 1860- 1932 • Democrats- 1932-1968 • Republicans- 1968-today ? Republican Democrat

12. Republican Dominance? (1968-today) • 1968 Richard Nixon (R) • 1974 Gerald Ford (R) • 1976 Jimmy Carter (D) • 1980 Ronald Reagan (R) • 1988 George H.W. Bush (R) • 1992 William Clinton (D) • 2000 George W. Bush (R) • 2008 Barack Obama (D)

13. Minor Parties Minor parties tend to fall into one of four categories: • –(1) Ideological—devoted to an overriding set of beliefs • Example: Communist Party, Nazi party • –(2) Single issue-party pushes one or few issues • Taxes, foreign policy, abortion, freedoms • –(3) Economic protest during times of economic hardship • Replace by Unions today • –(4) Splinter/faction: Branches off of one of the major parties • T.Roosevelt’s- Progressive party (splinter from Republican)

14. Voting: Our Power in Democracy The key building block of democracy? THE RIGHT TO VOTE

15. Voting Laws Who controls the right to vote in America? THE STATES

16. Who votes in America? The amount of people eligible to vote has grown significantly over the last two hundred years. The body of eligible voters is called the electorate.

17. Our Growing Electorate Elimination of restrictions: Religious qualifications dropped in 1810…leads to dropping of taxes, property ownership. QUOTE: Thomas Paine (1776) After observing a man who only owned a jackass, and would lose the right to vote when the jackass died. “Now tell me, which was the voter, the man or the jackass?”

18. Growing Electorate Elimination of restrictions: 15th Amendment supposedly gave the right to vote to all non-whites (1887) Jim Crow laws prevented many of the newly liberated Black-Americans to exercise the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution.

19. Growing Electorate 19th Amendment Gave the right to vote to women. (1920) Voting Rights Act of 1965 Gave enforcement to 15th Amendment Attorney general now a watchdog to discriminatory voting laws

20. Growing Electorate 24th Amendment Eliminated poll tax 26th Amendment Lowers age of vote to 18

21. Voting Requirements Citizenship U.S. Citizen Residence Usually 30 days in your state (varies) Age 18 yrs old

22. Voting Behavior What affects how we vote? Upbringing Personal beliefs Work School friends

23. Factors Affecting Voting Sociological Factors Psychological Factors Influence from people or places around us How our own thinking affects our votes

24. Sociological Factors Education: Higher edu= Rep Lower edu=Dem Income and Occupation: Higher income=Rep Lower income=Dem White collar= Rep Blue collar=Dem Sociological Religious/Ethnic Catholics/Jews-Dem Protestants-Rep Minorities-Dem TODAY VARIED* Gender and Age: Men-Rep Women-Dem Older-Rep Younger-Dem Family, other Most will vote same as family or fellow workers Geography NY, CA, Northeast-Dem Midwest-Rep Urban-Dem Rural-Rep

25. Psychological Factors • Party identification • The most important factor affecting people’s votes. • Without knowing party’s current platform, party members vote along party lines. • Straight-ticket voting • Candidates & Issues • In the televised age, voters elect candidates that project well and speak well. Image is important. • Some voters are so passionate about one issue, it is their only factor. EX. abortion

26. We the People…can only demonstrate our power… If we register and use it. Vote!

27. Fin.