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Tuesday, 12/2/14, Day 6 H Essential Skill: Explicitly Assess Information and Draw Conclusions

Tuesday, 12/2/14, Day 6 H Essential Skill: Explicitly Assess Information and Draw Conclusions 1-Go over Congress test 2-Political Parties Open note review [5.1 and 5.3] 3-Bring your textbook to class this Thurs, 12/4. 1- Define: political party.

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Tuesday, 12/2/14, Day 6 H Essential Skill: Explicitly Assess Information and Draw Conclusions

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  1. Tuesday, 12/2/14, Day 6H Essential Skill: Explicitly Assess Information and Draw Conclusions 1-Go over Congress test 2-Political Parties • Open note review [5.1 and 5.3] 3-Bring your textbook to class this Thurs, 12/4

  2. 1-Define: political party A group of people who seek to control government through winning of elections and the holding of public office. • Unlike some countries, the two major political parties are not primarily principle-or issue oriented, they are instead election oriented.

  3. 2-List the five significant functions performed by political parties. Briefly explain two. 1-Nominating Candidates: selects candidates and present them to voters. 2-Informing and Activating Supporters: by campaigning for candidates; taking stands on issues and criticizing the opponents and their positions. • Inform and activate with advertisements and speeches at rallies and conventions. • Both parties try to shape positions that will attract as many voters as possible, and offend as few as possible. 3-Bonding Agent Function: Selects candidates that are people of good character and will be good office holders.

  4. 2-List the five significant functions performed by political parties. Briefly explain two. 4-Governing: Parties select officeholders. Cong. and state legs are organized on party lines and they conduct their business on the basis of partisanship: the strong support of their party and its policy stands. 5-The Watchdog Function: Party out of power criticizes the policies and behavior of the party in power; it attempts to convince voters that they should replace the party in power. These criticisms make the party in power more careful and more responsive to the people; party out of power: “The loyal opposition.” Opposed to the party, but loyal to the people and nation.

  5. 3-How did the Framers of the Constitution view political parties? They were opposed to parties [“factions”] Washington warned against parties in his Farewell Address: “The baneful effects of the spirit of party.” [1796]

  6. 4-What factors explain why the United States has always had a two-party system? 1-The Historical Basis: The ratification of the Const gave rise to the first two parties: Feds and Anti-Feds. 2-Force of Tradition: Once established: self-perpetuating. It’s always been that way. 3-The Electoral System:Single-member districts: Because only one winner can come out of each contest, voters usually face only two viable choices: They can vote for the candidate of the party holding office, or they can vote for the candidate with the best chance of replacing the current office holder. The SMD has led voters to think that a vote for a minor party candidate as a wasted vote.

  7. 4-What factors explain why the United States has always had a two-party system? 4-The American Ideological Consensus: Americans, on the whole, are ideologically similar: they share many of the same ideals, basic principles and patterns of belief. • free from bitter, fundamental disputes: econ, social, religion… This consensus has given the nation 2 major parties that look very much alike: • both tend to be moderate • built on compromise • try to occupy the middle of the road. Both seek to win over essentially the same people; there are differences: social welfare, regulation of business, taxes…

  8. 5-What is a strength and weakness of multiparty systems? Strength: produces a more diverse representation of the electorate. Weakness: instability in government; one party is often unable to win support of a majority of voters, so the power to govern is shared by a number of parties in coalition. • A coalition is a temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a government. Coalitions shift and dissolve.

  9. 6-Where would you find one-party systems in the United States? Modified one-party systems found in 1/4th of the states. Those states are either Rep or Dembecause those parties consistently win most of the elections in those states. [Red/Blue State; gerrymandering].

  10. 7- List the four distinct types of minor parties. Briefly explain two. 1-Ideological Parties: based on a particular set of beliefs: social, economic and political matters: Socialist; Communist Libertarian 2-Single-Issue Parties: Focus on a single public question: • Free Soil: against spread of slavery; • American Party [Know Nothings] opposed immigration; • Right to Life: anti-abortion. • Green Party: environment [began as single-issue, but have branched out Most single-issue parties die away as events fade or when the major parties have taken their key issues as their own.

  11. 7- List the four distinct types of minor parties. Explain two. 3-Economic Protest Parties: Rooted in periods of economic discontent: • Anti-Wall Street; foreign competition • Greenback Party tried to take advantage of discontent of farmers from 1876-1884; • Populist Party of the 1890s demanded public ownership of the railroads, telephone and telegraph companies. Economic parties disappear after the nation has climbed out of a difficult economic period. 4-Splinter Parties: Split away from one of the major parties: • TR’s Bull Moose Progressive party split from the Republicans in 1912. • Henry Wallace’s Progressive Party and the State’s Rights party in 1948 and George Wallace’s American Independent Party of 1968 have split from the Democrats. • Most formed around a strong personality.

  12. 8-What has been the importance of minor parties in the United States? A strong third party candidacy can play a decisive role-often a spoiler role-in an election. [George Wallace in 1968, Ross Perot in 1992, Ralph Nader in 2000] Serve important role as critic and innovator: unlike major party, they have been willing to take a clear-cut stand on controversial issues: • progressive income tax, • women’s suffrage, • railroads and bank regulations. However, when their proposals have gained popular support, one of the major parties have taken over those ideas

  13. Political Party Simulation Re-cap As political parties become bigger, they become more generalized. It becomes more difficult to gain consensus in larger parties. It becomes more difficult for different views to be heard. “The Big Tent Theory.” • A party seeking to appeal with diverse viewpoints and thus appeal to a larger electorate.

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