Political Party and Election Notes

1. Political Party and Election Notes

2. 2 Major Parties • Republicans • Democrats

3. Republicans • Conservative • Cut Taxes • Favor Big Business • Pro Life • Cuts environmental spending • Favor strict sentencing for Crime • Stronger in foreign policy • Favor small government • Pro Gun Ownership • Increase defense spending

4. Democrats • Liberal • Raise Taxes • Favor labor unions • Pro Choice • Increases environmental spending • Favor alternative sentencing for crimes • Stronger in domestic policy • Favor big government • Anti Gun ownership • Decrease defense spending

5. Libertarian Party • Conservative • Favor very small government • Desire almost no government regulation.

6. Green Party • Very Liberal • Favor saving the environment and very little else.

7. Constitution Party • Formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party • In the political middle • Want government conducted by the constitution

8. Reform Party • Founded by Ross Perot in 1992 • Concerned mainly with building a strong economy

9. Splinter Parties • Parties the only appeal to a small section of parties are known as splinter parties • Splinter parties break away from the major parties to focus on one or a few issues.

10. 5 Great Presidents • George Washington • Abraham Lincoln • Franklin Roosevelt • Thomas Jefferson • Theodore Roosevelt

11. 5 Failure Presidents • James Buchannan • Warren Harding • Franklin Pierce • Andrew Johnson • Millard Fillmore

12. Requirments to be President • Must be at least 35 years old • Must be a natural born U.S. citizen • Must be a legal resident of the state you are running from.

13. Process to become president • 1. Declare intention to run • 2. Raise Money- running for president costs millions of dollars. • Mitt Romney spent $20 million not including donations he received

14. Process to become President Cont. • 3. Campaign and Debate- Candidates debate each other on TV and travel around the country making speeches

15. Process to become president Cont. • Run in primaries • A political primary is an election in which republicans run against republicans and democrats against democrats for the nomination of their political party for president.

16. 2 Types of primaries • Open Primary- A primary in which you may vote for whichever party you choose. • Closed Primary- a primary in which you must register for one political party and you must vote for a candidate in that party for the primary and general election.

17. Process to become president Cont. • Primary winners win the delegates for that state. • At the party convention delegates cast their vote for the person that won their state. The candidate with the most delegates wins the nomination

18. Process of becoming president Cont. • Nominees choose a vice president to run with them. • Candidates campaign and debate against each other.

19. Public Opinion Polls • Public opinion polls ask people who they will vote for. • Survey 100-1,000 people • Use mathematical formula to determine support for each candidate.

20. Election Day • Election day is always the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November • Never November 1, latest it can be is November 8.

21. Electoral Votes • When a candidate wins a state’s popular vote the also win that state’s electoral votes • The candidate with the most electoral votes wins • 270 electoral votes are needed to become president. • California, Texas, Florida and New York have the most electoral votes.

22. Party Era’s • Federalist Era • 1796-1824 • Major Party- Federalists • Minor Party- Anti Federalists • Major Party Coalition- Agrarian Interests • Minor Party Coalition- Southern Plantations • Important Presidents- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe • End- Election of 1824

23. Election of 1824 • Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Clay • Neither candidate had a majority • Jackson won popular vote

24. Election of 1824 Cont. • Clay uses his influence to elect Adams • Adams wins • Jackson spends the next 4 years plotting revenge and founding The Democratic Party

25. 1st democratic era • 1828-1860 • Major Party- Democrats • Minor Party- Whigs, Democratic Republicans • Major Party Coalition-Northern industrialists • Minor Party Coalition- Southern Plantations • Important Presidents- Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, James Polk • End- Election of 1860

26. Election of 1860 • Abraham Lincoln elected, 1st republican president. • Leads to southern secession and the Civil War.

27. 1st Republican Era • 1860-1892 • Major Party- Republicans • Minor Party- Democrats • Major Party Coalition- Big Business • Minor Party Coalition- None • Important Presidents- Abraham Lincoln , Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B Hayes End- The election of 1892 and the 2nd term of Grover Cleveland

28. 2nd Republican Era • 1896-1932 • Major Party- Republicans • Minor Party- Democrats • Major Party Coalition- Big Business • Minor Party Coalition- Labor Unions • Important Presidents- Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover • End- The Great Depression

29. 2nd Democratic Era • 1932-1968 • Major Party- Democrats • Minor Party- Republicans • Major Party Coalition- Unions, Civil Rights, National Defense • Minor Party Coalition- Big Business • Important Presidents- Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy • End- Election of Richard Nixon in 1968.

30. 3rd Republican Era • 1968- 2008 • Major Party- Republicans • Minor Party- Democrats • Major Party - Coalition- National Defense Minor Party Coalition- Environmental Groups, Action Groups Important Presidents- Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush End- Election of 2008