Transcript Political Parties ppt

U.S. Political Parties
George Washington


If we had listened to George, there
would be no political parties in the US
today.
“Let me warn you in the most solemn
manner against the baneful effects of
the spirit of party.”
What Are Political Parties?

A Political Party is a group
organized…
1. To Nominate Candidates
2. To Win Political Power through
elections
3. To Promote Ideas About Public
Policies
Two Main Political Parties
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Democratic Party
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More Liberal
Republican Party
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More Conservative
Democratic Party (DNC)
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Swept into Congress
in the 2006 election
Held a Super
Majority until 2010
Represented by the
Donkey
President Barack
Obama
Republican Party (RNC)
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Former President
George W. Bush
Represented by the
Elephant
Also known as the
Grand Ole’ Party
(GOP)
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Democrats
1.
2.
Core Belief: A strong government
provides needed services and
remedies inequalities
Biggest Exception: Government
should stay out of people’s moral
decisions, e.g. abortion
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Democrats
3.
Issue Agenda:
Education
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Health/social services
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Environmental protection
Emphasizes…Fairness, especially for
disadvantaged groups
Relations with Labor Unions: Close and
supportive
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4.
5.
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Democrats
6.
Core Supporters:
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Lower – Income People
East & West Coasts
Minority groups
Secular (nonreligious) individuals
Teachers – Mr. Green???
Trial Lawyers
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Republicans
1.
2.
Core Belief: A strong government
interferes with business & threatens
freedom
Biggest Exception: Government
should regulate people’s moral
decisions, e.g. abortion
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Republicans
3. Issue Agenda:
Strong Military
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Tax Cuts
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Property Rights
Emphasizes…Individual success, not
group rights
Relations with Labor Unions: Distant &
hostile
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4.
5.
What Do the Parties Stand For?
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Republicans
6.
Core Supporters:
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Higher – Income people – Mr. Green???
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South, Mountain West
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Whites
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Conservative Christians
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Businesspeople
Party Identification
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What Influences Party Identification?
1.
Family: #1 Indicator of which party you
will vote for
*Exception: If one parent sides with one
party and the other sides with another
Party Identification
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What Influences Party Identification?
2. Religion
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Catholics tend to vote Democratic,
however, this is changing because of
Right to Life
Jews – traditionally vote Democratic
Christian Evangelicals – Republican
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¾ supported George W. Bush
Party Identification
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What Influences Party Identification?
3.
Socioeconomic Status (Income)
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Lower – Income: Democratic
Higher – Income: Republican
Party Identification
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What Influences Party Identification?
4.
Regional Differences:
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East and West Coasts –
Democratic
South and Mountain West Republican
Party Identification
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What Influences Party Identification?
5.
Other Indicators
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Women tend to vote…Democrat, esp. single
women
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Minorities tend to vote…Democrat, except for
Cubans –Republican; more anti-communist
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Trend is for College–Educated to
vote…Democratic Why?
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More women and minorities are getting
college educations
Voter Turnout, 1992-2010
Year
Voting-age
population
Voter
Turnout of voting-age
registration Voter turnout population (percent)
2010**
235,809,266
NA
90,682,968
37.8%
2008*
231,229,580
NA
132,618,580*
56.8
2006
220,600,000 135,889,600
80,588,000
37.1
2004
221,256,931 174,800,000 122,294,978
55.3
2002
215,473,000 150,990,598
37.0
2000
205,815,000 156,421,311 105,586,274
51.3
1998
200,929,000 141,850,558
73,117,022
36.4
1996
196,511,000 146,211,960
96,456,345
49.1
1994
193,650,000 130,292,822
75,105,860
38.8
1992
189,529,000 133,821,178 104,405,155
55.1
79,830,119
Influences on Voter Turnout
1.
2.
Socioeconomic Status – lower the
income, the less likely you are to vote
Education – the higher you are
educated, the more likely you will vote
Influences on Voter Turnout
3.
Age – 18-25 year olds have the lowest
turnout
Who has the Highest???
-The Elderly – 60 and older
Influences on Voter Turnout
4.
5.
Social Connections – the more you
have, the more likely you are to vote –
more interested in what’s happening
Attitude – those who find it to be a
dirty profession, don’t vote
Third Parties
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Third Parties in the US are Secondary
Political Parties
Historically, the US has a Two Party
system
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Some say the Electoral College with its
“Winner take all” award of electors has
done this
Should we just use Popular Vote instead???
Third Parties
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Third Parties rarely win elections but do
play an important role in Democratic
Governments
Third Parties draw attention to issues that
may be ignored by the Majority Parties &
force them to adopt the issue(s) as part
of its platform.
Referendum: referring and issue to
popular vote of the people for approval or
rejection
Third Parties
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Third Parties also help increase Voter
Turnout.
Example?
Same-Sex Marriage Amendment in Ohio
(2004)
Major Third Parties
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Libertarian
Support
maximizing liberty,
especially in the
economy and in
social codes of
conduct
Small government
Environmental Third Parties
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Green Party of the
United States
Ralph Nader
Environment
The Greens/Green
Party USA
Smaller fringe party
More Third Parties
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American
Independent Party
Key Issue:
segregation
American Nazi Party
Racist often with
shaved heads
Has not fielded a
candidate since
Rockwell
Socialist Parties
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Socialist Party USA
Socialist Equality
Party
Socialist Labor Party
Socialist Workers
Party
Democratic
Socialists of America
Major Third Parties
Reform Party
 Emphasize…
Reform
 Especially in
the economy
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Briefly successful Parties
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Prohibition Party
Against the sale of
alcohol
Peace and Freedom
Party
Against Vietnam
War
That’s a party?
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Pansexual Peace
Party
Left-wing
Free love
Pot Party & U.S.
Marijuana Party
Advocate the
legalization of
Marijuana
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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Bull Moose Party (1912) – Teddy Roosevelt –
also called the Progressive Party
Women’s suffrage, banking reforms, social
welfare assistance for women and children
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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Socialist Party (1900s) – Eugene Debs
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Ran for president from jail
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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Dixiecrats (1948) – Strom Thurmond
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Segregationist Platform – race was a major
issue
Significance: First splits in Democratic Party
South used to be all Democratic
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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American Independent (1968) –
George Wallace
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Continuation of Dixiecrat –
segregationist – “Segregation today,
segregation tomorrow, segregation
forever
Opposed to racial integration
Receives 46 southern electoral votes
Shot and paralyzed (1972) by Arthur
Bremer (in order to gain fame)
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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Independent/Reform – Ross Perot
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Key focus was the economy
1992 Election – received almost 20 million
votes -19% of popular vote
NAFTA –”giant sucking
sound heading to
Mexico”
Important 3rd Party
Movements
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Green Party (2000) – Ralph Nader
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Stole votes from Al Gore
The reason Bush won???
3rd Party Important Roles &
facts
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3rd Parties tend to exist to promote a
Specific Issue or Personality
Growing trend is for a major party to
help a 3rd Party with the idea of taking
votes that would likely go to a major
party – This is the classic “Divide
&Conquer” tactic
3rd Party Important Roles &
Facts
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Currently, the Green Party is viewed as
pulling more from the Democrats while
the Libertarian takes more votes from
the Republicans