Chapter 5 Pictures

{ Because I know you all have missed them… but seriously, I think I’m spoiling you all.

 • Political Party: a group of like-minded people who join together to achieve common political goals  o Requirements    Shared Beliefs: same goals Program: agree on turning beliefs into laws once elected Chance of Success: Needs to be realistic… or does it?

 o Pressure Groups- Minority Parties  o The U.S. has had a 2 party system since 1796, despite the fact that George Washington warned against it.

So you’re saying there’s a chance… Political parties have to have shared goals and they need to have a “realistic chance to win”.

 •What do political parties try to accomplish?

 Organize a majority   Provide Electable Candidates  Screen for best candidate for elections  Join what reflects their ideas about economics, foreign policy, social welfare, personal freedom… power goes to what the majority of people wish for.

Public, media, and party leadership weed out candidates who hold unpopular, unworkable, or extremist views 

Educate Voters

 Platform: sums up stance on national priorities… hopefully people are edumacated by the time they get to the polls.

This is why they screen?

Byah…

Kind of like the way the Miss America Pageant screens out those who give terrible answers…

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY DUE BY Google for Democratic or Republican Party Platform 1. Choose two (2) issues that you either support or disagree with and write a small paragraph response.

2. Turn in to receive little extra credit.

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Finance Election Campaigns: this is huge!

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Winners Get to Run the Government

  Spoils System under Jackson: no longer in place, can’t just come in and eliminate people from jobs… keeps things running smoothly, also leads to regret.

When bad things happens, the party in charge usually loses… See: Great Depression, Vietnam, DotCom Bubble Burst, Housing Market Collapse

PGO: +5 if you can find the cost of the past presidential campaign...

I love the way they're talkin' to you. 'Cause they're winners. Winners get to do what they want.

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Why do we keep a two party system?

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Stability

 With a lot of parties, not usually a majority. This leads to a coalition between smaller parties. If one or two leave a coalition you have gridlock and nothing gets accomplished 

National Election Laws

 It’s hard to get national representation if you don’t win a state’s elections… need 51% because we have a “winner take all” system of government.

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Size of the Federal System

 Usually before a small party can win a national seat, its ideas are absorbed by a larger party 

Tradition of Alternation in Office

 No one party has ever dominated Washington D.C. completely  Democrats originally (1800-1860)  Republicans (14 of the following 18 national elections)

Gridlock

Usually before a smaller party can become too powerful, it is absorbed (hahahahah) by a larger party. (Republicans absorbed Tea Party Ideas… then spit them back out)

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How did the 2 party system start?

 o Should we ratify the constitution?

 Federalists say yes  Anti-Federalists say no, want personal freedoms (Bill of Rights) and more state power 

Democrats

  Originally the Anti-Federalists, called the Democratic Republicans Modern democrats have ties to the “common people”, using government to solve a variety of problems that individuals and states can’t solve for themselves 

Republicans

 Originally Federalists, then Whigs, then Republicans   Modern Republicans favor states’ rights and freedom from government control See what we call “Irony”?

Republican Party descended from the whigs.

CT: What haircut are you most embarrassed to say you had?

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How have 3rd parties affected our system?

 o Sectional Discontent  Represent a group of people’s views about issues (South in 1948 and 1968) 

Radical Politics

   Socialist Party Peace and Freedom Party American Nazi’s of Today 

Single Issue Parties

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What do political labels stand for? (make us feel more comfortable, left wing and right wing date back to the French Revolution)

 o Radical    Problems of the country can only be solved through extreme measures, and these need to take place immediately Radical Right- Militant, reactionary, denounce government Radical Left- Government should control means of production

Anders Breivik- Norwegian Radical Want to see video of this?

Want to see a video of this guy’s political party?

 o  o 

Liberal (left wing)

Look to the government for solutions to problems, accept interference if it would take care of basic needs 

Moderate (most people)

Accept government as it is, but favor new and better laws   o 

Conservative (right wing)

“That government governs best which governs least”, give individuals as much freedom as possible, leave most decisions up to the state or local level o But these labels don’t really cover everything…Depends who calls who what… for example, let’s draw the political spectrum line

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Patterns of Voting

   Split Ticket- support both parties Straight Ticket- support their own party Cross Over Voting- support the other party… why?

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How are political parties organized?

 PGO: Democrats_______ / Republicans_________/ Independent________ / Tea Party______ / Other ________  o National Committee  Most noticeable during election years     Plan national convention Raise money Write the party platform Run the Presidential campaign

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What happens at party conventions?

 o Control of the Convention  Used to be caucuses (closed door meetings), now it is primaries (statewide party elections) 

Platform Committee

 Come to agreement, choose majority candidate and then everyone runs behind him/her to appear united 

Steps Taken to Become President

  THE Announcement • I’m running for President of the United States… watch out for skeletons in the closet.

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o Primaries

      Test out the water for who’s in the lead Closed Primaries- only vote for your own party Open Primaries- nobody knows who you are until you vote Cross Over Primaries- You vote for the other’s candidates… why?

Many say primaries are ridiculous… Others say it allows them to be close to voters, get rid of weak candidates, and helps focus issues

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan at the National Conventions…

{ DNC 2012: God and the Capital of Israel

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National Convention

 Choose who they want… over and over and over and over and… until someone’s chosen  Dark Horse: we didn’t think he’d win the nomination…. Oh well.

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o

Campaigning

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o

 Mostly between Labor Day and day we vote

Election Day (FTAFMIN)

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o

 Computer, ballots, punch card (Chads)

Inauguration

 Lame Duck: time in office after the election and you’re on your way out  Usually they help each other get adjusted to coming in to office

And now what I need is a representative from each class who you all feel could stand the test of skeletons in the closet and run for President.