Transcript Chapter 5: Political Parties - HOME

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Chapter 5
Political Parties
Section 1
Parties and What They Do

Main Idea:
 Political
parties are essential to democratic
government. In the United States, political parties have
shaped the way the government works. Today, the
major parties perform several important functions
without which our government could not function.
Section 1
Parties and What They Do

Political Party
A
group of people who try to control government by
winning elections and holding public offices
 The U.S. has 2 major parties
 Democrats
 Republicans
 Parties
action
link people and their wishes to government
Section 1
Parties and What They Do

5 major functions of Political Parties:
 Nominate
 Help
 Inform
and name candidate for public office
their candidates win elections
and inspire the people to participate in public
affairs
 Help to ensure candidates are qualified and of good
character
 Help govern based on partisanship
 Firm
 Act
allegiance to a political party
as watchdogs over the conduct of government
 keeps
a close eye on the party in power
Section 1
Parties and What they Do

Study Questions 5.1
1.
2.
What is the major function of a political party?
Which term better describes political parties in
American politics: divisive or unifying?
 Why?
Section 2
The Two-Party System

Main Idea:
 The
two-party system in the United States is a product
of historical forces, our electoral system, and the
ideological consensus of the American people. It
provides more political stability than a multiparty
system and more choice than a one-party system.
Section 2
The Two-Party System

A 2 Party System
2
major political parties dominate politics
 Minor parties (those without wide support) also exist

The first 2 American political parties arose during
the ratification of the Constitution
 Federalists
 Anti-federalists
Section 2
The Two-Party System

Why has the 2 party system lasted so long?
 Tradition
 Electoral
 Single

member district elections
Voters choose only one candidate for each office
 Winner

receives a plurality
Largest number of votes
 Election

system favors a two-party system
law tends to discourage minor parties
Bipartisan means “2”
Section 2
The Two-Party System

The U.S. is a pluralistic society


Consists of distinct cultures and groups
Consensus

A General agreement on issues tends to exist



“Either for or against”
Eliminates need for many parties
Alternative political systems:

Multiparty arrangement

Several major and minor parties compete


Usually requires a coalition
 Union of people with diverse interest to share power
Dictatorships have a one-party system

Only 1 party allowed
Section 2
The Two Party System

Study Questions 5.2
1.
2.
In what two ways does the American electoral system
tend to promote a two-party system?
How can the diversity of views represented in a
multiparty system be seen as both a strength and a
weakness?
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History

Main Idea:
 The
origins and history of political parties in the United
States help explain how the two major parties work
today and how they affect American government.
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History

Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the first
American political parties
 1800,
Anti-Federalist, Thomas Jefferson, beat the
incumbent
 Federalist

President John Adams
Anti-Federalists later became the DemocraticRepublicans
 Later,
just Democrats
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History

4 Eras of one party dominance:
 1800-1860
 Democrats




dominated through a coalition of:
Small farmers
Debtors
Frontier pioneers
Slaveholders
 Mid-1820s

they split into factions
Faction: dissenting group
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History
 1860-1932
 Republican




 The
Party controls with support of:
Business and financial interests
Farmers
Laborers
Newly freed African Americans
Great Depression ended that run
Section 3
The Two-Party System in American History
 The
Great Depression saw the return to dominance of
the Democrats

1968
 The
election of Richard Nixon has seen an era in
which neither party has dominated politics
Section 3
The 2 Party System in American History

Study Questions 5.3
1.
Which political party was the first to appear in the
new United States?
 Who
was its leader and what type of government did it
favor?
2.
What unusual feature characterizes the present era
of American two-party history?
Section 4
The Minor Parties

Main Idea:
 Many
minor parties have played important roles in
American politics. They have provided alternatives to
positions of the major parties, and sometimes have
affected particular elections and shaped public
policies.
Section 4
The Minor Parties

4 types of minor parties:

Ideological parties


Single issue parties


Focus on one public policy matter
Economic protest parties


Based on certain social, economic, or political ideas
Appear during tough financial times
Splinter parties

Parties that have broken away from one of the major parties


Most important minor party
Minor parties have an impact on politics and major parties


Draw attention, through criticism, of neglected or controversial issues
Election spoilers
Section 4
The Minor Parties

Study Questions 5.4
1.
2.
Briefly describe the four types of minor parties.
Historically, what have been the most important roles
of minor parties?