U S Political Parties U S Political

U. S. Political Parties

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings What is a political party? – Organization of people who share similar ideas about the way the country should be governed

The Donkey and Elephant • 1828 Election btwn John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson – Considered one of the dirtiest campaigns ever – Adams was considered very dirty and immoral – His party called Jackson a “jackass” for his stubborn demeanor

• Jackson turned being a “Jackass” in his favor: highlighting the donkey’s loyalty, persistence and ability to carry a heavy load – Soon put the donkey on all his campaign items

• The elephant doesn’t come into the picture until 1864 • On a Pro Lincoln banner • Thomas Nast • Took it from there as • The political cartoonist

Political Party Systems • 3 Political Party Systems in the World 1. ) One Party System: Political party and the government are the SAME • Only 1 party, so no competing ideas • Party membership based on lineage, wealth, military power, religious power • Example: China (Communist Party)

Political Party Systems 2. ) Multi-Party System: Three or more parties compete for control of the government – Common in Europe, Israel, Japan – Advantage: provides voters with many different choices and ideas – Disadvantage: difficult for one party to get majority of votes, which leads to a Coalition: EXAMPLE – Italy (50 different govts. since WWII)

Political Party Systems 3. Two-Party System: Two parties compete with each other to run the government. – Party system of U. S. : Democrats and Republicans – Advantages: Continuity – Disadvantages: Minority parties (third parties) receive little attention – focus is on two main parties

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • George Washington against political parties Ø “parties serve their own interests” Ø “parties not beneficial to American people” • Parties formed after his exit: 1. Democratic-Republicans 2. Federalists

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • Democratic. Republicans Ø Supported states rights Ø Supported economy based on agriculture Ø Power in hands of all people Ø Led by Thomas Jefferson

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • Federalists Ø Supported strong national govt. Ø Supported economy based on industry Ø Power in hands of wealthy and educated Ø Led by Alexander Hamilton

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • Federalists Breakup Ø Federalists gradually disappear – no political momentum Ø John Adams only party member to be elected President Ø Supporters formed new party: Whig Party (1834 -1856)

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • Mid 1820’s: Democratic -Republicans breaking up • Democratic Party formed to continue representing small farmers and working people

U. S. Political Parties: Beginnings • 1850’s: Democratic Party and Whig Party split over slavery – Pro-slavery voters form Democratic Party – Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats formed Republican Party

U. S Political Parties: Beginnings • Republican Party Ø 1860: Abe Lincoln becomes 1 st Republican President Ø Emerges as stronger of 2 parties after Civil War § 1865 -1931: Only 2 Democratic Presidents elected § Grover Cleveland § Woodrow Wilson

U. S. Political Parties: Characteristics • Democratic Party – Tends to Attract ØWorking people (blue collar) ØLiberals ØCatholics ØMinorities ØUnion Members ØPeople in favor of govt. involvement in social policies

U. S. Political Parties: Characteristics • Republican Party – Tends to attract ØBusinesspeople (white collar) ØProtestants ØConservatives ØNon-minorities ØNon-union supporters ØPeople against govt. involvement in social policies

Democrats: The Issues • Abortion: – Pro Choice – Favors contraceptive education to prevent necessity of abortion

Republicans: The Issues • Abortion: Pro-life; Anti-Choice – Prefers funding go towards marriage education and abstinence only campaigns – Have tried several times to pass statutes that would allow prosecution of acts that harm fetuses

Democrats: The Issues • Environment: – Support stronger environmental laws and protection of nature – Push for cleaner air and water – Support funding for preservation (Everglades in FL; Redwoods in CA, etc…)

Republicans: The Issues • Environment: – Favor the exploration of all resources in the U. S. for energy production and have generally opposed looking for more environment-friendly power alternatives – Pushed for oil drilling in ANWR, the building of more nuclear power plants, a shift towards the use of coal, and have submitted proposals that would weaken the Clean Air Act

Democrats: The Issues • Gay Rights: – Should be protected from workplace discrimination and hate crimes – Should be given equal work benefits like more traditional families – Largely oppose President Bush’s proposal to ban gay marriage through a Constitutional Amendment

Republicans: The Issues • Gay Rights: – Against giving gays equal rights in the eyes of the law – “We do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal protection or standing in law” – Oppose idea of gay marriage; seek to define marriage as union between man and woman – Supports amendment to the Constitution defining marriage

Democrats: The Issues • Gun Control: – Strong advocates for gun control – Supported both the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban

Republicans: The Issues • Gun Control: – Favors allowing the sale of firearms to proceed more easily, and with fewer safety precautions – Opposes any new gun-control laws – Fought the regulation and banning of assault weapons

Democrats: The Issues • Health Care: – Push for more Heath Care funding (Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program) – In favor of program to ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. (100% government funded)

Republicans: The Issues • Health Care: – Believes health care should work within the free market system where competition will lower the costs of healthcare (no federal govt. involvement)

Democrats: The Issues • Foreign Policy: – Generally much more supportive of international agencies than are Republicans – support NATO and the UN – More skeptical of the Bush Administration’s rush to war than were the Republicans – Very skeptical of the handling of the reconstruction of Iraq

Republicans: The Issues • Foreign Policy: – Have brushed aside international organizations in favor of unilateral policy of preemption – Bush Doctrine supports preemptive invasion when necessary to protect the security of the U. S. – Argue that the use of American military force is essential for keeping the world safe for Democracy

Republicans: The Issues • Education: – Support both the “No Child Left Behind” program and the school vouchers – Favor school vouchers because they think that by giving students more educational options, including religious schooling, a competitive market will be created • Argue public schools will be forced to improve in order to retain students

Democrats: The Issues • Education: – More funding for struggling schools is necessary – Highly critical of No Child Left Behind, which has been under funded – Tax money should not be used on religious schools

Republicans: The Issues • Social Security: Favor privatization of social security – Citizens will be able to opt to place portions of money that would have gone into Social Security into other types of accounts. Accounts will give the opportunity to play the stock market in an attempt to increase returns. (takes away Federal responsibility)

Democrats: The Issues • Social Security: – Fundamental right of Americans – Best way to protect is to maintain federal government control – Largely oppose privatizing

Republicans: The Issues • Welfare: – Favors increasing the mandatory work week for those receiving government assistance – Support cuts in child care and training funding while pushing $200 million for marriage education – Pushing for more funding for religious organizations and charities, which then will be responsible to caring for our nation’s poor

Democrats: The Issues • Welfare: – Support increased child care for welfare recipients so they are more able to work steady jobs – Support funding for job training so recipients will be more competitive in the job market

Democrats: The Issues • Women’s Rights: – For over 20 years, have been pushing to ratify the Treaty of the Rights of Women that arose from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (would be a statement on America’s part saying that we support equal rights for all women)

Democrats: The Issues • Worker’s Rights: – Favor labor unions and workers rights • Includes right to organize free from harassment and the right to challenge employers for disability and discrimination cases. – Support worker movements to increase the minimum wage and worker benefits

Republicans: The Issues • Workers’ Rights: – Favor the rights of businesses to maximize profits – Favors workers and management working together to do what is in the best of all involved; no outside influences (against Labor Unions) – Believes Labor Unions restrict production of businesses; sees it as a regulation of business

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans usually wear hats. Ronald Reagan

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats usually don’t. Jimmy Carter

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats buy banned books. Bill Clinton

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans form censorship committees, and then read them. Barbara Bush

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats eat the fish they catch. FDR Fishing in Warms Springs, GA

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans hang them on their wall.

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans study the financial pages of the newspaper.

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats put them on the bottom of their bird cage.

How To Tell Em Apart On Saturday, Republicans head for the golf course, the yacht club, or the hunting lodge. President Dwight D. Eisenhower hunting President George W. Bush yachting and golfing.

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats get a haircut, wash the car, or go bowling. A younger Bill Clinton bowling

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans have guest rooms.

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats have spare rooms filled with old baby furniture.

How To Tell Em Apart Republicans hire exterminators

How To Tell Em Apart Democrats step on the bugs

What Do Political Party Members Do? ? • Major function of each party is to get its candidate elected to office – Steps include 1. Party members nominate, or name the candidates they want to run for office 2004 Republican National Convention

What Do Political Party Members Do? ? 2. Party starts an election campaign – An effort to gather support for its candidates and inform voters of the party’s stand on issues – Requires many party workers and volunteers to perform dozens of job that include: • • Raising funds Polling voters/making phone calls Drive voters to the polls Register voters John Kerry Campaigning

What Do Political Party Members Do? Presidential Election Campaigns

What Do Political Party Members Do? 3. Once a party’s candidate is elected, the party helps the candidate organize and manage the govt. – Example: When a President is elected, 100’s of job vacancies in govt. must be filled. Jobs usually filled by party members who have contributed time, energy and money to the campaign. – Patronage: giving jobs or special favors to party workers

National Party Machinery • The National Convention – National Conventions meet in the summer of each presidential election year to nominate the party’s candidate and write its rules and platform • The National Committee – National Committee stages the convention and handles the party’s affairs between conventions

National Party Machinery • The National Chairman – chosen by the party’s nominee, works with committee to promote unity, raise money, and recruit voters • Congressional Campaign Committees – Congressional Campaign committees work to increase their party’s congressional seats

State and Local Party Machinery • The State Organization – the job of state chairman and committee is to further the party’s interests in that state • Local Organization – local party organizations vary widely, generally following the state electoral map, with a party unit for each district in which offices are to be filled

The Three Elements of the Party • One element of each party is the party organization – leaders, activists, and hangers-on that control the party machinery • Segment of the electorate that regularly votes for that party’s candidates • Elected officials who are members of the party

The Future of the Major Parties • Political parties have been in a state of decline since the late 1960 s • Parties are unlikely to disappear as long as they continue to perform necessary functions

Political Party Organization • Political Parties are organized at every level: – Local Party Committee : Goal is to get candidates from party elected to local political office, like mayor, city councilman, school superintendent, etc…

Political Party Organization • Political parties are organized at every level: – State Party Committee: Goal is to get candidates from party elected to state political office, like governor, attorney general, state legislator, etc…

Political Party Organization • Political parties are organized at every level: – National Party Committee: Goal is to get candidates from party elected to national political office, like President, Senator, House Representative

In a presidential primary, voters cast a vote for a particular candidate, but what they are really doing is choosing delegates who will support that nominee at the party’s national nominating convention. • A delegate is an individual selected by party voters in a primary or caucus election who is committed to supporting a particular presidential nominee at the party’s national nominating convention.

• Primary Elections are elections in which voters select the candidates who will run on the party label in the general election – Open Primaries are where voters do not have to affiliate with a party before voting. – Semi-Closed Primaries are where party affiliated voters cast votes and nonaffiliated voters can choose which party’s primary to vote in. – Closed Primaries are where voters must affiliate with a party before casting a vote. – Blanket Primaries are where voters are allowed to cast votes for any party’s candidates as long as they only cast one ballot per elected office.

In a presidential party caucus, which serves the same nominating purpose, the process is less formal and more personal in that party members meet together in town halls, schools, and even private homes to choose a nominee. • A presidential party caucus is a meeting of party members in town halls, schools, and even private homes to choose a presidential party nominee.

Each state is awarded a number of delegates to the convention by the national party organization based largely on the number of Electoral College votes the state has but also on the size of party support in that state. • The Democratic Party and Republican Party allocate their delegates within the primaries and caucuses differently. • In the 1960 s members of underrepresented groups objected to the use of the unit rule, or winner-take-all system. • The Democrats formed the Mc. Govern-Fraser Commission, which recommended proportional representation.

Democrats also required that a certain percentage of each state’s delegates would be women, African Americans, and other underrepresented groups, based on their proportion in each state’s population. • States that don’t comply might not have their delegates seated at the National Convention. Democrats also created superdelegates. • Democratic Party delegates who have a vote at the national nominating convention on the basis of party status or position in government and are free to support the presidential nominee of their choice.

Republicans use the unit rule to award their delegates, with only some states award delegates by vote totals in congressional district rather than by the entire state. • Little proportional representation • No guaranteed representation for women and minorities • No superdelegates • Process is quicker and a clear winner emerges before the National Convention.

The timing of primaries has become an integral part of the presidential nomination strategy. • Candidates who win in the early primaries can solicit more campaign money and garner more endorsements from key constituent groups than those who lose. • Frontloading is the process of holding many simultaneous primaries early on. This results in more money being spent in states with early primaries and a disproportionate influence in generating publicity and momentum for the winners. – Iowa Caucuses – New Hampshire Primaries

Third Parties • What are Third Parties? – Parties representing minority opinions that challenge the Democrats and Republicans – Some successful Third Parties: • Populist Party – 1890’s • Progressive Party – split off from Rep. Part in 1912 • Libertarian Party – third most popular party in U. S. today

Third Parties • 3 Kinds of Third Parties – 1. Parties Tied to a Single Issue: ØExamples: v Prohibition Party: formed in 1872 to support banning of alcohol in the U. S. v U. S. Marijuana Party: formed to support the legalization of marijuana in the U. S. v Green Party: formed to protect the environment

Third Parties • 3 Kinds of Third Parties – 2. Parties Tied to a Political Belief ØExamples: v Libertarian Party v The Third Party v Socialist Parties

Third Parties • 3 Kinds of Third Parties – 3. Parties Tied to a Single Candidate ØExamples: v Reform Party – formed around Presidential candidate Ross Perot in 1996 v American Independent Party – formed around Presidential candidate George Wallace in 1968

Third Parties • • • • America First Party American Heritage Party American Independent Party American Nazi Party Communist Party USA Constitution Party Family Values Party Grassroots Party Green Party Independence Party Labor Party Libertarian Party Light Party Natural Law Party The Third Party Worker’s World Party • • • • Peace and Freedom Party Prohibition Party Reform party The Revolution Socialist Party, USA Southern Independence Party U. S. Pacifist Party Veterans Party of America We the People Party Knights Party Libertarian National Socialist Green Party Pansexual Peace Party Pot Party Constitutional Action Party American Falangist Party U. S. Marijuana Party